Jiuli, headquartered in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, has awarded SMS group the final acceptance certificate (FAC) for putting the fully automated forging line into operation. The hydraulic radial forging machine, type SMX 900 / 18 MN, has a press force of 18 MN for each of the four press cylinders, which allows sophisticated materials for the aerospace industry to be forged. "The new SMX forging line enables us to manufacture our products in a highly cost-efficient way. The high productivity and the wide range of products give us the necessary flexibility to respond quickly to changing demands," says Luo Tongwei, project manager at Jiuli.

In addition to the SMX 900 / 18 MN as the core machine, the plant comprises two fully synchronized eight-ton forging manipulators and equipment for loading and unloading as well as for cutting, marking and cooling of forged bars. To achieve high process efficiency levels while at the same time observing the technological parameters required for forging high-temperature materials, the handling manipulators used for automated unloading of heated ingots from the furnace are integrated into the line control system.

The built-in ComForge^® Technology Suite software enables the customer to perform automated pass schedule calculations. It provides a forging strategy that is calculated on the basis of a comprehensive material database as well as the preset machine, material, geometry, and product-related parameters.

The supplied SMX forging line is equipped with a condition monitoring system, which records all target and actual parameters during the forging process. The system enables a data analysis of the machine condition and operating data and it can be used for fault diagnostics, process optimization, and quality assurance.

Jiuli manufactures seamless tubes made of steel and special alloys that are used in the oil, chemical, natural gas, and electrical industries as well as many other industries. “SMS group has enjoyed a close working relationship with Jiuli for over ten years and has supplied them with different types of equipment during this period. We are looking forward to the further fruitful cooperation”, says Jia Hui, Senior Sales Manager at SMS group.