Midwest Press & Automation LLC

Here are the rolling bolsters we modified for the new owners of this Komatsu 1800-ton transfer press.?New top plates with scrap windows & t-slots were needed after machining off nearly 28,000lbs of material each.?Parallelism was held within .0005” per foot, the finish height of the (2) bolsters matched within .002”.?The 160,000 lb. center bed section was also setup on our floor mill and cut for minimum cleanup.?The 130,000 lb. slide was setup and modified to accept a new upper bolster plate with new T-slot spacing.?We can manipulate these heavy components using our (2) bridge cranes located in the large mill bay.

It is a common occurrence for us to manufacture new press gears, we make dozens each year. Sometimes it’s because of broken gear teeth, excessive wear/backlash or in some cases, due to a press modification or upgrade. Most of our large gears are fabricated in house to specifications that exceed industry standards. However, sometimes we find that manufacturing from a solid alloy forging is the best way to create a superbly rigid, balanced and undeniably heavy duty press gear. These forgings are upset, pierced, and rolled for optimum grain structure, then machined on our CNC lathes with generous radii to eliminate the stress risers commonly found in welded gears. Keyless connections are used whenever possible to further eliminate stress risers and ease assembly. While this option may be overkill for some applications, it can often be manufactured faster than fabrication. Shown here are several examples of new (intermediate & bull gears) machined from solid forgings. These were all instances where premium gears were the best solution.

This is the first of (2) rolling bolster carriages we are modifying for our customer.?The existing chute & T-slot configuration would not work with their tools.?This 6000mm x 2200mm bolster will have 4” removed from the top face, multiple new windows will be cut for scrap material passage.?A brand new 6” thick bolster plate will then be mounted to the existing carriage.?Good thing we bought a bigger chip hopper; over 28,000 pounds of material will be removed from each carriage!

AIDA-America was happy to host DRMA - Dayton Region Manufacturers Association’s Shoptalk on November 7th. Networking opportunities, ResourceMFG’s “Voice of the American Workforce” survey presentation, and plant tours led by our Team made for a great evening. Thank you to everyone who attended! #drma #regionalmfg #manufacturing #metalforming #aidapresses

Happy Veterans Day from the Wintriss Team. We honor and respect all who have served or are actively serving. ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??????????????!

Just an update on our building addition.?Concrete has been poured, lighting, some electrical, doors, plumbing and heat installed.?Much needed additional parking for our fleet vehicles has been added out back.?Our brand new 60/30T crane has been installed.?We all highly anticipate the additional space for our expanded operations!

Emergency main bushing replacement for a 6000 ton forging press. Removing the existing bronze, turning the carrier for cleanup and turning the new bronze for installation.

This eccentric shaft from a 2500-ton forging press had suffered a catastrophic failure.?The driving end was completely shattered but the rest of the shaft was in good shape.?MPA cut off the shaft at the larger main diameter and welded on a new, stepped forging with 100% penetration.?The remaining diameter was pad welded and the shaft was then turned back to the required size.??This type of repair has been performed in our industry for nearly 80 years with great success and can be done much quicker and cheaper than replacing the shaft.?Proven procedures, proper pre/post heat and weld material selection is critical to creating a lasting repair.?Weld repair isn’t always a viable option and each case is unique.?Feel free to reach out to us for assistance and repair options.

While performing a press inspection, our team discovered severe cracks in the main bushing housings of this 1000-ton press.?MPA developed a plan for action while our customer prepared for the outage required to make the repairs.?The crown was removed, transported to our Lansing facility, stripped then welded to repair all fractures.?Areas susceptible to damage were then reinforced and stiffened.?The 120,000 lb. crown was then thermal stress relieved on our floor.?We then line bored and skin cut all surfaces necessary to maintain original specifications.?All new bronze bushings were made and fitted to the crankshaft.?Counterbalances and driveshaft were rebuilt while the crown was down.??Additional work included welding and machining of the slide (showcased in a previous post.)?The slide was an unplanned repair, but also one that was performed without adding to the original timeline of 10 weeks.?Our welding team worked tirelessly around the clock to pull that one off!? Fractured press crowns and beds are becoming more frequent as stampers push older machines to their limits.?Fortunately, MPA has the knowledge and resources necessary?to breathe new life into these presses and provide many more years of service.

Hey everyone! We wanted to keep you in the loop about our exciting building expansion. We've had a few weather-related delays due to rain, but we’re making great progress! In the coming months, our new addition will feature an attached 5,600 sq. ft. Electrical Controls Department with overhead crane and a brand-new Compressor Room.? Thanks for your patience and continued support! We can’t wait to show you the finished results. Stay tuned for more updates!