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

Q: Can a servo press run progressive dies? What are the limitations?

admin

**Question from a forum member:**
We run progressive dies on mechanical presses. We are considering a servo press upgrade. Can servo presses run progressive dies, or are they only for single-operation work?

---

**Answer:**

Servo presses run progressive dies very well - in fact, for many progressive die applications they outperform mechanical presses. Here is what you need to know.

## Yes, Servo Presses Run Progressive Dies

Progressive dies are the most common application for servo presses in automotive and electronics stamping. There is no fundamental limitation.

The servo press advantages that apply to progressive dies:
- **Variable SPM**: run slower on complex stations, faster on simple ones (not possible on mechanical)
- **Programmable motion**: slow down at critical forming stations, speed up on blanking stations
- **Consistent BDC**: +/-0.01mm repeatability vs. +/-0.05mm on mechanical - critical for tight-tolerance progressive work
- **No flywheel**: instant start/stop, no coasting - better for short runs and die changes

## Specific Advantages for Progressive Dies

**Fine blanking stations**: servo presses can dwell at BDC for 50-200ms, which improves cut edge quality on fine blanking stations within a progressive die.

**Deep draw stations**: programmable slow-down at the draw station while maintaining speed at blanking stations.

**Pilot pin engagement**: servo presses can slow down precisely as pilot pins engage the strip, reducing pilot pin wear and strip damage.

## What to Check Before Converting

1. **Stroke length**: progressive dies often need longer strokes for strip lift and feed. Verify the servo press stroke is sufficient (typically need 1.5x the maximum die height).

2. **Feed integration**: the strip feed must synchronize with the press. Servo presses use encoder output to trigger the feed - verify your feed system can accept this signal.

3. **SPM range**: progressive dies typically run 60-200 SPM. Verify the servo press can reach your target SPM with the die weight installed.

4. **Shut height**: check the servo press shut height range covers your die requirements.

## Tonnage Monitoring for Progressive Dies

Progressive dies benefit greatly from per-station tonnage monitoring. A servo press with drive torque monitoring can detect broken punches (sudden torque drop) and overloads (torque spike). For high-value progressive dies, add a dedicated tonnage system with per-station sensors.

## Bottom Line

If you are running progressive dies on mechanical presses and considering a servo upgrade, the conversion is straightforward. The main work is integrating the strip feed and verifying the stroke/shut height requirements.

dave_toolmaker

Short answer: yes, and they run them better than mechanical presses for complex parts. The programmable feed window is the key advantage. On a mechanical press, if your die needs a longer feed window, you're stuck —you have to slow down the whole press. On a servo, you just extend the dwell at TDC. I've run 16-station progressive dies on servo presses with no issues.

sarah_mfg_eng

We run progressive dies on servo presses daily. The one limitation: if your die is designed for constant-velocity forming (some blanking dies rely on the flywheel energy), you need to adjust the motion profile. The servo's default crank emulation works for most dies but some high-energy blanking operations need the pendulum motion profile instead.