A clutch-operated screw press with 35,500 tons of 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 of Germany. WTB will now be able to produce forgings of high-strength alloys for power-station plants and the aircraft industry. The screw press, which has a diameter of 1,320 mm and a weight of 85 tons, requires variable-frequency drive power of only 500 kW. That is 87% less than a conventional screw press but with a simultaneous increase in the forming energy.

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. Another special feature is the variable impact speed of the dies, which enables the customer to forge more sophisticated parts.