SMS group Completes Upgrade of SMX Radial Forging Machine for SMX in France

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 22, German metallurgical equipment manufacturer SMS group announced that it had completed the upgrade of the SMX hydraulic radial forging machine at the Les Ancizes plant of French specialty steel and superalloy producer Aubert & Duval. The project lasted 18 weeks and comprehensively renewed the equipment's electrical control and hydraulic systems and integrated the ComForge forging process software. The upgraded equipment has completed cold and hot commissioning and production support work and has resumed operation on the basis of retaining the original qualified production parameters, continuing to undertake forging tasks for high-performance metal materials in the aerospace, energy and defense sectors.

This SMX hydraulic radial forging machine was supplied by SMS group in the 1990s. Aubert & Duval commissioned SMS in March 2024 to carry out the modernization, with a focus on replacing aging control and hydraulic equipment. While retaining the original mechanical main structure, the project renewed power cabinets, control cabinets, switchgear, cables, operator panels and visualization systems, and installed new hydraulic valves and hydraulic safety valve groups to improve equipment control precision and operational reliability.

Digital transformation was an important part of this project. SMS group connected the ComForge forging process software to the existing equipment control system, supporting forging pass calculation, process parameter management and material performance optimization. Because the specialty steels and superalloys produced at the Les Ancizes plant must meet strict product certification requirements, the original production parameters were retained during the upgrade, and the existing piercing processing programs were migrated to the new control system to ensure that the forging process remained consistent before and after the upgrade.

The entire construction period was 18 weeks, of which 5 weeks were used for mechanical and electrical installation and the other 13 weeks for cold commissioning, hot commissioning and production support. SMS group stated that the equipment resumed production faster than originally planned, and the time lost during the installation phase was made up during subsequent commissioning.

The two parties are also advancing another major forging equipment project. Aubert & Duval ordered a 60 MN hydraulic die forging press from SMS group in 2024 for the Pamiers plant in France, and the equipment is currently being commissioned. This press project and the current Les Ancizes radial forging machine upgrade are being implemented separately.