AIA: Control System Retrofits Make Old Presses Better Than New
Control system retrofits can save manufacturers up to 50 percent of the cost of a new machine.
Most older hydraulic machines, especially press equipment, use limit switches and pressure limiters to control two-position hydraulic valves. These valves are often called "bang-bang" valves because of the shock and noise that result from the coarse back-and-forth cylinder operation. Adapting these machines so that they can manufacture new products requires adjusting pressure limits with knobs and moving the physical location of the limit switches. This takes time and operator skill.