MODERNIZATION OF PRESS AND FORGING EQUIPMENT

Additional Information kgro@nkmz.donetsk.ua	Chief Design Engineer Mining and Press-Forging Equipment Production Unit	Yu.V. Lavrenko	phone: +38 (0626) 47-84-50 fax: +38 (0626) 47-15-49
	Head Design Engineer Mining and Press-Forging Equipment Production Unit	Y.V. Rudenko	phone:+38 (0626) 47-88-73 fax: +38 (0626) 47-15-49
	Head of hydraulic and pneumatic drives and lubrication design office	N.I. Shevchenko	phone: +38 (0626) 47-89-51 fax: +38 (0626) 47-15-49

Press and forging machinery bearing the trade mark of NKMZ and operating successfully in steel making and other industries is well known in the CIS and abroad. The machinery covers a variety of hydraulic presses of 5.000; 10.000; 15.000 and 30.000 tp, the world's largest hydraulic stamping presses of 65.000 and 70.000 tp, forging of 10.000 tp, hammers with impact energy of 400 and 630 kJ and dropping parts weighing between 16 and 25 tons respectively, the unique no-anvil hammer with 1.500 kJ impact energy, etc. Due to the rather long service life of these machines (20 to 30 years in average), the necessity has arisen to update and modernize them. Thus, one of the major tasks in production of the press and forging equipment is modernization of the machines made earlier in order to impart them some new commercial qualities. Presses modernization in order to increase their efficiency and quality of the manufactured products can be performed according to the following directions:

Presses proper.
- Improving the die block rigidity;
- Updating the frame crosshead guides;
- Extending the service life of sealings employed in the press main and auxiliary cylinders.
Mechanization of auxiliary processes:
- Raising the press reliability and saving the auxiliary operating time.
Automation of the hydraulic control and synchronization systems:
- Designing and implementing the NC-supported electric and hydraulic systems of a new generation in order to expand production capabilities based on the advanced technologies.

Modernization of the high-powered die-forging presses is being carried out by retrofitting their drives and implementing the process control and diagnostic systems. In some cases the facilities used for farther powering of the hammers and presses do not meet present-day requirements with respect to their responsiveness, reliability and load-carrying capacity thus requiring implementation of modernization programs. Tube forming presses, in particular, may be retrofitted by providing, with the containers rated at higher molding pressures, updating drive and control systems employed for isothermal molding. No-anvil hammers require stronger rams fitted with the advanced control systems, etc. At present, NKMZ's engineering and production capabilities enable to modernize any kind of the press and forging equipment considering the ever growing requirements for their cost effectiveness, automation level, reliability, safety, etc.