Beckwood Press Co.
889 Horan Drive
Fenton, MO 63026-2405
(St. Louis)
Phone : 636.343.4100
Fax : 636.343.4424
info@beckwoodpress.com
Press Example Search
Spring/Summer - 2007
Beckwood Unveils New Line of Affordable Benchtop Presses
Beckwood Press Company has complimented its line of quality built to order hydraulic presses by offering an affordable line of standardized benchtop presses. The DJ-Benchtop series comprises of hydraulic and air/oil presses within a 3-10 ton capacity range. These high-speed, economical machines are very suitable for, but not limited to assembly, inserting, caulking, trimming, blanking, stamping, and coining applications.
"We are seeing a growing demand within our customer base for cost efficient solutions in assembly and production cells," says Jeffrey E. Debus, Vice President of Beckwood Press Company. The DJ-Benchtop series gives us a competitive price point to diversify our product in a variety of applications. Customers can choose from several standardized models, with a wide array of user friendly features, all with a variety of options. Each press goes through Beckwood's exhaustive Quality Control Certification Testing (Q.C.C.T.) program and is fully supported by the company's technical support and customer service departments.
The hydraulic presses consist of 2 models: The DHP and DHP-N. Both models are equipped with pressure control, adjustable up and slow down limit switches, variable pressing speed and a mechanical adjustment for the bottom stop. The DHP series is also available with customizable features along with higher speed (DHP-H series) and tonnage ranges beyond the 10 ton capacity limit.
The Beckwood Press Company has steadily increased its product line over the years in order to grow with customer demands. The DJ-Benchtop Series especially highlights the company's wide array of machinery that is well suited for the assembly industry. This equipment includes: light tonnage stock presses, ultra high precision presses and custom hydraulic presses, all with optional ancillary equipment and integration expertise in a variety of control options, tonnage ranges, sizes and specifications.
Beckwood Launching Updated Website in May
Beckwood has announced the launching of their new hydraulic press web site. Additional sections have been added to improve the online technical support and customer service pages, along with an increased number of recent hydraulic press examples. Beckwood has also improved their online Quick Quote response form, which can be submitted for a fast response quotation on virtually any hydraulic press.
Other new features include: an improved internal search engine designed for ease of use, an updated hydraulic press information page and updates on the most extensive examples of made-to-order hydraulic presses on the web. Further updates incorporate a wide array of Beckwood's 4-Post, 2-Post C-Frame Presses and Benchtop presses with additional tonnage range and specific application examples.
Spotlight on Press Customization (Excerpt from March Edition of FF Journal)
Beckwood Press Company was recently featured in an FF Journal article with Acuity Brands Lighting. The following is an excerpt from this article.
Acuity Brands Lighting is one of the world's leading providers of lighting fixtures. They have operations throughout the globe and have seen a company wide increase in customer orders by over 12% in 2006. Acuity's focus is on creating a leaner, more effective organization through new product development and more efficient processes.
Beckwood Press Company has built a trusted relationship with the company, providing customized hydraulic presses for them since 1998. Beckwood has worked with several of their facilities, including the Crawfordsville, Indiana plant. This division engages in the anodizing, spinning, buffing, punching and hydroforming of reflectors used in various types of light fixtures.
Beckood has provided 8 customized hydraulic presses for the Indiana Production facility in the punching of lighting reflectors for downlighting. The material is spun through Acuity's metal spinning machines and then sent to their Beckwood presses for secondary operations. The Beckwood presses punch sockets and side holes within the bulbs (reflectors).
Their ongoing relationship with Acuity Brands Lighting has helped the company expand their production with more efficient machines built for their exact requirements. Beckwood has designed and customized hydraulic presses configured to accommodate up to 200-300 dies within a reduced press footprint. The initial press cost was decreased through a value engineered approach to the design, and the return on investment was improved through reduction in die setup and continually improving the engineering process for this customer.
Beckwood integrated press bed rollers that Acuity provided to further reduce die setup time. Beckwood's ability to take an idea and create a workable solution was appealing to Acuity's project manager, Ronald Knight. He has worked with Beckwood engineers to discover new ways to set up their dies for quick die change and better utilize the company's floor space. Beckwood provided cost effective solutions for our custom press needs. From varied tonnages, to bolster extensions, to extra t-slots in varied positions etc. Beckwood has been able to accommodate. The latest Beckwood press we purchased features easy access for quick die change and a custom designed bolster to utilize the bed size to it's fullest. Customization was key for Acuity Brands Lighting. They have requested variable levels of customization and sophistication for each press. Each requirement may have many of the same specifications of speeds, bed size, tonnage stroke and features, but also vary, depending on the system and product needs.
Beckwood has provided the customer with many different types of customer control, from basic two hand touch button systems to productivity packages with job storage and touch screen operator interfaces. "We asked (Beckwood) for a larger control transformer for integration with our smart die system and had them change the swing out pedestal to give the operator a little more usability. Beckwood said, no problem. They are always working with us to build a better system" Knight said The idea is to provide the most efficient system for each application for the right investment, capable of handling the specific requirements of the job. "The benefits to customization are not buying what we don't need. With our last press purchase we didn't need the standard 100 ton press, we needed a 35 ton press with a 30" stroke and larger bed size. Why waste the money on extra options and/or a higher capacity press?" inquired Knight.
Historically, press customization has often carried the stigma of long lead times for components. This can cause down time at inopportune times. "Lead times are important when we buy a press", Knight said. "Beckwood's ability to build a customized press with standardized, off the shelf components was very beneficial to a facility such as ours. We operate in 3 shifts, and need to be hitting on all cylinders at all times." By standardizing press components with reputable manufacturers that carry off the shelf hydraulics and controls, custom press manufacturers have eliminated one of the major roadblocks to buying customized machines.
