May 2025 Volume 7

EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

Choosing The Best Automation For Your Forge Shop Forgers win competitive projects, whether using hammers, crank presses, or screw presses, based on their production flexibility and economical solutions for producing a wide variety of parts. Automation contributes greatly here as the technology improves process stability and increases output rates. There are many different automation systems that forgers can choose, such as commercial standard robots, hanging robots with additional linear moving axes on suspension frames, mono beams, and walking beam transfer systems. • Robot Automation: These systems, while less expensive, can have limitations when considering higher output rates. • Mono Beam / Walking Beam Systems: These technologies are much faster and more precise than robot automation— and are often associated with automated crank presses, as well as recent adaptations for screw presses. • The ANDRITZ Schuler Tri-Axis Servo Transfer: This transfer system provides the maximum, and most reliable, positioning accuracy. The basis of the Tri-Axis Servo Transfer is electrical- and servo motor-driven. Optimized forming, motion spray, and cooling processes can be achieved if the transfer system is combined with a servo press drive. All grippers are equipped with quick disconnect coupling systems for fast replacement without any long production downtimes. Keep It Simple: One Supplier, Complete Solutions Working with one supplier for a complete turnkey solution will save forgers both time and money as a one-source supplier eliminates tedious back-and-forth, project delays, and extensive supplier onboarding protocol. ANDRITZ Schuler, as an example, offers customizable solutions for all requirements of forging and automation solutions that are designed for cold, warm, and hot forging.

Achieve up to 30 strokes/min and produce higher quality parts with ANDRITZ Farina's KERS system's advantageous conventional and servo drive.

DO FORGERS REALLY NEED TURNKEY FORGING LINES? Yes, but one must first fully understand the forging process required for the demands of the automotive industry—particularly for aluminum material that involves forging, machining, assembling, and the development, construction, and design of chassis parts. • The process begins with a billet. • The billet is transferred to a pre-heating furnace to be heated at the required forging temperature. • The billet is picked up by a loading robot from the furnace conveyor and placed on the hydraulic press (if required) for the pre-bending of the component. • The pre-formed component is then placed onto the first station of the multi-station press (i.e., mechanical, hydraulic, or screw presses). • The forged part needs to be transferred for heat treatment (the final step). • Automation is determined—e.g., robot transfer, mono beam transfer, or twin transfer—by the specified volumes, part geometry, and cycle time. • The full turnkey forging line is also designed for the specific heat treatment of the desired part. This is a simplified overview of the forging process; the process can be tailored for specific forging project needs.

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