Wabash introduces larger custom presses up to 2,500 tons
Larger presses with platen sizes up to 10 × 10 feet and 1800°F operating temps service increasing component size, complexity and material diversity in composites manufacturing.
Source | Wabash
Wabash (Wabash, Ind., U.S.), supplier of presses for research laboratories, material testing facilities and Tier 1 production, has expanded its industrial press line to include custom-built presses up to 2,500 tons for producing large components in the aerospace, automotive, defense and other industries. The expanded Wabash product offering now features platen sizes up to 10' × 10' and operating temperatures up to 1800°F.
These presses are engineered to manufacture mission-critical components where light weight, structural integrity and precision geometry are imperative. Examples include interior structures for commercial aircraft, structural and cosmetic components for the automotive industry and components for ground-based defense vehicles and airframes.
Wabash introduced these larger presses in part “to service the composites market as composites manufacturing grows in size and complexity,” says Dave Singer, sales and marketing manager at Wabash. “New materials are constantly being developed, both thermoset and thermoplastic, requiring higher molding force over larger areas.” These presses can also be applied to applications in the rubber and medical device markets, as well as a variety of production processes in the wood and plywood industry.
Drawing on more than 80 years of expertise, Wabash partners with its customers to design and validate a press that meets distinctive process and application specifications. “At this size, every press is precision engineered to meet the exacting needs of the customer,” explains Wabash engineering manager Ron Gilman. “Reliability, durability and operator safety are always top of mind. We design all our presses to achieve ‘infinite life,’ so your frame will never wear out. Further, Wabash offers standard three-point safety: barrier guards, interlock switches and two-hand control.”
Beyond the press, Wabash is prepared to engineer process-specific options and accessories including automated infeed and outfeed systems, quick die-change components and controllers that facilitate data collection and remote access.
Wabash makes all structural components for its presses with 100% U.S.-sourced steel. All Wabash presses are designed to comply with NEMA and ANSI B11.19 and B11.2 build and safety standards. The new larger presses can be built to comply with additional standards including CE, UKCA and CULCSA.
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