Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a researcher and developer of advanced materials and economical green energy solutions, has awarded Beckwood Press Company a contract to manufacture a custom hydraulic press for the compression molding of various composite materials. In addition, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), a research and development institution for science and technology applied to national security, has awarded Beckwood a contract to manufacture a Triform Deep Draw Sheet Hydroforming Press.
ORNL
The research and development efforts made on the custom hydraulic press will ultimately contribute to ORNL's automotive and aerospace industry lightweighting efforts, intended to produce higher performance products with improved fuel efficiency. The 100-ton custom press will feature a 36" x 36" work area and integrated multiple zone heated platens for precision temperature control.
In addition to the custom hydraulic press, ORNL will install a Triform Model 16-5BD Fluid Cell sheet hydroforming system (also manufactured by Beckwood), which features 5,000 PSI of maximum forming pressure and a 16" diameter forming area. The Triform 16-5BD allows for the formation of complex geometries with the use of a pressurized diaphragm, which can be programmed to apply a range of forming pressures to accommodate the various materials being formed. The inherent flexibility of the Triform process - which includes the ability to dwell, or maintain pressure on the part for extended periods of time - along with the ability to use inexpensive tooling (including 3-D printed tooling), will enhance ORNL's ability to conduct critical material and manufacturing process research, per its project objectives.
"It is our goal to make this lab the intersection of our 3-D printing capabilities and composites processing," said Jesse Smith, Manager of Industrial Partnerships & Economic Development Science & Technology Partnerships at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. "It is going to be a very impressive showplace for industry, and we are excited to have Beckwood on our team."
The Beckwood machines will be used at ORNL by the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI). Led by the University of Tennessee and heaquartered in Knoxville, the IACMI's main goal is to develop new low-cost, high-speed and efficient manufacturing and recycling process technologies that will promote widespread use of advanced fiber-reinforced polymer composites. "Through the new IACMI Institute, a team of leading industrial manufacturers - such as Beckwood, material suppliers, software developers, government and academia - will focus on lowering the overall manufacturing costs of advanced composites by 50%, reducing the energy used to make composites by 75% and increasing the ability to recycle composites by more than 95% within the next decade," said a spokesperson.
LLNL
The Triform Deep Draw Sheet Hydroforming Press Model 20-10-10BD will accommodate a 20" maximum blank size and 10,000 PSI of forming pressure and features a maximum draw depth capacity of 10".
"In addition to well-established accuracy and repeatability, which combine to maximize the forming capability of Triform customer operations, the new 20-10-10BD features improved cycle times and an integrated tool change system for fast changeover," said Beckwood President Jeffrey Debus.
The Triform 20-10-10BD utilizes specific technologies that have been integrated into the machine design to facilitate new part development. An intuitive control system allows the user to quickly and accurately control both punch position and diaphragm pressure for up to 30 individual recipe steps per cycle, which can then be saved alpha-numerically and recalled in the future. Triform's In-Sight Feature - standard on all Triform Deep Draw presses - allows the operator to pause and open the press at any point during the forming cycle, facilitating a visual inspection of the forming results to more quickly zero in on the ideal recipe.
With the goal of eliminating unplanned downtime, Beckwood will include its On-Board Pre-Preventive Maintenance (PPM) system. Beckwood's PPM technology utilizes integrated machine intelligence to monitor the performance of the press, automatically notifying the operator and/or maintenance staff when initial signs of required maintenance arise. This advance-warning system provides owners of the technology the ability to schedule downtime for maintenance when it is most convenient for internal production schedules rather than learning of maintenance requirements after downtime has already occurred.
To further accommodate LLNL's requirements, Beckwood offered a flush-floor design option that eliminates the need for a pit or special foundation, as well as configuring the tooling attachment portion of the press to accommodate LLNL's existing Cincinnati hydroform tooling.
For more information contact:
Beckwood Press Company
889 Horan Drive
St. Louis, MO 63026
800-737-0111 / 636-343-4100
info@beckwoodpress.com
www.beckwoodpress.com
www.triformpress.com
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
www.ornl.gov
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
www.llnl.gov