TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
E-cushion
As mentioned in the preceding section about the hydraulic cushion, one of the main areas of improvement is in the reduction of energy consumption and energy regeneration. The hydraulic cushion is a product with great potential of improvement in terms of energy efficiency.
Considering that servo presses have an increasing presence in the international market, we have developed a new servo-mechanical cushion concept: the e-cushion. The e-cushion retains all the benefits of the hydraulic cushion (pre-acceleration, force control, pick-ups, etc.) and adds substantial improvements in terms of energy consumption and the possibility of applying retention even during the ascent of the slide (a very desirable option for parts that need oscillating cycles and/or forces during ascent for control of the “spring back”, etc.).
This new concept replaces hydraulics with electric servo motors and uses a rack and pinion mechanism to transform the electric energy of the servo motor into the mechanical force required for the die drawing process.
This solution allows us to create an ideal architecture in the presses that feature servo technology in the main drive of the press and has a cushion in the bed. Testing has been carried out on the trading platforms. Although the initial investment is higher, the calculated payback time can be as short as 32 months (considering the energy improvement and the reduction of maintenance). It is worth noting that the energy efficiency of the press improves by up to 50% (and increases the more the cushion is used) for some parts compared to its hydraulic cushion predecessor.
The E-cushion is already on the market and the results are satisfactory.
