One metal spinning manufacturer is well on their way to modernizing their shop’s capabilities with their first TRIFORM deep draw hydroforming machine. An owner of numerous Cincinnati machines, this shop produces a wide mix of aerospace & defense parts from cabin components to satellite dishes. With a wide library of tools for their current deep draw machines, this fabricator needed a press manufacturer who would have no trouble accommodating their existing dies.

Enter Beckwood. We haven’t been shy about touting the successes of our customers who have taken the initiative to bring their hydroforming operations into the modern age. Upon discovering the benefits that others have experienced with our TRIFORM machines, this shop knew it was time for them to make their move.

Their machine of choice is the TRIFORM 20-10-DD, one of our standard models that boasts a 20” forming diameter, a maximum 10” depth of draw, and a maximum 10,000 psi forming pressure within the chamber. As previously mentioned, this facility is home to a number of Cincinnati units. With their new TRIFORM, this shop will be able to consolidate many of their operations to just this single machine, eliminating the need for such a broad collection of presses and freeing up tons of square footage in their work area.

As a smaller shop with a heavy emphasis on manufacturing for A&D, this facility’s personnel will be pleased with TRIFORM’s robust and intuitive programming system which makes it easy to edit, store, and repeat intricate processes with precision. This in turn will allow them to reduce their reliance on skilled labor and instead usher in a new era of machinists. With TRIFORM’s ease of use, this shop can expect to experience significant cost savings in the form of less scrap, reworking, and less downtime overall. We are happy to be a part of their modernization efforts and look forward to delivering their new machine in the near future.

About Beckwood Press Company 

Beckwood Press Company is a leading manufacturer of custom hydraulic presses and automation equipment located in St. Louis, MO – USA. Their industrial solutions support nearly every industry and application including aerospace forming, compression molding, Hot Forming / SPF, sheet hydroforming, deep draw forming, stretch forming, and stamping. Stay up to date with the latest news from Beckwood at beckwoodpress.com/news.

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Beckwood has closed a deal with one of the globe’s largest premier shipbuilders of both defense and commercial seafaring vessels. To match their scale,  the 1,500 Ton four post press will include a large working area of 142″x183″ to provide the ultimate flexibility when it comes to the size of parts that will be produced.

As far as application goes, this press will be used to form high strength exterior panels for large marine vessels. The majority of these exterior panels will be used for military ships and submarine vessels. Our custom hydraulic press will make it quick and simple to form parts engineered for reliable performance out on the seas.

This behemoth of a machine, sure to be incredible upon completion, is the first and only press that this manufacturer has ordered from Beckwood (so far). With our proven history of success in serving the defense industry with custom presses and sheet hydroforming equipment, we are pleased to stand above the rest at their top choice.

This project is slated to deliver in late 2026 or early 2027 to align with the new facility construction and support increased demand for decades to come.

About Beckwood Press Company 

Beckwood Press Company is a leading manufacturer of custom hydraulic presses and automation equipment located in St. Louis, MO – USA. Their industrial solutions support nearly every industry and application including aerospace forming, compression molding, Hot Forming / SPF, sheet hydroforming, deep draw forming, stretch forming, and stamping. Stay up to date with the latest news from Beckwood at beckwoodpress.com/news.

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Hendrickson needed a press to increase capacity, improve programmability, and offer more flexibility with increased tonnage. Their new custom-engineered press will feature an 8-point square gib guidance system for maximum parallelism and a 50” x 160” working area to accommodate a multitude of applications including high-tonnage blanking, deep drawing, and forming.

Because high-tonnage blanking causes large amounts of breakthrough shock, press-mounted hydraulic dampers will be included which increase damping capacity from 70% to 90%. A robust 12” damper height adjustment will allow for flexible die working heights. Along with the dampers, vibration pads will be added to the feet of the press, and the hydraulic power unit will be isolated from the press structure to reduce shock transfer to sensitive components.

