A state-of-the-art downstroke press for Promens Zlín
Promens Zlín selected us to provide a highly-customized 3000t press.
Promens Zlin: The client
Promens Zlín is a European company that manufactures automotive components using RIM, vacuum forming and SMC technologies.
Over the years they have become a direct supplier and development partner to a number of major companies worldwide.
The challenge
To produce large structural parts with Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) technology, Promens Zlín was searching for a compression molding press to meet their production needs and could be placed inside their warehouse without occupying the entire space.
That’s where our versatility came into play.
Our solution
We supplied Promens Zlín with a downstroke 3000t press for SMC and other composite technologies. The moving plate is guided over the tie-bars through 8 hydraulic acted pads (two per column), which slide on the columns, improving parallelism during movement and achieving high-quality finished products.
Four additional lateral hydraulic cylinders give active parallelism control through counterforce. Each is individually piloted by a dedicated electro-proportional valve and equipped with a dedicated position transducer to provide feedback on the cylinder’s position.
The electronic control of the press will also handle the active parallelism control based on its readings of the position transducers: high dynamic servo-valves, accordingly, will activate the cylinders, controlling each stroke, stabilizing and controlling the upper platen’s parallelism throughout its working stroke and during stand-still.
The real challenge was to create a press with 3,400 x 2,500 mm platens to be inserted inside a 6,400 x 5,000 mm foundation pit. To do this, co-design aided in matching the press performances in terms of space and process. For example, the press is prepared for the IMC process cycle, which involves injecting a primer paint inside the compression mold to obtain a uniform coating on the part beforehand.
