SMS Meer has commissioned a 45-MN open-die forging press it built for ThyssenKrupp VDM’s plant at Unna. Germany.

The order called for a four-column push-down press with a forging force of 40 MN (roughly 4,000 metric tons) and an upsetting force of 45 MN. SMS indicates the press can operate at up to 124 strokes/minute, and will handle billets weighing up to 60 metric tons.

As detailed by SMS, the entire press was mounted on a combined spring/damper system in order to address for the specific ground conditions at the site (involving mining operations in the area) and to protect nearby residences from “typical forging-related vibrations.”

SMS Meer designed and supplied the entire installation, the press equipment, mechanical systems, electrical systems, and an automation package centering on its ForgeBase control software. The program also controls two forging manipulators supplied by TK VDM. The entire project was executed in just 14 months.