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Tech Table: Compression molding machines

CW’s third Tech Table represents compression molding machine data collected from information provided by suppliers. 

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The use of composite materials in compression molding has provided an increasingly attractive opportunity for the fabrication of lightweight, affordable components for a variety of end markets, including automotive, aerospace and others. Compression molding is particularly attractive because of its repeatability and high-volume capability. As a result, compression molding machine manufacturers have accelerated and expanded press offerings over the last few years, from standard presses to tailor-made machines. 

This table of vertical-only hydraulic compression molding machines was built with data provided either directly by each supplier, or from published data. It should be noted that CW limited each company in this table to a maximum of eight products, thus it is not a comprehensive list of all presses available from all suppliers. Furthermore, whether each company solely offers standard presses, custom presses or both, has been delineated; to better indicate what is offered to customers, companies that specialize in custom-only capabilities have provided press examples. For more information on these and other composites industry products, please visit the CW SourceBook database to find and identify suppliers.

While CW was unable to receive data from all compression molding press suppliers, prominent companies unlisted — but which should be distinguished in this area — include Magnum Press, Globe Machine, Pacific Press Technologies and Italpresse USA. 

This is the third in a series of Tech Tables CW has published in 2020, each designed to provide as comprehensive a list as possible of suppliers, their products and selected product data. CW’s first Tech Table, published in January 2020, covers aerospace structural adhesives, and its second Tech Table, published in August 2020, details mold release agents. 

The Tech Table can be found below, or accessed as a downloadable PDF here short.compositesworld.com/DecTechTbl

Tech Table: Compression Molding Presses 

 

 Company

 Trade/Brand Name

 Press footprint (mm)

 Max Clamping Force (metric tons)

Heated Platens Offered? (Y/N) 

Heat Source (Electric, Oil, Steam)

Platen Dimensions (mm)

Ram/Piston Stroke Length (mm)

Multiple Daylight Openings? (Y/N)

Daylight Opening Length (mm)

Standard press, custom or both?

Carver Inc.

 4386 Model CH

483 x 406

11

Y

E

152 x 152

125

N

0-381

Both

 

4122 Model 12-12H 

737 x 686

11

Y

E

305 x 305

125

N

0-254

 
 

693 Model 25-15H 

813 x 711

23

Y

E

381 x 381

165

N

127

 
 

4129 Model 30-12-2H 

813 x 686

27

Y

E

305 x 305

152

Y

51-76

 
 

3889 Auto C-NE,H

940 x 559 x 1,118

14

Y

E

152 x 152

152

N

0-356

 
 

3893 Auto Four 1512-NE,H, 

AutoFour 1512-NE,H

1,143 x 711 x 1,168

14

Y

E

305 x 305

152

N

0-305

 
 

4533 Auto Four 3015-NE,H

1,143 x 711 x 1,168

27

Y

E

381 x 381

152

N

0-305

 
 

5403 Auto Four 4818-NE,H

1,549 x 1,194 x 1,803 

44

Y

E

457 x 457

102

N

0-381

 

Wabash MPI

G30H-15 Genesis Compression 

1,067 x 1,016 x 1,829

27

Y

E

381 x 381

152

Y

152-305

Both

 

G100H-24 Genesis Compression

1,524 x 1,346 x 2,108

91

Y

E

610 x 610

305

Y

305-559

 
 

GT30H-15 Genesis Transfer

1,067 x 1,295 x 2,413

27

Y

E

381 x 381

152

N

152-305

 
 

VT100H-24 Vantage Transfer

1,072 x 991 x 2,667

91

Y

E

610 x 610

305

N

305-508

 
 

200H-30 Vantage Compression

2,083 x 1,067 x 2,159

181

Y

E

762 x 762

406

Y

406-711

 
 

400H-42 Vantage Compression

2,438 x 1,219 x 2,159

363

Y

E

1,067 x 1,067

406

Y

406-762

 
 

700H-48 Vantage Compression

2,819 x 1,448 x 3,048

635

Y

E

1,219 x 1,219

457

Y

457

 
 

400H-72x48 Custom Compression

3,327 x 1,702 x 4,013

363

Y

E

1,829 x 1,219

610

Y

610

 

Beckwood Press

Beckwood

Custom

Up to 4,536

Y

E,O,S

Custom

Custom

Y

Custom

Custom

 

Triform Fluid Cell Sheet Hydroforming

Varies

Varies

N

N/A

Round, up to 1,727  diameter 

N/A

N

N/A

 
 

EVOx C3-100

1,626 x 1,143 x 3,454

45

Y

E,O,S

508 x 76

Up to 610

N

Up to 610

 
 

EVOx P3-100 4-Post

1,321 x 1,270 x 3,531

45

Y

E

610 x 914

Up to 610

N

Up to 762

 

Wickert Press

WLP 1600S

 

160

Y

E,O

483 x 381

279

N

279

Custom

 

WKP 4400S

 

440

Y

E,O

1,803 x 1,194

1,448

Y

1,499

 
 

WKP 10000S

 

1,000

Y

E,O

1,397 x 1,245

1,067

Y

1,600

 
 

WKP 100000

 

10,000

Y

E,O

3,302 x 3,734

508

N

508

 

Dieffenbacher GmbH

DCE 1000

 

1,020

Y

E,O,S

2,800 x 2,000

1,400

N

2,000

Both

 