The press will also be equipped with a hydraulic bed cushion featuring dynamic cushion control, which allows all five cylinders to be controlled independently at 30-tons each. This level of programmability reduces wrinkling and tearing during intricate draw work. A high-speed Delta motion controller adds to the flexibility, offering increased force and positional accuracy while reducing the minimum tonnage capacity.

To ensure operator safety during die changeover, a SITEMA ram safety catcher system and rod lock will be included for redundant visual and load holding of the ram while the press is idle. Light curtains will also be included at the front of the press and hard guarding covering rear and sides.

“We, at Hendrickson, are excited about the new opportunities and enhanced manufacturing capabilities this investment offers our business. The deep draw, high tonnage capability of the Beckwood press will align our strategic manufacturing vision with our customer requirements.  Working with Beckwood, we were able to customize a press to fit our customer’s specific product requirements, while maintaining a common platform to accept our current dies and space constraints,” says Chris Batsch General Manager for Hendrickson Bumper.

“The Hendrickson team allowed us to explore a number of options for speeds of the press, tonnage requirements for specific parts, and other press specifications,” notes Beckwood sales engineer, Gerard Choinka. “Together, we’ve been able to create an optimized solution that is going to meet their exact needs.”

About Hendrickson

Hendrickson is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of medium and heavy-duty mechanical, elastomeric, and air suspensions, integrated and non-integrated axle and brake systems, tire pressure control systems, auxiliary lift axle systems, parabolic and multi-leaf springs, stabilizers, bumpers, and components to the global commercial transportation industry. Learn more at hendrickson-intl.com.

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Utilizing Beckwood’s patented LSP technology, new hot forming and SPF presses have an all-electric option that eliminates the need for traditional fluid power systems. Additionally, existing hot-forming presses can be retrofitted with linear servo actuators to reap the same benefits of a new servo machine at a fraction of the cost.

Because LSP systems are fully electric, users are able to experience a simplistic design with up to 80% fewer components than hydraulic presses. Eliminating the hydraulic power units and associated components makes these systems safer, quieter, more efficient, and free of leaks—eliminating the risk of part contamination due to pressurized oil. By reducing the number of moving components, electro-mechanical presses are also easy to set up, maintain, and troubleshoot. In fact, Beckwood LSP presses run for millions of cycles before maintenance is ever required.

Tonnage monitoring and overload protection are standard on these machines, and extreme bed-to-ram parallelism is a byproduct of the technology. The intuitive programming and cycle parameters offer the highest degree of flexibility in configuring speeds, pressures, positions, and recipe creation. The programming infrastructure offers full control with strict part traceability while monitoring key components to ensure system health and party quality.

“Gone are the days of placing pressurized hydraulic systems above high-temperature pressing ovens,” said Beckwood President, Jeffrey Debus. “Linear servo actuation is the future of heated presses because it’s safer and easier to maintain, and Beckwood is excited to be the only OEM offering this technology on both new machinery and retrofits of existing hydraulic and mechanical systems.”

Learn more about Beckwood LSP 

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Beckwood LSP was designed using linear actuators to achieve the highest degree of accuracy and efficiency for ultimate forming flexibility. With fully programmable speeds, pressures, and positions, this press line is the most configurable non-mechanical, non-hydraulic solution on the market today. LSP presses range from 125 to 500 tons, offering the largest tonnage capacity of any linear servo press available.

Because LSP systems are fully electric, users will experience a simplistic design with up to 70% fewer components than servo-mechanical and hydraulic presses. Eliminating the hydraulic power units and centralized lubrication systems results in presses that are safer, quieter, and free of leaks, with no risk of part contamination due to oil. By reducing the number of moving components, linear servo presses are also easy to set up, maintain, and troubleshoot. In fact, Beckwood LSP presses run for millions of cycles before maintenance is ever required. Additionally, they only use energy on demand, greatly reducing energy consumption.

