By means of a smartphone, customers can get in contact with the service in order to receive expert help directly at their facility.

Competent help directly at the facility: The new free service app from Schuler makes exactly that possible. Through their smartphone, customers can quickly find answers to their questions and help solve a problem, for example, by evaluating the Schuler experts’ pictures and videos, which were entered via the app. The software is part of the SmartPress Shop concept, with which Schuler will present solutions for networking in forming technology at the EuroBLECH trade fair in Hanover.

“With the Service App, we are even better able to help our customers increase the availability of their systems and minimize downtimes,” says Managing Director Axel Meyer, Head of the Service Division at Schuler. “The dialog with Schuler’s experts on the intuitive software usually leads to a faster problem solu- tion. Through their smartphone, the customers receive a competent support from us while they are at their press. It can not get any faster. ”

With the experience of tens of thousands of installed Schuler presses in the background, the service can often locate the cause relatively easily by means of the image or video file that the customer has recorded on the system with the app. If a component has to be exchanged, the user can capture it with the camera of his smartphone and send a request to the service using the part number.

If necessary, the service hotline can also be called from the app. On request, users can also receive product information and service news – for example, on appointments for training courses or software updates for plant controls – as push messages on their mobile phones to keep up to date.

Hot stamping dies require channels for coolants, so that the annealing sheet metal can be rapidly brought to a temperature below 200 degrees Celsius. Previously, coolant channels usually had to be drilled straight into the die, so a continuous position on the surface is made almost impossible, particularly when it comes to complex shapes. But now, with the help of 3D printing, Schuler is manufacturing prototype dies with channels running in an improved near net shape – therefore ensuring an equally fast cooling of all component areas and, as a consequence, improved part properties.

“The optimized cooling channel geometry makes the cooling of the die more homogenous and efficient”, explains Udo Binder, Head of the Intelligent Tooling Solutions Division at Schuler. “3D printing opens up new possibilities in the design of the cooling channels, so that they contribute to even cooling.”

Schuler uses laser melting as an additional manufacturing process. The base material is the same steel used in conventional hot stamping dies – albeit in the form of powder that is applied layer by layer and joined by laser welding. The result is a die segment that exhibits mechanical-technical properties of the actual die by up to 95 percent.

Before, Schuler carried out comprehensive examinations so as to determine ideal process parameters and the optimum composition of the powdered material. Extensive tests of the die segment for tensile strength and specific density followed. It is currently being tested for wear and series production. “The construction of hot stamping dies is practically predestined to be a new area of application for 3D printing”, summarizes Division Head Udo Binder. “We’re ready for it.”

Electronic assistant in Schuler’s Smart Press Shop supports production startup on transfer presses and increases output Setting up transfer presses is often a task reserved for absolute professionals: Harmonizing the press, transfer and coil line for maximum productivity calls for a high level of expertise and skill. Smart Assist from Schuler makes it easier for press operators to setup presses: The electronic assistant guides the user through the process step-by-step with the aid of videos and graphics, optimizes the movement curves of the slide and transfer fully automatically, and transfers the data to the overall system. Schuler will be presenting Smart Assist as part of the Smart Press Shop for the first time at the EuroBLECH trade fair, between October 25 and 29 in Hanover.

“Smart Assist considerably speeds up the process of setting up transfer presses”, explains Chief Technology Officer Dr. Stephan Arnold. “It ensures that parts are always transported reliably, and the fully-automatic optimization of the movement curves, including acceleration and setting angle, also increases the output rate. Thus Smart Assist delivers excellent results within a short period of time.”

Smart Assist – which also runs in addition to the press control system on a tablet or similar mobile end device – requests to move the slide and the transfer to specific positions one after the other. If the press operator presses “Teach”, these positions are stored. In this way, Smart Assist records the minimum transfer lift stroke required and all other relevant data.

The optimum movement curves of the slide and transfer are then calculated based on the information collected and the parameters determined are transferred to the press control system. Practically all that remains for the operator to do is press the start button.

Needless to say, professionals are still sought after: In Expert mode, Smart Assist permits free programming of the movement curves of the slide and transfer – for asymmetrical transfer movements to further minimize spacing, for example. This enables even the last percent to be teased out to provide a maximum output rate for the transfer press.

Schuler has launched the first technology center for forming technology systems in China with an innovation day. The demonstration and reference center in the Northern China industrial metropolis of Tianjin offers automotive manufacturers, suppliers and other companies from the sheet metal-processing sector the opportunity to try out a servo press from the latest generation for themselves. The Servo TechCenter Tianjin is Schuler’s first demonstration center across all of Asia and forms a key part of the company’s strategy, to be ranked among the leading providers in China, as the largest press market in the world, in all the key price-performance sectors.

Schuler’s customers can perform their own stamping and die tests on the TwinServo press, for example. “We support our customers in optimizing their productivity and therefore becoming even more successful”, comments Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Peter Jost, at the innovation day. “Our first TechCenter in China has not only put our technological leading position to the test, but also underlines the significance of the Chinese market for Schuler’s future growth.”

