Exploring Innovative Strategies for Energy Efficiency and Emission Reduction in Traditional Manufacturing Workshops
The pursuit of green and low-carbon development has made exploring innovative strategies for energy efficiency and emission reduction in traditional manufacturing workshops a crucial task. The stamping industry, as a representative of traditional manufacturing, also faces the pressure of achieving the "dual carbon" goals. Introducing intelligent manufacturing technologies and optimizing production processes in the stamping sector can significantly enhance resource utilization efficiency, promoting high-quality and sustainable industry development.
Stamping presses are among the most common equipment used in the industry, applied extensively in processes like stamping and stretching of metal sheets. However, traditional presses consume a high amount of energy. Servo presses, as a new type of metal forming equipment, can effectively increase production efficiency while reducing energy consumption. This article combines experimental data with theoretical analysis to compare the energy consumption of servo presses and traditional mechanical presses under various conditions, with the aim of promoting broader adoption of servo presses in the industry.
01
Impact of Structural Differences on Energy Consumption
1.1 Mechanical Press
Traditional mechanical presses operate with a crank-link mechanism where the motor transfers energy to the transmission system via a flywheel. The transmission system typically includes an eccentric drive (see Figure 1) and a complex multi-link drive (see Figure 2). The motor rotates the flywheel through a belt, which then drives the main shaft through a clutch. The torque from the small gears on the main shaft is distributed to the left and right gear systems, transferred to larger gears, and finally, the eccentric wheel and connecting rods move the ram up and down to shape the workpiece. High energy consumption in traditional presses mainly results from significant friction and idle losses in their complex transmission systems.
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| Figure 1: Eccentric Drive System of Mechanical Press |
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| Figure 2: Multi-link Drive System of Mechanical Press |
Servo presses are driven by servo torque motors, allowing for precise control over the motor's rotation angle and speed. Through sophisticated electrical control, the servo motor can adjust its output power in real-time according to actual work requirements, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption. Servo direct-drive presses eliminate energy-consuming components like flywheels and clutches, simplifying the mechanical drive structure. This design not only reduces operating costs but also minimizes energy losses due to mechanical transmission. The structure of a servo press is shown in Figure 3. The servo motor converts torque into linear motion through the transmission system, moving the ram to stamp metal sheets. Energy recovery during deceleration through the use of energy storage devices like capacitors or storage motors further reduces energy consumption.
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| Figure 3: Transmission System of Servo Press |
1.3 Energy Consumption Analysis under Simulated Work Conditions
To visually compare the energy consumption of traditional mechanical presses and servo presses, the experiment setup is shown in Figure 4. During the experiments, the energy consumption of both types of presses was measured and recorded under various stamping process conditions. For the single-cycle power consumption test, the following conditions were set: using a hydraulic loader, with both presses having a capacity of 4000 kN and a nominal stroke of 7 mm. Based on the standard conditions outlined in Table 1 for single strokes, we conducted 10-minute tests with different load specifications, recording the power consumption for each press under each condition.
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| Figure 4: Energy Consumption Experiment Test Site |
Cycle Frequency (cycles/min) | Servo Press (kW·h/cycle) | Traditional Press (kW·h/cycle) | Energy Saving Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
6 | 0.0158 | 0.0296 | 87.11% |
10 | 0.0137 | 0.0254 | 85.56% |
15 | 0.0126 | 0.0221 | 75.50% |
In the continuous power consumption tests, we also used a hydraulic loader with the press capacity set at 4000 kN and a nominal stroke of 7 mm. Based on the continuous stroke specifications in Table 2, we tested different load conditions, with each test lasting 10 minutes, and recorded the corresponding power consumption data.
Stroke Frequency (strokes/min) | Servo Press (kW·h/cycle) | Traditional Press (kW·h/cycle) | Energy Saving Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
15 | 0.0119 | 0.0125 | 4.79% |
25 | 0.0104 | 0.0124 | 19.14% |
35 | 0.0107 | 0.0133 | 24.38% |
02
Conclusion
Analysis of the experimental data reveals that, under identical stamping conditions, servo presses consume significantly less energy than traditional presses. This is due to the advanced, compact design of the servo press's transmission system, which reduces friction losses, and the energy feedback technology that recycles some mechanical energy. In contrast, traditional presses suffer from higher energy losses due to friction and idle operation. Using servo presses can effectively reduce energy consumption during production, thus saving energy costs for enterprises. However, servo presses are still relatively more expensive than mechanical presses, limiting their immediate widespread adoption. Further research into standardization, design, and manufacturing cost reduction could improve their cost-effectiveness, leading to broader implementation in the stamping industry.