SMS group received an order from Zhejiang Wanliyang Transmission Co. Ltd., a gear manufacturer from Hangzhou, China, for a fully automatic, closed-die forging press. The 25-MN press will have the capacity to forge up to five million parts per year and will provide a significant increase in Zhejiang Wanliyang's productivity and competitiveness. The press, which will be mainly used to produce gear wheels in a process of up to four forming steps, is scheduled to start operation in June 2018.

The closed-die forging press will feature programmable ejectors, an electrically actuated automatic walking-beam system and a mechanically coupled and retractable die spraying system. The walking-beam system developed by SMS group consists of four individually encased drive units mounted on the outside of the press frame. Safely protected against scale and other contamination, the system moves the forgings fully automatically within the press.

Zhejiang Wanliyang says its objective is to produce flashless forgings in a fully automated and resource- and cost-saving process.