DCE 1500

 

1,530

Y

E,O,S

3,200 x 2,200

1,800

N

2,400

 
 

DCE 2000

 

2,039

Y

E,O,S

3,200 x 2,200

1,800

N

2,400

 
 

DCE 2500

 

2,549

Y

E,O,S

3,600 x 2,500

1,800

N

2,400

 
 

DCE 3000

 

3,059

Y

E,O,S

3,600 x 2,500

1,800

N

2,400

 
 

Fiberpress 2500

 

2,549

Y

E,O,S

3,600 x 2,500

2,000

N

2,800

 
 

Fiberpress 3600

 

3,671

Y

E,O,S

3,600 x 2,500

2,000

N

2,800

 
 

Fiberpress 5000

 

5,099

Y

E,O,S

4,000 x 2,800

2,000

N

2,800

 

French Oil Mill Machinery

30 Ton Vison

1,016 x 762

27

Y

E

381 x 381

152

N

279

Both

 

100 Ton Vacuum Vision Press

1,372 x 1,143

91

Y

E

457 x 457

152

Y

76

 
 

200 Ton Multi Daylight Press

1,067 x 1,168

181

Y

E

559 x 559

203

Y

305

 
 

400 Ton Vacuum Press

1,422 x 1,118

363

Y

E

610 x 610

508

N

406

 
 

600 Ton Press

2,108 x 1,626

544

Y

E

1,067 x 1,067

838

N

914

 
 

850 Ton Press

1,549 x 1,067

771

Y

E

1,016 x 1,016

762

Y

432

 
 

1300 Ton Multi Daylight

2,032 x 2,159

1,179

Y

E

1,422 x 1,422

 

Y

76

 
 

2200 Ton Press

2,159 x 1,829

1,196

Y

S

1,626 x 1,626

1,016

N

1,219

 

Greenerd Press

Four Post

Custom

Unlimited

Y

E,O,S

Custom

Custom

Y

Custom

Custom

 

Straight Side

Custom

Unlimited

Y

E,O,S

Custom

Custom

Y

Custom

 
 

Open Gap - C-Frame

Custom

2,000

Y

E,O,S

Custom

Custom

Y

Custom

 

Pinette Emidecau Industries

Laboratory

 

30-100

Y

E,O

300 x 300 to 600 x 600

300-500 

N

300-500 

Custom

 

TP Stamping

 

50-120 

Y

E,O

300 x 600 to 3,000 x 2500 

500-1,500 

N

500-2,000

 
 

TP Consolidation

 

50-2,500 

Y

E,O

500 x 500 to 5,000 x 3500

300-800

Y

300-800 

 
 

SMC

 

300-5,000 

N

 

1,000 x 600 to 4,000 x 3,000 

800-2,000 

N

800-3,000

 
 

RTM

 

100-1,500

Y

E,O

600 x 600 to 10,000 x 3,000 

300-600 

N

400-1,110

 
 

Ballistic

 

300-7,000 

Y

E,O

600 x 600 to 1,700 x 2,600

500-1,500 

Y

600-2,000

 
 

Honeycomb forming

 

100-500

Y

E,O

1,200 x 1,200 to 3,000 x 4,000

400-1,000 

Y

400-1,500

 
 

R&D

 

30-1,500 

Y

E,O,S

300 x 300 to 4,000 x 3,000

300-2,200

Y

300-2,500

 

Schuler Group

 

Custom (10,000 kN)

867

Y

E, O, S

2,000 x 1,600

1,700

Y

 

Both

   

Custom (18,000 kN)

1,632

Y

E, O, S

2,800 x 1,800

1,800

Y

   
   

Custom

(25,000 kN)

2,243

Y

E, O, S

2,800 x 2,000

1,800

Y

   
   

Custom

(36,000 kN)

3,263

Y

E, O, S 

3,600 x 2,400

1,900

Y

   

Macrodyne Technologies 

Macrodyne Model No. PPM-50

Custom

50-500

Y

E,O,S

To spec

To spec

Y

To spec

Custom

 

Macrodyne Model No. PPM-500

Custom

500-1,000

Y

E,O,S

To spec

To spec

Y

To spec

 
 

Macrodyne Model No. PPM-1000

Custom

1,000-1,500

Y

E,O,S

To spec

To spec

Y

To spec

 
 

Macrodyne Model No. PPM-1500

Custom

1,500-2,000

Y

E,O,S

To spec

To spec

Y

To spec

 
 

Macrodyne Model No. PPM-2000

Custom

2,000-2,500

Y

E,O,S

To spec

To spec

Y

To spec

 
 

Macrodyne Model No. PPM-2500

Custom

2,500-3,000

Y

E,O,S

To spec

To spec

Y

To spec

 
 

Macrodyne Model No. PPM-3000

Custom

3,000-3,500

Y

E,O,S

To spec

To spec

Y

To spec

 
 

Macrodyne Model No. PPM-3500+

Custom

3,500+

Y

E,O,S

To spec

To spec

Y

To spec

 

 

Wabash
Toray Advanced Composites hi-temperature materials
U.S. Polychemical Acrastrip
Kent Pultrusion
ELFOAM rigid foam products
Large Scale Additive Manufacturing
Keyland Polymer Webinar Coatings on Composite & AM
Release agents and process chemical specialties

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