We’re fresh off the trade show and convention circuit, having done our time in Chicago for IMTS and in Atlanta with the FABTECH crew. Now that we’ve had a couple of weeks to catch our breath and reflect on the stories we heard from the good folks we met, we’ve identified a few common themes that we’ll happily share with you, dear reader.
Cincinnati Hydroform Presses Need To Be Replaced
Cincinnati hydroforming presses have been phenomenal workhorses for the past five to eight decades, but their time is drawing to an end. We spoke to owners of several different metal forming shops, all looking for a new machine to replace their aging, patched, and oft-repaired Cincinnati hydroforming machines. Some of these machines were first pressed into service in the 1950s – we’d say that’s a good, long run!
Fortunately, the FluidForming FormBalancer is the most flexible and adaptable metal forming machine in the world, and it’s ready to step in and fill Cincinnati’s big shoes.
Non-conforming Parts Are Acceptable. That’s Unacceptable.
We lost count of the manufacturers and industry executives who simply accept “close enough” as “good enough” and then spend countless hours making inferior parts work “well enough.”
It doesn’t have to be this way! With a 99.996% first pass yield rate, FluidForming – unlike conventional hydroforming, die-stamping, or metal spinning – offers the highest levels of accuracy and repeatability in the metal forming industry.
There’s No Such Thing As Too Complex
Really. We just have to chuckle (and occasionally have a good rant) about all the engineers and manufacturers who insist that their parts are too complex to reliably form, and who assume that ridiculous amounts of non-conforming waste is just the price they pay for precision. When we tell them that it doesn’t have to be this way, we’re usually met with looks of incredulity and skepticism.
Here’s the thing: FluidForming FormBalancers are self-contained metal forming presses that can achieve forming pressures of up to 60,000 psi (4,000 bar). That’s up to 4x higher than other deep draw hydroforming presses on the market.
This new metal forming technology – and pure physics – translates to the ability to form complex metal parts that reliably and predictably conform.
Eliminate waste, eliminate reworking, eliminate unnecessary production, and enjoy great ROI with FluidForming. It’s not that complex.
American Manufacturers Are Afraid of Innovation and Resistant to Change
This one pains us a bit. But we’re going to go out on a limb and put it out there. The number of manufacturers – from leaders in the aerospace industry to family-owned production plants – that cling to technology from the 20th century is astounding.
We get it: Conventional hydroforming is a known quantity. It may not be the best way to form complex parts, but it’s the comfortable way. It’s the way things have always been done.
We get it, but we don’t understand it. American manufacturing needs to change and FluidForming is the perfect precision process for that change. FluidForming is a sustainable metal forming process that enables innovation. It’s time to shake things up a little bit. It’s time for 21st century hydroforming.
Need to see it to believe it? Our doors are always open. Give us a call to arrange for a tour.
Let’s revolutionize metal forming. To minimize material waste, improve efficiency, lower your carbon footprint and improve your precision metal forming and manufacturing processes, contact FluidForming Americas at (800) 497-3545 or email us at info@ffamericas.com.
FluidForming Americas, Inc. is a member of the Precision Metal Forming Association and is AS9100 Rev D, ISO 9001:2015 certified.