"We continue to embrace Kaizen events and lean manufacturing. Beckwood's Quick Die Change system, our smart die system and a continual effort to work towards simplification of operator setup is helping us to achieve our goals." Knight said.
For more information, please see the March 2007 edition of FF Journal.
Lead Application and Sales Engineer Joins Beckwood Team
Beckwood Press announces the addition of Darrell B. Harrelson as Lead Application and Sales Engineer. Mr. Harrelson will bring 12 years experience in industrial manufacturing and possesses a practical working knowledge of modern hydraulics. He is a Certified Fluid Power Specialist and holds a Bachelors of Business Administration degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Harrelson was formerly employed at HTE Technologies of St. Louis, a full-line Parker Hannifin distributor, where he served as their primary hydraulics application engineer. Harrelson will be heavily involved in the sale and design of Beckwood's new and existing products and technologies.
Beckwood Offers New Innovations For Assembly Systems Manufacturers
Beckwood Press Company's popularity with systems integrators continues to grow in all industries. The unlimited flexibility of design and function found in Beckwood Presses lends itself well to suit the need of any Assembly or Production System.
Beckwood's skilled engineering staff and experienced personnel can often simplify even the most complex operations for any end product that ensures durability and reliability. Regardless of the specifications required, Beckwood will meet your needs.
Along with our new DJ Series Standard Benchtop Series (featured on page 1), one of our other latest examples for the assembly market involves our new Servo-Motion press (Accu-Flex).
The Accu-Flex press is designed to give users precision performance for both position and force control at a significant cost savings over competitive equipment. These presses are suitable for production as well as R&D or laboratory environments.
They are equipped with fully programmable control systems for entering all cycle parameters (speed, stroke, shut height, force, etc) and includes Go/No-Go options for part quality certification and on the fly part verification. Programs can be saved and stored in the operator interface. Real time data and performance trending is also included and easily exported via Ethernet connection.
More information about these presses can be found by going to http://www.beckwoodpress.com and typing in "servo motion examples" in the top left search box or by contacting one of the members of Beckwood's Sales Engineering Team.
Hydraulic Press with 2 Axis Active Leveling Technology
Beckwood Press Company has recently delivered an innovative new Hydraulic Press made specifically with four corner, two-axis active leveling for precision parallelism of the press. This 230 ton capacity press is used to form radiator tanks for a major Construction Industry Manufacturer.
The press was specifically engineered for the customer's non-dedicated, off-center loading, forming requirements. The two-axis self leveling, precision parallelism control can be programmed to a desired cut height of +- .001" with performance of +-.002". The Beckwood Press includes a programmable touch screen operator interface and is integrated with closed loop precision control over position and pressure. The press was integrated with a two operator foot pedal control system for efficient operation and includes the required safety guards and light curtains for four side access protection. It was built to accommodate a customized 16" stroke; 40" x 60" bolsters and includes an automatic ram slide lubrication system. More information about this specific example can be found by visiting http://www.beckwoodpress.com and typing 328 in the bottom search engine.
High Precision Dispensing for High Viscosity Fluids
Beckwood Press Company worked in partnership for more than a year to develop an innovative precision dispensing system for ultra-high viscosity polymers. The system concept originated from the patent pending servo motion control technology used in Beckwood's line of Accu-Flex presses. This specific system utilizes two independent dispensing cylinders that are powered and controlled for precise volume displacement by controlling the plunger or piston rate. Cycle parameters allow for the operator to establish a cumulative volume payout based upon a fixed ratio between the two dispensing cylinders. The all stainless system was designed for highly abrasive medium and includes electric heating to 250?F.
5 Questions with Hutchinson Mayrath: Customized Press for Dedicated Off-Center Loading
Beckwood Press Company recently interviewed Scott Rickley, an Industrial Engineer at Hutchinson/Mayrath/Terra Track in Clay Center Kansas, for an article with MetalForming Magazine. Rickley provided insight on his company, and how Beckwood was able to help him with his dedicated off-center loading application.
BW: What are the products and markets served by your plant? What is the process, and who are your customers?
SR: "We use the (Beckwood) Press to shear and flatten round tubing in preparation to be used in a weldment. The press performs the entire operation of preparing the tubing for the weldment. The end product is the undercarriage for our portable augers, which is vital for the safety of the auger and its operators. Parts must be of good quality or serious safety issues could arise.
Our primary product is grain handling equipment in an agricultural application. Our primary end users are farms and large grain storage facilities. Our product is distributed through a dealer/distributor network."
BW: What solutions did Beckwood solve by engineering this press system to your specific requirements?
SR: "Beckwood's design allowed us to load three different dies into the press at one time. We were doing this in the past with our old press, however, it was not designed for that application and when we used the dies that were off-center, the ram would come down out of level.
By designing a press with off-center loading capabilities Beckwood made it possible to load all three of the dies at one time and the press would compensate pressure to keep the ram level no matter which die we used."
BW: Did the sales engineers answer all of your questions and make things as smooth as possible for your company?
SR: "Beckwood made the entire process very easy, from initial ordering to final approval and training, right up through delivery."
BW: What example, in particular, have you been most satisfied with your Beckwood Press?
SR: "The press is very maintenance friendly with its automatic lubrication system. By not having to change dies on this press, our set-up times have basically become zero."
For more information on this process, please see Beckwood's article in the April 2007 edition of Metalforming Magazine (or contact us for a free issue).