Sheffield Forgemasters signed up as a Tier One Partner with the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), part of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. The move will give the 200-year-old company, which was recently taken into public ownership, access to the AFRC’s research-and-development facilities focusing on emerging advanced manufacturing technologies such as residual stress, advanced furnaces and forging expertise in Industry 4.0 data analytics and modeling. 

The addition of a hydroform deep-draw press from Quintus Technologies brings increased capacity, flexibility and production efficiencies to aerospace parts manufacturer Aeroforma Technologies. Installed at the company’s facility in Cheltenham, United Kingdom, the press uses hydraulic pressure up to 11,600 psi to form parts in a variety of shapes, thicknesses and tough materials. Proprietary flexible-forming technology enables the press to perform four forming operations in a single machine. In addition to block tool forming, cavity tool forming and expansion forming, it is also equipped with a movable punch forming system for deep drawing of intricate shapes.

Quintus Technologies received an order from Piper Aircraft, an aircraft manufacturer, to provide a high-pressure hydroform fluid cell press for its facility in Vero Beach, Fla. The press generates a press force of 35,000 metric tons across the entire forming area of 39 x 118 inches (1,000 x 3,000 mm). It includes user-friendly features such as equipment serviceability, remote system control and a high degree of self-diagnostics. The installation will allow Piper to redirect component production from a 40-year-old ASEA press. The large forming area and advanced controls give the new press the ability to produce up to 1,000,000 formed sheet-metal parts per year.

F&B Manufacturing installed two hydroform deep-draw presses from Quintus Technologies to elevate both the capacity and capabilities at its Phoenix, Ariz., facility. The presses’ flexible forming technology allows F&B engineers to offer more options to serve customer production streams while also addressing new applications and markets. Both presses feature a modular dual-tray shuttle system that allows F&B to draw up to 10 inches (254 mm) deep and accept blank sizes up to 43.1 inches (1,095 mm) in diameter, a 25% increase over previous capacity. Using high isostatic pressure up to 11,600 psi, parts can be formed in a variety of tough materials and thicknesses to tight tolerances with minimal thinning.

ITP Aero, a manufacturer of aviation and industrial engines, installed a high-pressure sheet hydroform press from Quintus Technologies in its recently completed plant in Bilbao, Spain. The press operates at a forming pressure of 1,400 bar (20,000 psi), which is important in jet-engine applications because it ensures close-tolerance parts direct from the press with little or no secondary hand work required. With a work area of 27.6 x 73 inches (700 mm x 1,800 mm), it introduces several production efficiencies, eliminating forming steps, intermediate heat treatments, and manual pre- and post-forming operations.

Piper Aircraft Inc. installed a high-pressure Flexform press from Quintus Technologies in its manufacturing facility in Vero Beach, Fla. The addition of the press reflects the growing market for new trainer aircraft. The fluid cell press applies flexible forming technology to the production of sheet-metal parts across the entire Piper line of eight aircraft models. With a work area of 27.6 x 73 inches (700 mm x 1,800 mm), the press introduces production efficiencies by eliminating forming operations, intermediate heat treatments, and manual pre- and post-forming operations.

Retrogression heat treatment and re-aging (RRA) is used for retaining optimal strength in aluminum alloys while avoiding stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Last time, we learned about the SCC phenomenon and its effects on aluminum alloys.

Gardner Aerospace, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of aircraft parts and sub-assemblies, invested in a high-pressure fluid-cell press from Sweden’s Quintus Technologies. Gardner recently opened a 45,000-square-meter manufacturing facility in Chengdu, China, that will support China’s rapidly developing domestic market for aerospace parts. The 800-bar (11,600-psi) press has a forming area of 700 mm x 1,800 mm (27.6 x 73 inches). Gardner purchased a high-pressure fluid-cell press from Quintus in 2015. It has a central position at the company’s facility in southern France, where it has generated significant cost savings and eliminated several forming operations.

Quintus Technologies developed a new process, high-pressure warm forming (HPWF), that combines high pressure with a moderately elevated temperature for more rapid, cost-effective and precise forming of titanium parts. HPWF paves the way for more widespread adoption of Ti-6Al-4V, the grade of titanium used in many manufacturing sectors for its high strength, light weight, formability and high corrosion resistance. 

Parsan Makina Parçaları Sanayii, a Turkish manufacturer of high-quality forged products, commissioned SMS group to supply a fully automated closed-die forging press.