Every LSP machine generates full tonnage through the stroke without the risk of tonnage loss or getting stuck at bottom dead center (BDC). This means tonnages are not derated for long draws or strokes, and presses are appropriately sized for the application rather than upsizing to compensate for tonnage loss above BDC—great cost savings for the user.

Tonnage monitoring and overload protection on every stroke is standard on these machines, and extreme bed-to-ram parallelism is a byproduct of the technology. Because of this, dies last longer, double-hitting is eliminated, and tooling maintenance costs are much lower than on traditional presses.

The intuitive programming and cycle parameters offer the utmost flexibility in configuring speeds, pressures, positions, and recipe creation. The programming infrastructure offers full control with strict part traceability while monitoring key components to ensure press health and party quality.

“We’ve seen a high influx in manufacturers adopting linear servo press technology on their factory floors,” said Beckwood President, Jeff Debus. “Initially, this new technology was limited in capability and tonnage range, but in response to the growing need, we designed a linear servo press that provides a multitude of benefits plus tonnages above 125.”

Learn more about  linear servo press technology. 

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With models ranging from 5 – 75 tons, jaw sizes from 4-in. to 8-in., and max distances up to 270-in., this line provides an array of choices for parts of all sizes. Designed specifically for users of Hufford stretch-wrap machines to use their existing form dies, this line capitalizes on the modern, programmable technology inherent in new machinery as well as rapid, readily-available service and support.

All Triform extrusion stretch forming machines offer synced or independent arm actuation with a closed-loop control system for precise and accurate tension and angle control during operation. With programmable pressure, positional cycles, and recipes, complete control and repeatability is ensured. The arms warrant uniformed tension providing the ultimate consistence and repeatability, which reduces scrap from the initial development to production. which minimizes wrinkles and breakage.

“There are many Huffords still in operation today, but component availability, serviceability, and skilled operators are becoming increasingly difficult to find,” said Beckwood sales manager, Caleb Dixon. “This standard line provides a solution to all of those common challenges and provides an advanced option that our customers know they can rely on to support their operation for many years to come.”

See the Standard Model List

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The Ascent line of standard gib-guided presses was launched January of 2022 to fill an unmet need in the marketplace for high-quality standard forming equipment with lower upfront costs than custom machinery and robust U.S.-based manufacturing and support teams. Since its launch, Beckwood has quoted Ascent presses for industries across the board including consumer goods, energy, HVAC, and more.

Bull Moose Tube’s direct-form tube manufacturing method forms structural tubes directly from steel coil, which eliminates a mother tube or prior-stage process. Their new 100-ton press will be pressure testing the weld seals for their steel tubing. With shipment anticipated in September 2021, this press features a 4-point gib guidance system to maintain parallelism throughout the stroke as well as an 18” x 24” working area and a manual controls system.  This new 100-ton press will be installed in BMT’s newest plant in Sinton, TX.

“We are excited to see the benefits of the Ascent line come to fruition,” said Beckwood Sales Engineer, Gerard Choinka. “When we launched, our goal was to cut cost and lead times through pre-engineered, standard machinery. This line allowed us to provide Bull Moose with a reliable and affordable press option, while keeping that same Beckwood quality.”

About Bull Moose Tube
For more than half a century, Bull Moose has produced steel pipe and tube for a vast array of applications. Founded in 1962, they offer HSS, sprinkler pipe, mechanical tubing, and more with some of the tightest tolerances in the field. Bull Moose has eight manufacturing plants across North America, with their headquarters located in Chesterfield, MO- USA.

Get an Ascent Quote

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The new Triform deep draw sheet hydroforming press will have a 16-inch forming area, a 7-inch draw depth capacity, and the ability to hit pressures up to 15,000 PSI. The press will also be equipped with a lower punch force cylinder increase which allows for larger part formation at higher pressures.

