What is a servo press?

A servo press uses servo motors for precise force and position control during forming operations.

How do I calculate servo press tonnage?

Use our free tonnage calculator at servopress.club/tonnage-calculator.html

Servo Press Slide Adjustment After Tooling Change: Step-by-Step

admin

Adjusting slide height after a tooling change is one of the most common setup tasks on a servo press. Done incorrectly, it causes tonnage overload, die damage, or part quality issues.

## Before You Start

- Confirm new die shut height from die drawing
- Check press stroke and BDC position
- Verify slide adjustment range (typically ?25-50mm from nominal)

## Step 1: Calculate Required Slide Position

```
Slide position = Press BDC - Die shut height - Bolster plate thickness
```

Example: Press BDC = 0mm, die shut height = 285mm, bolster = 100mm
Required slide position = 0 - 285 - 100 = -385mm (385mm above BDC)

## Step 2: Manual Slide Adjustment

1. Jog press to TDC (top dead center)
2. Engage slide adjustment mode on HMI (usually under Setup > Slide Adjust)
3. Enter target slide position or use +/- jog buttons
4. Adjustment speed: use slow mode (1mm increments) for final positioning
5. Lock slide adjustment when complete

## Step 3: Verify with Test Stroke

1. Install die in press (do not clamp yet)
2. Run one slow test stroke at 10% speed
3. Check die contact —slide should contact die at BDC with 0.1-0.3mm clearance before clamping
4. If die contacts before BDC: raise slide (increase shut height)
5. If gap at BDC: lower slide (decrease shut height)

## Step 4: Tonnage Check

After clamping die:
1. Run 3-5 strokes at production speed
2. Monitor peak tonnage on press display
3. Acceptable range: 60-80% of press rated tonnage for normal production
4. Above 90%: check die alignment, lubrication, material thickness

## Common Mistakes

- Forgetting to account for bolster plate thickness
- Adjusting slide while press is at BDC (always adjust at TDC)
- Not re-checking after thermal expansion (first 30 min of production)

tom_pressops

Operator shortcut that actually works: after changing the die, run 5 strokes at reduced speed (10 SPM) with no material. Watch the tonnage monitor —it should show near-zero force. If you see any force reading, the shut height is too low and the die is touching. Adjust up 0.1mm at a time until the force reading is zero, then load material.

dave_toolmaker

Always re-check shut height after the press warms up. I set up a die perfectly on Monday morning, came back after lunch and parts were 0.03mm oversize. Thermal expansion had changed BDC by 0.04mm. Now I do a rough setup cold, run 200 parts, then do the final adjustment once the press is at operating temperature.