After a serious mechanical failure and damage to the press’s main frame, the forge had to undertake an unplanned investment. This required collaboration among several specialized companies.

During forging, non-standard noises began coming from the main eccentric shaft. Inspection revealed frame damage, which caused mechanical damage to the main screws holding key parts of the machine—from the clutch and gear wheel to the ram and brake.

“We were unable to repair this damage ourselves, so we proceeded with an unplanned investment, which was almost on the scale of a full overhaul,” explains Lukáš Andrášik, technician at HKS Forge. Mechanical repairs were carried out by Šmeral and Datapress, who handled the disassembly of all machine parts, ram repair, turning and milling of individual components, and reassembly of the entire machine

“The key step was removing cracks from the frame and replacing bronze bearings and sliding parts, followed by reassembly and adjustment of the machine. Electrical work was carried out by Elektro Sochor Ltd. – ŠMERAL Group, which completely replaced the cables, new terminal blocks, and sensors for all peripherals,” Andrášik describes.

After assembly, the machine was tested. Using a test hydraulic dummy, more than 1,500 cycles were completed with gradual loading. For safety reasons, the press’s maximum force was reduced to prevent repeated damage and to ensure production of items suitable for the equipment. The entire operation lasted four months, including the plant-wide holiday.

“The press is now back in full operation and shows only minor issues, which will be resolved in the coming days,” adds Andrášik. The overhaul of the LZK 2500/4 press is already the second major repair this year. Although it was a demanding and, above all, unplanned intervention, the result is a modernized and safer machine, ready to reliably serve the blacksmiths at HKS Forge.

kvet