Dieffenbacher has delivered a press line to a Russian manufacturer of gas meters located near Moscow.

Two parallel hydraulic press lines are producing 720 gas meter cases/h. Included is a mechanical blanking press of 1000kN supplied with 500kg of steel sheet/h from a large scale decoiling and straightening line.

Blanks are automatically positioned in a magazine.

A conveyor transports blanks to a lubricant station, and then blanks are centred and elevated to the correct transfer level.

A 2-axis gripper transfers the blank through five forming operations and eight intermediate holding stations.

The head press is rated at 2500kN and has a blankholder pressure of 600kN via the die cushion.

The follow-on press is single-acting, with a capacity of 2000kN for performing second and third operations.

The second operation is a calibration stage, embossing the flange and bottom areas of the pressing.

The third stage carries out trimming and punching.

A second 2000KN press uses cam tooling to emboss the pressing and perform further punching operations.

A robot at the end of each line loads completed pressings to a chain conveyor for processing through a washing plant.