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

Buying a Used Servo Press: 10 Things to Check Before You Sign

admin

A used servo press can be a great investment or an expensive mistake.

## 1. Total Stroke Count

Most drives log total stroke count in non-resettable memory. Compare to manufacturer recommended overhaul interval, typically 5-10 million strokes.

## 2. Drive and Motor Hours

Check total powered hours, run hours, and fan hours. A drive with 40,000 hours needs new cooling fans immediately.

## 3. Alarm History

Download the drive alarm history. Look for repeated encoder faults, repeated overload faults, and any faults that were never resolved.

## 4. Gib Clearance

Measure at top, middle, and bottom of slide travel. Compare to manufacturer new-machine specification.

## 5. Slide Parallelism

Acceptable: under 0.02mm per 300mm. More than this indicates worn gibs or a crashed machine.

## 6. BDC Repeatability

Run 50 strokes with a dial indicator. Target: variation under 0.02mm.

## 7. Motor Insulation Test

Megger at 500V DC. Acceptable: over 100 megaohm.

## 8. Oil Analysis

Metal particle content tells you bearing condition better than any visual inspection.

## 9. Software and Parameters

Verify drive software is still supported and all parameter files are available.

## 10. Spare Parts Availability

Check availability for servo drive, encoder, main motor, and control board. If the drive model is discontinued factor in a retrofit cost of 30,000 to 80,000 USD.

pete_retrofit

The stroke counter is the most important number on a used press. But here's the trick: some sellers reset it. Check the drive's internal counter —that one can't be reset on most brands. If the drive counter shows 20 million and the press counter shows 5 million, walk away.

carlos_stamping

Insurance is another thing to check. Some insurers won't cover used servo presses without a third-party inspection certificate. We learned this after buying a used 250T —had to pay $8,000 for a certified inspection before our insurer would cover it. Factor that into your budget.