Beckwood Press Company, a leading manufacturer of hydraulic and servo-electric presses, automation systems, and the Triform line of precision forming equipment, recently delivered a Triform model 68-10FC Fluid Cell Sheet Hydroforming Press to a major supplier of space launch vehicles.
Delivered in October, this machine features a 68-in. diameter round forming area that can hold one large tool or multiple smaller tools simultaneously. Once the tooling and blank are loaded, they are transported into the press via an automated hydraulic shuttle system. The operator then sets the optimal forming pressures (up to 10,000 psi) and the desired dwell times, if any. The versatile recipe set-up feature allows the operator to program up to 10 individual steps, selecting the desired pressure and dwell time for each. Up to 500 recipes can be stored in the HMI for fast, easy recall.
During the cycle, a pressurized rubber diaphragm acts as a universal die half, applying equal pressure over every square inch of the part’s surface. The finished part is near-net-shape, requiring little or no secondary finishing operations.
“This is the largest Triform press featuring a round forming area and one of the largest sheet hydroforming machines in the world,” said Josh Dixon, Beckwood’s Director of Sales & Marketing. “Beckwood is proud to support the ongoing efforts in commercial space travel and excited to manufacture machinery for this emerging industry.”
