Schuler’s patented Dualdrive technology boosts output of existing presses by up to 50 percent
New Schuler presses have been successfully using ServoDirect Technology for several years now. With the aid of Schuler’s patented Dualdrive technology, it is now possible to also retrofit conventional flywheel presses with this new technology. Such modernizations can boost the productivity of existing presses by up to 50 percent.
But how does it work? During the retrofit, Schuler’s service experts mount a servo motor directly onto the driveshaft. The flywheel and existing drive unit remain unchanged – as do all performance features of the press, such as its press force before BDC and rated capacity. There is also no need to adjust the existing gear drives.
What does change is the performance: the servo drive gives users the possibility to freely program the slide speed before and after the forming phase. The slide is only moved by the existing flywheel drive during the forming phase. This shortens cycle times while also expanding the range of possible product variants. In order to fully utilize this increased performance, the machine’s peripheral equipment can also be adapted and modernized.
Despite the additional servo motor, the modernized press boasts improved energy efficiency compared to its former state: the rapid increase in productivity reduces energy consumption per part produced. As the flywheel drive is still used for the forming operation, existing dies and tooling can continue to be used without adjustment – as too can the control system to a large extent: Schuler’s service experts simply enhance it with the addition of a servo module and adapt the drive control and feed. The investment quickly pays for itself.
