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 Noise Diagnosis: Identifying Mechanical vs Electrical Sources

admin

Unusual noise from a servo press is always worth investigating. Noise that develops gradually often indicates wear; sudden noise indicates a more serious problem.

## Classifying the Noise

First, characterize the noise:
- **When does it occur?** Continuously, only during forming, only at certain positions?
- **What type?** Grinding, clicking, humming, squealing, banging?
- **Where does it come from?** Slide area, drive area, motor, gearbox?

## Mechanical Noise Sources

**Grinding from slide area:**
- Gib wear —check gib clearance (should be 0.02-0.05mm)
- Lubrication failure —check lube system pressure and delivery
- Foreign material in slide ways

**Clicking at regular intervals:**
- Gear tooth damage (if gear-reducer press) —check gearbox oil for metal particles
- Bearing damage —use vibration analysis to identify bearing frequency

**Banging at BDC:**
- Slide hitting die too hard —check slide height setting
- Counterbalance pressure too low —slide dropping under gravity
- Brake engaging/disengaging at wrong position

**Squealing from motor area:**
- Motor bearing failure —check motor temperature and vibration
- Belt tension (if belt-drive press) —check belt tension and alignment

## Electrical Noise Sources

**High-pitched whine from drive cabinet:**
- PWM switching frequency —normal, but can be reduced by increasing carrier frequency parameter
- DC bus capacitor resonance —check capacitor condition

**Humming from motor:**
- Current ripple from drive —check drive output current waveform
- Motor winding issue —measure winding resistance and insulation

## Diagnostic Tools

- Vibration analyzer: identify bearing fault frequencies
- Stethoscope: localize mechanical noise source
- Thermal camera: identify hot spots from friction or electrical issues
- Drive oscilloscope: check current and torque waveforms

mike_chen_eng

On noise diagnosis: a mechanics listening rod (a long metal rod pressed against the machine) works just as well as a stethoscope and costs nothing. Touch the rod to different points on the frame while the press runs slowly. Identified a failing gib bronze insert this way on a 200-ton Aida.

raj_maintenance

For noise diagnosis, I keep a recording of each press running normally on my phone. When someone reports a new noise, I play the recording and compare. Sounds crude but it works. The human ear is very good at detecting changes when you have a reference. I have caught bearing wear, loose bolts, and a cracked gib this way.