Thread: need help with Rousselle Press

I have an issue with a 60 ton press made in 1977, trying to punch aluminum part with 22tons force required. Press actually stall on contact with part. I have never experienced the fly wheel stopping like this before. we checked for sufficient air pressure, clutch pads and plate are near new, motor continues to run after fly wheel stops because belts start to slip, belts have correct tension and motor is running to correct rpm. this is a used press that we picked up and this is the first time that we tried to run it. We can get it to punch half of the part at around 10 tons. We ran this die on another press rated at 45 tons so I know the die works as it should.
Hopefully someone can offer some insight into what might be causing this issue.

Thanks
diemaker1

Is this a crank style, if yes it sounds like your not close enough to the bottom of your stroke, crank style presses don't have very much power until your almost at the bottom of there stroke

Looks like you tried the die successfully on another press so that would eliminate a possible blockage in the die.

Try readjusting your stroke so the die just barely cuts thru at the bottom of the stroke.

we're at the bottom of the stroke made sure of that. any other ideas? Thanks for the input.

how thick is the part? what is the press stroke? tubular or solid piece being punched?

6" stroke, Solid piece .100thick

I can't help with with the problem. But I heard from die setters that Rousselle was their least favorite press.

Looks you'll have to tear it down until you find something.... but it could be in the connecting rod/ crank/ gibbs. Intersted to hear what you find.

have you run the press with no die?

Is it 3 ph motor? do you have rotation direction correct?

yes runs fine with no load even got it to punch half of the part at around 10 tons it is a 3ph 3hp motor didn't check rotation, good point. I will do that but I believe it is running correctly as the ram rotates outward when activated.

I'll post what I find if anything....

One thing is for sure....if you know the die works well at 45 tons, you don't have a 60 ton press working for you.

If the press works fine otherwise and it is at the bottom of the stroke the only thing left is inertia.

Either your flywheel is not heavy enough (is it original?) or it is turning too slowly. Check the speed according to the spec.

The chance that it is a severely maladjusted ram was eliminated when you said it will punch at 45 ton.

If the wheel is actually coming to a stop you either aren't spinning fast enough to make tonnage or you have a major problem in the pitman/crank assembly that is causing things to bind and absorb your tonnage. Gibs severely out of adjustment, bearings shot on the wheel, bushings shot on the crank, crank broken (I've seen it happen). If your sure your wheel is up to speed, you've got problems. Making 50 ton go away takes a major malfunction.

He didn't say it would punch at 45 tons. He said the die would work at 45 tons on a different press.

I was hoping for a quick fix LOL guess it will be a teardown.Thanks for the help

Am having similar problems, what did you find?