Lawrence Livermore Awards Contract to Beckwood Press

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, CA), a premier research and development institution for science and technology applied to national security, has awarded Beckwood Press Company (Fenton, MO) a contract to manufacture a Triform Deep Draw Sheet Hydroforming Press. The Triform Model 20-10-10BD advanced forming solution will accommodate a 20 in maximum blank size, 10,000 psi of forming pressure and features a maximum draw depth capacity of 10 in. The press is currently scheduled for installation in the spring of 2016.

“The new 20-10-10BD builds on the numerous successes of the Triform Deep Draw product line,” said Jeffrey Debus, the president of Beckwood Press. “In addition to well-established accuracy and repeatability, which combine to maximize the forming capability of Triform customer operations, the new 20-10-10BD features improved cycle times and an integrated tool change system for fast changeover. We’re excited that this latest generation of our proven Deep Draw technology will now be used within an institution such as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for their important research and development efforts.”

The Triform 20-10-10BD utilizes specific technologies that have been integrated into the machine design to facilitate new part development. An intuitive control system allows the user to quickly and accurately control both punch position and diaphragm pressure for up to 30 individual recipe steps per cycle, which can then be saved alpha-numerically and recalled in the future. The In-Sight Feature, standard on all Triform Deep Draw presses, allows the operator to pause and open the press at any point during the forming cycle, facilitating a visual inspection of the forming results to more quickly zero in on the ideal recipe.

With the goal of eliminating unplanned downtime, the company will include their On-Board PPM (Pre-Preventive Maintenance) system. PPM technology utilizes integrated machine intelligence to monitor the performance of the press, automatically notifying the operator and/or maintenance staff when initial signs of required maintenance arise. This advance-warning system provides owners of the technology the ability to schedule downtime for maintenance when it is most convenient for internal production schedules rather than learning of maintenance requirements after downtime has already occurred.

To further accommodate Livermore’s requirements, Beckwood offered a flush-floor design option that eliminates the need for a pit or special foundation, as well as configuring the tooling attachment portion of the press to accommodate the laboratory’s existing Cincinnati hydroform tooling.

www.beckwoodpress.com