MOUNT GILEAD, Ohio, U.S.A., Sept. 15, 2003 – The HPM Division of Taylor's Industrial Services is debuting what may be the first non-toggle die casting machine during the 22 nd International Die Casting Congress & Exposition, Sept. 15-18, Indianapolis.

Taylor 's HPM is featuring a 900 ton model of its Freedom Series at the Indianapolis Convention Center & RCA Dome, booth 1638. The global patent-pending Freedom Series die casting machine uses a hydromechanical two-platen clamp design, rather than a traditional four- and five-point, three-clamp toggle design.

“We don't believe that we are the first any one else in the die casting industry to has successfully develop d and launch a non-toggle, retractable tie bar die casting machine,” said John Spraque, the new die casting product manager for HPM Division. “The hydromechanical, retractable design offers benefits that a toggle design can not, including a smaller footprint, fast and easy automated mold change, and being energy efficient.

“We've had a number of die casters very interested in the Freedom Series, and expect to have the first machines sold by the end of this year.”

The Freedom Series, a cold-chamber machine available in 360 to 5000 US tons offers a number of features and benefits in its innovative design:

• Being a two-platen design, the Freedom Series is shorter in length, using up to 40% less floor space than conventional three-platen toggle machines of comparable capacity.
• The retractable tie bar system means that no tie bar pullers are required.
• Four short-stroke load cell s for developing clamp and breakaway forces.
• Fast-acting, dual traversing cylinders that move the platen at high speed for clamp opening and closing.
• Tiebars are carried and supported by the moving platen.
• Superior locking mechanism for long machine life.

Advanced, touch-screen control

The Freedom Series die casting machines feature the Siemens PC control system. The control is a PC-based system with touch-screen controls. Being PC-based, all machines in a plant or throughout a company can be networked and monitored from a single remote location.

“Combined with the Siemens PC control, the Freedom Series is one of the most advanced and cost-effective die casting machines available when you look at how it can improve a company's productivity,” Sprague said.

Other features and benefits of the Siemens PC control system include:

• Flexible screen sets that can be customized to plant needs.
• Easy integration into current plant MIS/MRP systems and networks.
• Easy integration into other, third-party machines and robot systems.
• Maintenance and troubleshooting routines built in.
• One of the fastest processing speeds in the industry.
• Open architecture using OPC, Active X, Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) via TCP/IP Ethernet. Therefore, customers can customize the programming to their specific needs.
• Unlimited recipe storage.