Schuler has been operating in China with a number of sites since the early 1990’s and just a few months ago acquired the leading Chinese press manufacturer, Yadon, in the middle price-performance segment. “This country has enormous potential for us”, added China Chief Executive Officer, Oemer Akyazici. “With the products from Yadon under our belt, we are now optimally positioned to cover further market segments.”

Around 140 visitors were lucky enough to see the new press in action at the Servo TechCenter and listen to presentations – for example on TwinServo technology, with which the 1,600 ton system is equipped – as well as view the comprehensive range of services from Schuler in Tianjin. As such, customers cannot only make their production processes more efficient, but can also resort to back-up production or book practical training for employees.

In addition to Tianjin, Schuler also offers customer-specific consulting services at the German sites in Göppingen, Erfurt, Gemmingen and Heßdorf as well as at the US TechCenter.

Automotive supplier Fischer & Kaufmann improves both product quality and die life with a TwinServo press supplied by Schuler

Car manufacturers attach great importance to the precision of the parts they source. Suppliers like Fischer & Kaufmann (Fiuka) are very much aware of this. Based in Germany’s Sauerland region, the company recently improved the accuracy of its products and extended the life of its dies with a new TwinServo press supplied by Schuler.

“We already have a number of presses from Schuler and Müller Weingarten in operation,” reports Site Manager Tobias Heutger: “The quality and performance are always exactly right for us.” With the new TwinServo press, Fiuka now has the most modern line available on the market. “We are generally open for new technologies,” says Tobias Heutger. “Ultimately though it was the price-performance ratio which was decisive.”

External drawrods reduce slide tilting
Compared to conventional lines, for example, slide tilting is reduced significantly by TwinServo presses. This effect results from the machine’s design: as the drive unit is no longer located in the crown but under the press, the slide is pulled down by the drawrods. Together with the play-free guides, this not only improves the precision of the manufactured parts, but also significantly enhances process reliability and prolongs die lifetimes. In addition, the externally mounted drawrods ensure that the machine can be used to apply larger off-center forces.

Boasting a press force of 1,600 metric tons, the new line has been at the Finnentrop site since December last year. And although it is still not running at full capacity four months later, there are already indications of improved productivity: “Compared to our conventional presses, we can more than double the number of strokes per minute from a maximum of 16 to 34 now,” says Site Manager Tobias Heutger.

The high rigidity and low deflection of the overall system also reduces the blanking shock, which in turn means that the machine is much quieter. A further decisive factor for Fiuka was the low height of the TwinServo press, due to its missing crown.

New transfer system raises output
However, not only the press itself is a technological innovation but also the line’s automation system: in addition to the coil line and highly dynamic zig-zag roll feed (PowerFeed) for optimized material usage, Schuler also supplied a newly developed transfer system.

In the so-called IntraFeed system, the grippers responsible for transporting the parts are not mounted on rails but on movable carriages with their own drive units. This significantly reduces the length of the transfer rails and thus of the entire line. One positive side-effect is that the reduced mass being moved results in higher output performance.

Thanks to these movable carriages, the forming stations can also be arranged in variable distances from each other. This opens up new possibilities in die design, as more forming stations can now be accommodated in the press bed. It is feasible, for example, to serve the individual cutting and subsequent forming stations with separate carriages. This allows the gaps between each station to be arranged in the best possible way.

Fiuka was so impressed by the TwinServo press and IntraFeed that it already ordered the second machine of this type from Schuler last year. The identical line is currently being delivered.

The press manufacturer Schuler AG has acquired a majority shareholding in the Chinese machine tool manufacturer Yangzhou Metal Forming Machine Tool Co., Ltd. (Yadon) and thus strengthened its position in the world’s most important growth market for machine tools. This was recently announced by Schuler’s CEO Stefan Klebert in Göppingen.

Schuler has signed an agreement to purchase a majority stake of at least 51 percent in Yadon. There is also an option to increase this shareholding. Both sides have agreed not to disclose the purchase price, which Schuler will finance from its own funds. The current management team and some employees will continue to hold a stake in the joint venture. The cooperation is still subject to approval by the relevant anti-trust authorities.

“China is our fastest growing sales market and the world’s largest market for presses. By acquiring a stake in Yadon, we will gain access to a large group of Chinese customers who we previously hadn’t served,” stated Klebert.

With around 1,100 employees, Yadon generated revenue of approximately € 120 million in 2014. Founded in 1958, the majority of the company’s shares are held privately. Yadon is one of China’s leading press manufacturers. The company’s main base is located in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 300 kilometers north of Shanghai.

At its three facilities, Yadon produces mechanical presses for metalforming processes, such as C-frame presses, blanking presses and tie rod presses. “These will expand Schuler’s product portfolio in the medium and lower price segments,” added Klebert. Yadon’s clients include major Chinese companies in the automotive supply industry, as well as manufacturers of heat exchangers for air conditioning units, suppliers of electric motors, and the entire metalworking industry.

