There are advantages associated with the sheet hydroforming process in general, and others specifically unique to Beckwood’s Triform™ sheet hydroforming presses. Triforms are the only sheet hydroforming presses engineered and manufactured in the U.S.A. With that American quality comes innovation, efficiencies, and simplicity no other manufacturer can offer.
Components
- Fast, Inexpensive Diaphragm Changes: One of the primary reasons we created the Triform product line was to combat the substantial downtime associated with existing sheet hydroforming diaphragm changes. Triform press systems facilitate fast, simple, and inexpensive diaphragm changes to increase up-time and minimize overall costs. Diaphragm changes take approximately 30 minutes for smaller presses and only 3-4 hours for larger presses. And they can be performed by a team of 1-3 people.
- High-Performance Diaphragm Materials: Triform’s unique neoprene and urethane diaphragms provide ultimate durability and performance. They also allow for the use of standard, petroleum-based hydraulic fluids (46-weight hydraulic oil) and lubricants both within the hydraulic circuit and on the tooling and blanks within the chamber. This is in stark contrast to diaphragms made from natural rubber, which require castor oil-based fluids. Castor oil-based fluids often require specialized pumps, valves, and other hydraulic components which may have long lead times and high prices, and castor oil itself can exhibit extreme viscosity variances causing cavitation issues within the system.
- High-Quality, Standard Components with World-Wide Availability: Wherever possible, Triform uses standard ‘cataloged’ components, available world-wide from trusted suppliers. Part numbers supplied with the parts list match those of the original component manufacturer, allowing Triform customers to source replacements through us or directly from their local suppliers.
Proprietary Solutions
- Compatible with Legacy Hydroform Tooling: All Triform sheet hydroforming presses can accommodate tooling originally designed for Cincinnati and Verson hydroforming equipment, so rest assured knowing your transition to modern sheet hydroforming equipment will be easy and seamless.
- Intuitive Controls: Triform has located the perfect balance between advanced control capabilities and an easy-to-use interface. The result is a press system which doesn’t require an experienced engineer for operation yet offers engineers more capability than they ever thought possible. The accuracy and repeatability inherent in the Triform system eliminates the need for skilled labor and secondary finishing.
- Unique “In-Sight” Feature: All Triform deep draw sheet hydroforming presses use the “In-Sight” feature which gives operators have the ability to pause a cycle at any point during formation to inspect the results. Depending on the visual inspection, the operator can either continue the cycle or abort it in order to modify the recipe. This “In-Sight” greatly expedites the new part development process, saving valuable time and money while reducing scrap.
- No Special Foundation Requirements: Triform’s advanced engineering and unique pressure containment systems allow for significantly reduced press size and weight without sacrificing structural integrity or durability. Most Triform models offer a horizontal flush-floor design which requires no special ceiling heights or foundation modifications. Small and medium-size Triform presses have even been used in cellular environments in which the presses were moved to maximize efficiency. This portability is in stark contrast to other hydroforming presses. For facilities needing extra floor space, most deep draw models are also offered in a vertical configuration with the punch cylinder located in a pit below the press.
Knowledge and Support
- Industry-Leading Service: Beckwood’s Service & Support technicians are expertly trained in structural, hydraulic, electrical, and controls technologies. Their decades of experience ensure your equipment will continue running long into the future. Remote technical support is complimentary to all Triform customers, but if an on-site service visit is required, our technicians can be on-site within 24 hours.
- Process/Application Knowledge: Our Application Engineers hold a deep reservoir of knowledge regarding part formability and manufacturing best-practices. This knowledge, gained through hands-on experience over many decades, will accelerate your path to success. Our knowledge of quoting, product & project management, part development, and secondary operations & equipment gives our customers a major advantage.
- Strategic Partnerships: Beckwood strategically situates itself on the leading edge of technology, partnering with suppliers of the latest manufacturing innovations in order to better help our customers gain a competitive advantage. Our unique position within the world of manufacturing, and the resulting partnerships we’ve formed, is meant to serve a single purpose: To create an accelerated pathway to success for Triform customers.
Stronger Investment
- Single Source for Comprehensive Forming Solutions: The Triform line of specialized manufacturing equipment includes fluid cell and deep draw sheet hydroforming presses as well as stretch forming, joggle forming and ring expanders. These unique machines are capable of forming challenging geometries with relatively minimal, inexpensive tooling requirements. Triform is the only OEM in the world able to provide such a diverse mix of forming technologies. Consequently, our customers are in a unique position to maximize their investment and receive the most forming capacity for their budget.
- The Most Economical Choice: For nearly the same price as a single, high-pressure flexform press and its tooling, Triform customers have the option to purchase a ‘package’ of specialty forming presses to maximize their capabilities. Frequently, the difference between a part formed at 5,000 PSI and one formed at 10,000 PSI is not great enough to warrant the substantial increase in machine price, and the money saved by investing in a 5,000 PSI machine could instead be used to dramatically increase capabilities with a second, larger machine. This type of “multiple machine packaging” gives our customers the ability to form parts with the correct process, resulting in improved quality. It also gives customers the ability to form new product types that were not possible prior to the implementation of the multiple machine package.