We provided servicemen, equipment and trucking to load this Minster Knuckle Joint Press and transport it to our facility. The machine was completely disassembled, cleaned and inspected. The customer wanted to increase the shut height of the press and widen the die space area. We completed a stress analysis to determine the maximum modifications that could be safely made, uprights were then modified from a 34 to 38 inch clear span between uprights for 15 3/8 inches above bolster face.
We removed enough material from the upright to allow a 37 inch wide slide plate clearance during the entire press stroke and adjustment. We manufactured a T-slotted bolster with die lifter slots to match their existing tooling. Increased the slide face flange to 37 L/R x 36 F/B inches and cut standard ¾ inch T-slots into the slide adapter face. We lengthened the existing counterbalance rod to accommodate the modified shut height adjustment. We provided the material and engineering to design an electrically powered wedge adjustment mechanism that replaced the manual adjustment. The original control was stripped off the press control and replaced with a Link 5000 control. We also calibrated the tonnage monitor and tested the linear tracking in our facility. The press was assembled in our facility where we replaced, troubleshot and tested the lubrication, control, and pneumatic systems to ensure proper operation. We transported the press to our customer\’s facility in Nebraska and rigged it into place and integrated the press to the feed line.