The company is targeting growth in China and other markets with new presses for the mid-range segment. Schuler will support the development of these presses by providing its extensive technological know-how.  Schuler is represented in China since 1992 and has around 400 employees at several sites in China – including facilities in Shanghai, Tianjin and Dalian.

Schuler unveils innovative hot-cold drawing press for the production of titanium parts in the aerospace industry.

Schuler has developed an innovative drawing press for the forming of titanium parts which is suitable for both cold and hot forming processes. The manufacturer unveiled the combi-press to the public at an in-house fair in Waghäusel over the past few days. Over 60 guests looked on as the hot-cold drawing press formed one titanium part after the other for the aerospace industry.

Whereas conventional deep drawing dies with widths of up to 1.60 meters are used for the cold forming process, a specially designed heating chamber is installed in the press for hot forming. It heats the titanium blanks to temperatures of between 700 and 950 degrees Celsius before they are formed in the hot-deep-drawing die. The press bed is equipped with water cooling and a ceramic insulation layer for protection. Schuler succeeded in integrating the draw cushion with high-temperature-resistant pressure pins into the system. With the aid of the pressure pins – which are led through several temperature layers – the blankholding forces can be set with particularly high accuracy.

In cold operation, the press has a slide force of 3,150 kN and a bed cushion force of 1,250 kN, compared to 800 and 250 kN in hot operation. The forming speed for the titanium parts ranges from 0.1 to 2.0 millimeters per second for hot forming and five to 30 millimeters per second for cold forming. The fair visitors experienced the combi-press in cold operation on Wednesday and in hot operation on Thursday. The press is to be delivered to a customer in the Russian aerospace industry.

Titanium is becoming an increasingly important material for aircraft construction. Whereas the high-strength metal accounts for around six percent of materials used in conventional aluminum aircraft construction, this ratio rises to between 15 and 20 percent for modern composite designs. As this makes aircraft lighter, fuel consumption per seat and kilometer flown decreases.

A further press displayed at the in-house fair in Waghäusel has been earmarked for India’s aerospace industry: a hydroforming press line with 1,600 metric tons of press force for manufacturing specialist tubular parts. The monoblock press features a water hydraulic system and two axial cylinders.

Schuler unveiled the first linear hammer with Servo Technology at the RUD-Schöttler forge shop in Hagen, Germany, last Friday. A large audience of experts from the forging industry was in attendance as the line was officially put into operation. Forging hammers were previously driven either hydraulically, pneumatically or by a flat belt. Schuler’s new development, however, features a linear motor – as used, for example, by the Transrapid maglev train.

“Thanks to the new drive system, the hammer is not only regulated absolutely accurately, but also used in controlled operation more precisely than ever before,” explains Schuler’s Managing Director Jochen Früh. “The ability to precisely position and flexibly control the slide opens up completely new possibilities – not only for precision forging, but also in terms of energy efficiency.” A pilot project on the topic is currently being run at RUD-Schöttler, sponsored by Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment.

With its dosage of impact energy and in its slide control, the patented hammer drive enables an exceptionally high degree of precision in forging: the repeat accuracy of the forging blows has a divergence of less than one percent. “The new drive technology even offers the possibility of precision forging without impact areas,” says Thomas Hüttenhein, general manager of RUD-Schöttler. “This eliminates the previously standard hard-on-hard blows for balancing temperature and material fluctuations.”

The electronic control system automatically adjusts the energy input and number of necessary forging blows to the actual forging result after each blow – until the preselected part thickness is achieved. The influence of engraving wear on part accuracy can therefore be compensated by regulating the energy dosage. This improves product quality and makes it possible to continually document the process data.

Reduced cycle times, increased energy efficiency
Schuler’s new drive technology therefore offers maximum flexibility in adapting to increasingly specialized application areas and processes in forging. The elimination of die-to-die hard-on-hard blows means a reduction in the total number of forging blows – thus reducing cycle times and the energy needed for forming. Together with the non-contact and maintenance-free linear drive, which directly converts electrical energy into the mechanical movement of the hammer slide, the potential energy savings are up to 20 percent. Thus, energy efficiency reaches a value of more than 90 percent.

Precise control of the upper slide also enables the integration of stretching and rolling blows, as well as bending operations, into the actual forging process under the hammer. In the case of low impact energies, the linear motor can be started from any position and thus also reduces cycle times by eliminating unnecessarily long slide strokes. This greatly increases the potential areas of application. The ability to precisely control the linear drive means that the new linear hammer is ideal for automation with robots.

In addition, there is no more need for all previous components used to generate compressed air or hydraulic storage energy. As a result, the hammer is also virtually maintenance-free. “By avoiding hard-on-hard blows on the impact surfaces, the load on die and hammer is also drastically reduced. This leads to a reduction in noise emissions and thus opens up the possibility – in combination with conventional soundproofing – of three-shift operation,” Thomas Hüttenhein concludes.