In production and assembly technology, the question often arises as to which type of drive can be used to generate pressing forces reliably and economically. A basic distinction is made here between purely pneumatic or purely hydraulic as well as pneumohydraulic and electromechanical drive types.

Pneumatic drives are initially characterized by their speed and simple design, but have the disadvantage of high air consumption and can only generate comparatively low forces. Hydraulic drives, on the other hand, generate high forces in a small installation space, but are associated with disadvantages such as slowness with long strokes, oil leakage due to leaks, loud noise from the unit and, finally, high maintenance costs.

Pneumohydraulic drives are much more efficient, economical and require less maintenance. They are fast and powerful, easy to control and their internal hydraulics prevent leaks and thus oil leakage and contamination. The disadvantage here, however, is the limited controllability.

Servo drives as an alternative

Modern electromechanical servo drives are in a completely different league, as they produce high pressing forces as required, can be precisely controlled, are very easy to program, are particularly suitable for automation and, last but not least, are more energy-efficient and more economical overall. The only disadvantage is the initially higher initial investment, but this is more than compensated for in industrial use by the optimum combination of ecology and economy in a short space of time.

With the Tox-ElectricDrive product range, Tox Pressotechnik offers designers and users complete and future-proof performance packages for the precise generation and positioning of pressing forces from 2 to 1,000 kN, including integrated sensors and process monitoring for the demand and product-controlled optimization of work and joining processes.

A Tox-ElectricDrive drive system consists of the electromechanical servo drive in a compact design, the servo controller and the ToxSoftWare. Depending on the requirements and type, the servo drives have a ball screw (compact design, good energy efficiency, low cost). They are preferably used as drives for press systems or as solo drives in work and process stations. For higher requirements, versions with planetary roller screw spindles are available, which are characterized by high power density, high rigidity and a long service life in a very compact design. Typical areas of application here are punching work and, in particular, pressing applications with high joining speeds or in limited installation space.

The optimum servo drive is selected from the five versions in close coordination, supplemented by optional accessories such as piezo sensors, fan, safety brake, automatic lubrication unit or motor options such as motor holding brake and absolute encoder.

Servo controller as the heart of the drive

The servo controller acts as the central intelligence behind the drive system and is responsible for operating the servo drive as well as for parameterization and visualization. The Tox servo controller enables fast commissioning (plug & work), free parameterization and offers extensive programming and diagnostic functions, programming/parameterization of the process parameters (online/offline) and integrated PLC functionality in accordance with IEC 61131 for controlling additional movements.