EMI Installs Deep-Draw Press for Jet Engine Components

In the face of robust demand from the jet engine industry, Quintus Technologies (Lewis Center, OH) has delivered a new 4,000 ton hydroform deep-draw press to Electro-Methods, Inc. (EMI; South Windsor, Ct), a supplier of turbine engine components. This new press will expand their shop capabilities, further enabling them to produce intricate shaped sheet metal parts and assemblies.

“We have a long history in the aerospace fabrication business, and with this new investment we are able offer additional capabilities to our customers, primarily General Electric and Honeywell,” said Randy Fries, the president of EMI. “We are used to tough fabrication demands from our customers and are now well positioned and keen to support the expected ramp-up requirement in the aerospace industries.”

Along with excellent forming capabilities, the press requires only a single rigid tool half, significantly reducing tool costs. The other half of the tool is a flexible rubber diaphragm under uniform hydrostatic pressure. Material draw ratios of up to 3:1 eliminate several forming operations, intermediate heat treatments, and operator dependencies. The high forming pressure ensures close-tolerance parts direct from the press, with little or no secondary hand work required.

“EMI has received many awards for its diverse capabilities which enable the manufacture of the most complex fabrications and assemblies, including flight safety-critical turbine engine components,” stated Jan Söderström, the chief executive officer of Quintus Technologies (Västerås, Sweden). “The new family of deep-drawing fluid cell presses that our company has developed over recent years is specifically aimed at the versatility requirements within the jet engine industry, making this press a good fit for them.”

“Their choice of the 11,600 psi deep-draw press will support the demand for fabrication of low weight and very tough metal alloys required by jet engine designers seeking fabrication solutions for fuel efficient aircraft,” added Ed Williams, the general manager of Quintus Americas.

Quintus is represented in 35 countries worldwide as a world leader in high pressure technology, having delivered more than 1,800 systems to shops across the globe within industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy, and medical implants.

Since 1965 EMI has manufactured complex fabricated and machined aerospace assemblies and components. With a 140,000 sq ft campus encompassing five modern buildings, they have long been considered a one-stop-shop by OEM customers due to the numerous special processes they perform in-house.

electro-methods.com, www.quintustechnologies.com