Peter Lund Pedersen, project manager at Grundfos with Sandra Johansson, project manager at AP&T, and Peter Karlsson, key account and area sales manager at AP&T, standing in front of an older AP&T press in the facility

Low energy consumption, low noise levels, high precision, and simple maintenance were factors that prompted the pump manufacturer Grundfos to be the first company in Denmark to invest in the latest generation of servo hydraulic presses from www.aptgroup.com AP&T, which has a UK facility in Redditch. The press, which will feature a ‘cushion and third-cylinder functions’, will replace an older one in an existing automated line used for cold-forming pump components. It will be installed at the Grundfos production facility in Bjerringbro early in 2025.

Peter Lund Pedersen, a project manager at Grundfos, says he sees major advantages with AP&T’s technology: “Now that it is time to replace one of our old presses, we want to invest in technology that enables us to reduce our energy consumption and optimise our production process. In this respect, AP&T’s servo hydraulic press has several advantages that are in line with our philosophy. With tolerances of 0.05mm, it provides exceptionally high repeat accuracy, while at the same time operating quietly and requiring very little maintenance. However, its most distinguishing feature is low energy consumption.”

Peter Karlsson, a key account and area sales manager at AP&T, said: “In our tests, we have measured energy savings of up to 85% for every stroke compared to one of our conventional hydraulic presses. It is nothing less than revolutionary in terms of climate impact and operational costs.

“Instead of pressure valves, a closed servo system with few moving parts is used, with speed, precision, and power regulated by electric motors. I liken the difference between our servo hydraulic press and a conventional hydraulic press as being just as great as between a CNC lathe and a manual lathe.

“The new servo hydraulic press is also equipped with a freely programmable operator interface that enables the customer to create their own run patterns for all their tools without needing AP&T to reprogram the entire control system. No other company on the market can offer this feature.”
“Our discussions with Grundfos have not only resulted in a solution that meets their needs on all levels, but also contributed to our product development. It’s a win-win situation for both parties.”

In conclusion, Mr Pederson said: “Through the years, AP&T has supplied Grundfos with a great many hydraulic presses and made themselves an important partner. When the cold-forming process was implemented at Grundfos in 1992, collaboration with AP&T was an important factor in our success, so it was only natural to turn to them again. As the supplier of our first cold-forming presses, they are very knowledgeable of what the process requires.”