A high-pressure fluid cell press from Quintus Technologies will boost efficiencies and lower production costs for Thailand’s Jinpao Precision Industry, a manufacturer of structural sheet metal and machined parts. The Flexform press will be used for forming aerospace parts for airplanes and helicopters. It has a work area measuring 27.6 x 73 inches (700 mm x 1,800 mm), which can accommodate 90% of the forming parts requested by Jinpao’s customers. Operating at a forming pressure of 1,400 bar (20,000 psi), the fluid cell press is suited to applications requiring close-tolerance parts with little or no need for secondary hand work.

The hydroform process utilizes a combination of a single rigid tool half, operating in conjunction with a flexible rubber diaphragm under uniform high hydrostatic pressure, to form sheet-metal parts with high accuracy and repeatability. This technology introduces several production efficiencies by eliminating forming steps, intermediate heat treatments and manual pre- and post-forming operations. It also generates significant tool cost savings and speeds up tool production, particularly for intricately shaped components.

The press was installed in the Jinpao’s vertically integrated fabrication facility in Samut Prakan, near the airport that serves metropolitan Bangkok.