To facilitate fast die changeover, a tool change station will be provided for the ease of loading and unloading tooling. A cartridge-style lower chamber, fixed on rollers, will be supplied with the press to allow movement in and out of the forming chamber. The shuttle will also be equipped with a punch tool lift cylinder for raising and lowering the punch when loading and unloading.

To integrate with MuShield’s existing systems, a barcode reader for recipe handling will be included. Triform’s intuitive programming allows for storage of over 10,000 part recipes with full control of optimal forming pressures and desired positions throughout the draw.

“The Triform 16-15-7DD from Beckwood Press has been on our radar since we saw it on the floor at FABTECH in Las Vegas a few years back,” said Luke Grilli VP of Sales and Marketing at MuShield. “The machine is going to take our current hydroforming capabilities to the next level as we stay ahead of the competition as an industry leader in custom magnetic shielding. More importantly, it will also allow for peace of mind that we have an excellent hydroform on the shop floor for the next 20+ years.”

“We are very excited to partner with MuShield on this project and provide their team with a reliable hydroforming solution for their existing work, while also supporting their effort to drive future growth with a larger machine and the latest in technology,” said Beckwood Sales Manager, Caleb Dixon. “Our goal is to collaborate with our customers on the types of parts they will be forming, to ensure we are delivering the right solution for the job.”

MuShield
MuShield is a worldwide industry leader as a manufacturer of custom magnetic shields, precision sheet metal fabrication, and hydroforming. Established in 1989, the company manufactures advanced magnetic shielding solutions made from magnetic shielding alloys such as mumetal and other high nickel alloys. They also fabricate and hydroform high-quality components made from all materials with maximum efficiency and minimal waste. Learn more at MuShield.com

 Get a Triform Quote

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These leadership roles aid in guiding the rapidly growing Beckwood team by harmonizing the company’s organizational and transparency efforts as well as provide focus, communication, and guidance for employees to achieve new company goals.

Rachel Palasky will oversee the engineering department, focusing on the cross-collaboration between departments. Her role centers around capacity planning and project management across all press projects. Her big picture thinking allows the company to prepare for expansion internally and externally. Mrs. Palasky received her chemical engineering degree from Missouri University of Science and Technology. She has spent the last 6 years working in the pharmaceutical industry, for both human and animal pharma as a project and process engineer.

Tony Busch will lead the purchasing department while directly coordinating with Beckwood’s vendors. He will boost Beckwood’s ongoing continuous improvement efforts by helping to navigate the global supply chain crisis to ensure presses are built with the best lead time and quality. Mr. Busch has been in supply chain management for 12 years in the manufacturing industry. He studied industrial engineering and manufacturing engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His advanced skills and business acumen will nourish Beckwood’s strategic relationships with vendors to provide the most cost-efficient options for customers.

“As our team continuous to grow, we are deliberate in our efforts of fusing communication and planning across all departments. With those efforts, we are assembling a strong group of leaders to pave the way,” said Josh Dixon, Chief Operating Officer.

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Ascent presses are pre-engineered for cost efficiency and can reduce cost and lead time by up to 50% compared to custom presses without sacrificing quality or performance. With models ranging from 30 tons to 500 tons and 21 different frame sizes, the Ascent line offers an array of choices for manufacturers and jobs shops of every size.

Every Ascent press features a unitized gib-guided frame which provides superior guidance and rigidity. Speed, stroke, daylight, and shut height are fully configurable to the customer’s exact needs, while options for heated platens, HPU configurations, and safety equipment add to the line’s flexibility. As with all Beckwood presses, the Ascent line is built in the USA, engineered for Infinite Life using Finite Element Analysis, and backed by the company’s robust service and support team.

“Beckwood is known for custom presses and machinery, but we recognized an unmet need in the marketplace for cost-effective forming equipment with a shorter lead time that’s built and supported in the USA,” said Beckwood President Jeffrey Debus. “The Ascent line meets all those needs and more while offering customers countless options for customization.”

 Get an Ascent Quote

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