An electromagnetically driven metalworking press

Abstract

A small press operated by electromagnetic repulsion and driven by a pulse power supply was constructed at The Ohio State University. This design that applies kinetic energy rather than static force to do work on materials is much lighter and potentially much less expensive than traditional hydraulic, mechanical or servo presses. Performance of the kinetic press is compared to traditional presses in the applications of powder compaction and forming. The results tend to indicate that modest impact speeds of 3 to 18 m/s can improve performance in these manufacturing operations as compared to traditional low-speed machines.