core sector communique

SMS MEER

Wuxi Turbine Blade : Clutch-operated screw press in production earlier than planned

The world’s most powerful clutch-operated screw press with 35,000 t impact force has gone into production three months earlier than planned at the Wuxi plant (Jiangsu Province, China) of Wuxi Turbine Blade Co. Ltd. (WTB). The press was manufactured and supplied by SMS Meer, Germany. With the new screw press, WTB will be able in future to produce forgings of high- Strength alloys for power station  plants and the aircraft industry.

The new plant combines the benefits of forging hammer and hydraulic press. Only a small number of strokes are required per forging. This means that the machine guarantees high forming forces with short workpiece contact time. At the same time the material microstructure remains homogeneous.  WTB thus profits from a high productivity and quality.

The heart of the plant is the srew with a diameter of  1,320 mm and a weight of 85 t. The press requires a variable-frequency drive power of only 500 kW. That is 87% less than a conventional screw press, but with a simultaneous increases in the forming energy. The press is therefore very energy-efficient.

Another special feature is the variable impact speed of the dies which enables the customer to forge more-sophisticated parts then to date. ‘’For us the plant has the advantage of being able to meet the growing demands of our customers from the aircraft and  power plant industries,’’says Yan Qi, Managing Director of WTB. ‘’We have been working together successfully with SMS Meer since 1976.’’ The first large press went into production at WTB back in 1995. The many years of good cooperation enabled erection and commissioning to be completed in just nine months, so that the plant was able to go into production three months before the contractually agreed date.

While the new machine was being erected, the components of the old plant were modernized.’’SMS Meer not supplies top-quality screw presses, but is also available for the customer after commissioning to ensure optimum service,’’ adds Norbert Gober, Vice President Closed-Die Forges at SMS Meer.

In addition to the performance of the plant, SMS Meer’s logistics were also very impressive. The project also involved two castings weighing more than 300 t having to be delivered and erected with an accuracy of one tenth of a millimeter.