Rubber pad presses
Rubber cushion pressing is a forming technology for the production of double-curved sheet metal in small and medium-sized series.
Compared to deep drawing
Deep drawing makes it possible to deform a sheet in two directions. One advantage here is the integration of functions such as cleanability and weight reduction.
The disadvantage of deep drawing is that expensive tools are required, consisting of an upper and a lower part. Once the tools are in place, the variable costs are low. These two specific characteristics make deep drawing very suitable for large series.
technology
In contrast to this, you only need the lower tool when pressing rubber pads. The upper tool is a rubber cushion, unlocked in a container. This rubber is flat and takes the shape of the lower tool during pressing. After the pressing process, it returns to its original state and becomes flat again. During the pressing process, the blank is carried along by the rubber in the tool and takes over the shape. After this pressing process, the contour of the product is usually cut into the final shape with a 3D laser.
The result of the individual tool is that the tool costs are approx. 85 to 90% lower than with conventional deep drawing. However, the variable costs are higher than for deep drawing. This combination makes rubber cushion pressing very suitable for small and medium-sized series (between around 5,000 and 10,000 pieces per year).
Pressing force
Sometimes bending and welding can be replaced by rubber pad presses.
Rubber cushion pressing has its origins around 1935 in aerospace technology . The technology has been further developed for general industrial applications for around 15 years. Large presses with enormous compressive forces are required for pressing rubber cushions.
Several rubber cushion presses can be found in the Netherlands. The largest has a pressing force of up to 8,000 tons with a maximum area of 1.1 × 2.2 m, which can be used for industrial applications.
Advantages and disadvantages
advantages
- Short time until simple tools are ready for the market.
- Low tool costs.
- Very suitable for small and medium series.
- No damage to the product. Because rubber is used as the top tool, it does not damage the surface.
- Suitable for steel , stainless steel , aluminum etc. up to a sheet thickness of approx. 4 mm
- Different sheet thicknesses can be used in one tool. The rubber adapts.
disadvantage
- Very expensive for very large numbers
- Somewhat less freedom of design than with the regular deep-drawing process
- In most cases not suitable for sheet metal thicknesses of more than 4 mm
Individual evidence
- ↑ Rubberpersen - een aantrekkelijk proces voor het MKB. (PDF) Retrieved June 10, 2017 .