Punch presses are used when processes require hole to be punched in material. From small and manual to large, complex CNC machines, punch presses vary depending on the scale of the operation. Most punch presses have either a portal (bridge) frame or a “C” type frame. The following are some of the criteria used to determine what type of punch press you need:
Size of work area
Drive type
Force rating
Weight of the workpiece
Drive Type
The drive type is the system used to deliver force to the ram. There are several different types used for different purposes.
Flywheel
A flywheel is a constantly rotating machine. With flywheel, adjusting the speed during the process is difficult. With the advent of newer systems, these types of presses are no longer common.
Mechanical
There are two types of mechanical punches: full revolution and part revolution. The full revolution requires the crankshaft to rotate a full turn before coming to a stop. The full turn is necessary because specific slots must catch raised keys in order to stop the rotation. More advanced machines use a part revolution which works with a braking system.
Hydraulic
These presses use a hydraulic cylinder are can be controlled by a valve or by a valve and feedback system. Valve controlled hydraulic presses let the ram stroke up and down in a one-stroke operation. The valve and feedback system offers control proportionally so the stroke can be set to fixed points. This system provides more flexibility and increases punching rates.
Servo drive turret
This type of punch press uses twin AC servo drives connected to the drive shaft. This system is effective because it has the speed of hydraulic systems as well as the control provided with clutches and brakes. Although this type of punch matches the speed of hydraulic systems, it has no hydraulic parts which means it needs less maintenance. Servo drives also reuse the energy that gets generated during deceleration. This lessens the amount of power needed to run the machine.
