Progressive headers for cold forming

The high degree of precision in machining is a must for manufacturing machines that must operate with high productivity and efficiency. SACMA has chosen to manufacture, in house, all components and has installed the most modern production machines available today on the market, to promote the total quality of all SACMA Group products.
A systematic and rigorous inspection procedure of all manufactured parts before inventory stocking is the best guarantee of interchangeability and availability of spares. The correct choice of high tensile materials, the proper heat treatment specifications, the accuracy of surface finish operations of grinding and lapping make a SACMA machine the most reliable, the most productive and lowest cost machine in manufacturing.
The concept of performing tool change in the shortest possible time represents an undisputed necessity for modern industrial manufacturing of cold forged parts, made in smaller lots. In developing the quick tool change system, SACMA made no compromises of rigidity and power of the machines; a typical characteristic of its machines. The CR quick tool change system, standard for machines series 3, 4, 5 and 6, allows for easy removal of the die block, hydraulic clamped, and just as easy removal of the punch block bolster and the complete transfer unit.

QUICK TOOL CHANGE AND MOTORIZATION
The transfer mechanism of SACMA progressive headers is by far considered the world benchmark, so much, that it has been subject of numerous unsuccessful imitation attempts by others.

The precise movement of the transfer fingers, determined by a smooth oscillating mechanism generated by perfect desmo-drive double cams imparts to the whole system a perfect control of position also at the maximum production speeds.

The multiple adjustments, timing of the transfer phase, variation of the clamping force, variation of the opening/closing speed of the fingers, together with the absence of springs, allows the transfer of long parts and of the shortest parts to take place in safety at maximum speeds.

HYDRAULIC CLAMPING
All SACMA machines are fitted standard with hydraulic clamping of die side adjustments of threaded sleeves, kick out levers and trim cam in the last station. The M automatic motorization system available on SACMA progressive machines, is an important method for reduction of machine set up time and fine tuning of adjustments.

The preset data present in the data base of parts to be manufactured will determine the automatic adjustments of feed, position of stock stop, and die kick out. Hydraulic clamping of adjustments and tools is of great help when setting the machine and guarantees repeatability of the adjustments.

EQUIPMENT
Intervention of the operator in the working area must be performed in absolute safety and comfort. This necessity is particularly felt when working with large machines, in order to facilitate tool change and maintenance procedures.
The patented system of ergonomic platforms and tool cradles supplied by SACMA on the Series 6 machines is a very good example of assistance, without compromise, to the requirements of the end user. The system consists of two hydraulic operated platforms that position themselves automatically over the work area.

SLIDE
The main heading slide is the element that delivers the energy of deformation and as such it must have great stability and robustness. All SACMA machines heading slides are made of Ni-Cr-Mo alloy steel casting heat treated and having a special geometric shape with double slide ways to offer maximum stability in delivering the forging energy to the tools.

An exclusive taper slide way guarantees a perfect alignment of the tools at every stroke. The positive punch knock-out is perfectly in phase with the return stroke of the heading slide after front dead centre to make sure that the parts, even the shortest ones remain stationary in the die for ease the transfer to the next forging station.

TRANSFER SUPPORT ASSIST PACKAGE
A good and efficient transfer system must be able to transfer from one station to the next any type of part, independent of geometry and length. The well known and great capability of the SACMA transfer to handle difficult and short parts, now becomes all the more versatile with the introduction of a patented SACMA transfer support assist system, that can transfer conical or shoulder parts which would tend to fall on die kick-out.

The system consists of support fingers, perfectly timed with the motion of the transfer and of the die kick-out rods. The forging load monitoring system SC500 and the SC700 control system for checking whether the part has rotated during transport, are very useful for production.

ELECTRONIC HANDWHEEL AND PRESETTING
With the intention of assisting best the tool setters in the delicate moment of tool and timing adjustments, SACMA has developed an electronic handwheel to move the whole machine at slow motion in order to check for correct timing of the transfer fingers with respect to the heading slide, avoiding dangerous collisions. The heading slide can be stopped in any position avoiding jogging the machine and damaging the main clutch/brake unit.

In order to facilitate even further the process of quick change of the tools, the system can be further enhanced with an external tool presetting punch for the centering of the punches to the dies, before the tool holders are fitted back in the machine.

MOTORIZATION AND WIRE STRAIGHTENER
The large SACMA cold formers are supplied with the M automatic motorized system of adjustments, which together with the SC-MATIC software determines very short set up times and adjustment of the machine, including the linear feed system.
The machines are also supplied with a 10 roll wire straightener unit that can be mounted either in the vertical plane for use with horizontal arm decoilers, or fitted in the horizontal plane for straightening wire coils mounted in the vertical axes, wound either clockwise or anticlockwise.

SC-MATIC
SACMA offers also the SC-MATIC system together with the M version of automatic motorization of adjustments of the wire stop, the wire feed, the threaded sleeves on die ejection axes, the position of die kick-out lever in every station. The system can easily memorize all adjustments for an infinite number of different codes and governs all the general alarms and diagnostic of faults.

SACMA also supplies special versions of WF / Warm Forming machines for forging products in stainless steels, special nickel base alloys, super alloys and titanium.
These machines are complete with induction heating units to obtain temperatures that vary from 400°C to 950°C.