The demand for a wide range of precision metalformed components, often required in small batches, has changed the way that hydraulic presses are designed. While hydraulics can provide the power for heavy-duty press applications, older hydraulic control systems often lack the precision to produce highly accurate and repeatable motion. Many older hydraulic presses use limit switches and pressure limiters to control two-position hydraulic valves, often called "bang-bang" valves because of the shock and noise resulting from coarse back-and-forth cylinder operation. Adapting these presses to manufacture new products typically requires adjusting pressure limits with knobs and altering the physical location of limit switches. These actions take time and require operator skill. Other hydraulic presses, operated manually with joysticks, also demand operator skill to achieve precise operation and productive throughput. As a result, press changeover times and the variability of operator skills can seriously affect productivity and profit. And, as presses age, they become harder to tune and operate, giving press manufacturers and metalformers significant economic incentives to upgrade outdated control systems. New digital electronic motion controllers that provide rapid, smooth and precise pressure and position control are ideal for these upgrades.
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