The next generation of press cylinders

Press cylinders: What's the key?

Press cylinders are the ‘powerhouses’ of hydraulic presses. Not only do they have to generate extreme forces, they also have to withstand millions of load cycles. Press cylinders are used in a wide variety of industries, for example in the metalworking industry and plant engineering, the plastics industry, automotive engineering, the food industry or the energy and steel industry.

The hydraulic cylinders are installed in:

• Deep drawing presses
• Punch presses
• Press brakes
• Forging presses
• Compression presses
• Vulcanisation presses
• Thermoforming presses
• Baling presses
• Scrap presses
• Scrap metal and car presses
• Veneer presses
• Moulding presses
• Powder presses
• Sintering presses
• Filter presses
• Dewatering presses
• Extrusion presses
• Hydroforming presses

Requirements and advantages of hydraulic press cylinders

1. High forces: The pressing force of typical press cylinders is between 1 MN and 10 MN. This corresponds to a weight force of over 1,000 tonnes. Significantly higher forces can also be realised. Several press cylinders are often operated in parallel for this purpose.

2. Longevity: Even under high loads, press cylinders must work precisely over the long term. The typical service life is around 10 years. Depending on the application and cycle time, this corresponds to a load of around 2 to 10 million load changes. Press cylinders are therefore designed to be time-resistant or even fatigue-resistant.

3. Limited installation space: In many designs, the space available for the cylinder is limited, meaning that high-performance solutions need to be developed for the tightest of spaces.

4. Reliability and robustness: Press cylinders often work under aggressive conditions. Even in demanding environments, the cylinders must be able to withstand wear and corrosion in the long term.

Press cylinders are the centrepiece of hydraulic presses. The reliability of the hydraulic cylinder is crucial for efficient and trouble-free operation of the system. Manufacturers must have in-depth expertise in the development and experience in the production of press cylinders.

Press cylinders in large-format applications

Large-format press cylinders are used in many heavy-duty applications, e.g. baling presses, press brakes or moulding presses. They ensure that even the largest loads can be moved precisely and reliably.

At ACONA, we take on these ‘large-format’ challenges in particular.

Features of large hydraulic cylinders in presses

• Piston diameter from 300 mm upwards

• Designed as short-stroke cylinders (less than 1 m) or long-stroke cylinders (up to 5 m)

• The operating pressure is usually 300 to 400 bar

• Specially designed and calculated for long-lasting, dynamic and static loads

• Optimised sealing concepts and special coatings for aggressive environments

Take a look at the production and tube processing departments to discover the dimensions we process.

deep-R sets new standards for press cylinders

Press cylinders are subject to extreme loads - which is why solid, one-piece cylinder housings are often used. But with deep-R, oversized designs are a thing of the past!

Our innovative process enables the transformation of one-piece housings into multi-piece welded constructions that are slimmer, more efficient and yet extremely resilient. Existing welded constructions can be made slimmer or optimised for higher pressures and pressing forces using deep-R - without compromising on service life or stability.

deep-R is based on the latest surface hardening technology for welded components and significantly increases their load-bearing capacity:

• Validated strength: Independent research institutes have confirmed the effectiveness of deep-R in empirical tests, and years of successful use in the field emphasise its reliability.

• Customised solutions: Each project is customised specifically to your requirements - from development to production.

• Maximum efficiency: Save material, maximise performance - or increase service life. deep-R makes your press the most efficient of its kind.

With deep-R, you can rely on a revolutionary solution that not only makes your press cylinders leaner, but also gives your press a decisive competitive advantage.

How the innovative deep-R process was created

A leading press manufacturer approached ACONA Hydraulik with a clear objective: The existing press, including the installed hydraulic cylinder, was to be optimised and work with a 25 % higher operating pressure in future in order to be able to apply significantly higher pressing forces. However, the installation space was limited. The major challenge was to leave the outer dimensions of the cylinder unchanged, including the outer diameter of the cylinder housing.

The increased operating pressure results from the need to achieve higher forces and thus optimised filtering of the substrate:

Realising higher forces in the same installation space means hard cash for the customer.

Increasing the output force while retaining the dimensions without compromising the service life initially seems like an impossible task.

Together towards a solution

The use of high-strength steels does not lead to the desired solution, as the weld seam is the Achilles' heel of the design. But how can the load-bearing capacity of weld seams on press cylinders be demonstrably increased so that the design fulfils the new requirements?

Various approaches were discussed together with research institutes. The most promising solution was then analysed, validated and subsequently confirmed in the field as part of an extensive series of tests.

The result: deep-R

The team developed a special algorithm for analysing the load and a process tailored to it. With Deep-R, the customer was able to:

• Significantly increase the operating pressure of the press.

• Significantly improve the filtration performance, reduce costs and thus save money.

• Find a cost-optimised and durable solution that fits perfectly into the existing installation space.

The best thing about it: nothing changes for the end customer - except that their system works much more efficiently. The cylinder has the same dimensions, but operates under a significantly greater load.

Long-term partnership

Thanks to the successful implementation and the tangible benefits for the customer, a long-term collaboration has developed. The press manufacturer has been sourcing customised solutions and engineering services from ACONA Hydraulik for many years and thus remains a leader in its industry.