A. Benevenuta & C. S.p.a. ordered a 2,500-ton mechanical forging press from Farina, a Schuler affiliate. The company produces hot-forged steel components for the automotive industry near Turin, Italy. The parts are used in suspension systems, transmissions, engines and brakes in passenger cars, tractors, trucks and earth-moving machinery. The press force of the Benevenuta production lines ranges from 1,200 to 2,500 metric tons.

Marco Gritti, Farina general manager, said, “By investing in our kinetic energy recovering system (KERS), the customer will not only benefit by up to 40% less power demand but also from increased output and reduced maintenance costs.”

With conventional hot forging presses, a large portion of the energy is converted into heat and dissipates into the environment by the flywheel during the clutch and braking process. With KERS, a switch on the auxiliary drive starts the cycle and takes the strain off the clutch so that the total energy from the flywheel can be used for the forging process.