Shaping general low-volume manufacturing with Flexform™

The Flexform technology provides solutions for appliance and white goods manufacturers, and for a wide variety of low-volume custom parts fabricators.

Flexform is a modern sheet metal forming method for cost effective low-volume production. Quintus Technologies has supplied high-pressure rubber diaphragm presses to the world’s major manufacturers for decades. Flexform is used by manufacturing companies for general low-volume sheet metal forming to achieve low-cost, high quality parts with short lead times.

Flexform is ideal for:

  • Prototype and development components, from small shallow parts to large deep parts, in all alloys.
  • Low-volume production items, from small shallow parts to large deep parts, including trimming, in all alloys.
Quintus Flexforming of an Automotive Side Impact Beam White Paper

White Paper – Flexforming of an automotive side impact beam

Mikael Bergkvist, Product Manager Sheet Metal Forming Quintus Technologies Västerås, Sweden View the presentation that showcases that the Flexform technology may be used to form ultra high-strength steel and other difficult-to-form materials. Demonstrate the forming processes for an automotive relevant part (side impact beam).

Contact us for a process evaluation and improve your production efficiency

We can control the pressure more accurately on small parts in this press and eliminate even more touch labor. The press is easy to operate, user friendly, requires short time to train operators, and needs little maintenance.

Reference | Cessna Aircraft Company

The right press for your business

QFC 0.7 x 1.8 - 800 sheet metal forming presses

Fluid Cell Presses

Rectangular Trays

Quintus offers a full line of standard models of Flexform™ Presses with rectangular trays dimensions up to 1.8 x 3.6 m (71 x 142 in) and pressures from 800 bar (11,600 psi) to 1,400 bar (20,000 psi). The cycle time is normally one to three minutes, depending on press size, formed parts and selected pressure.

Fluid Cell Presses

Circular Trays

QFL presses are compact units with circular trays, designed for faster forming of smaller parts.
Cycles average about one minute, with maximum pressure of 800 bar (11,600 psi). These presses are commonly used for off-loading and back-up for larger rectangular tray presses and for rapid forming of smaller parts.

Modern Quintus Fluid Cell Deep Draw Press

Fluid Cell Presses

Deep Draw Presses

Quintus offers a line of standard deep-draw press models with forming area/diameter ranging from 560 mm / 22 inch to 1100 mm / 43.3 inch. Pressure ranges from 800 bar / 11,600 psi to 1,200 bar / 17,400 psi. The cycle time is depending on the tool size and the pressure level required, but normally range from some 30 seconds to two minutes.

Quintus Technologies Flexcell Concept

Fluid Cell Presses

Flexcell™ Concept

The Flexcell™ concept minimizes the time for tooling changes and takes the time for new tool set-ups from hours to seconds. The concept substantially increases productivity, allowing fabrication of small production batches, when a wide variety of part shapes are required. The Flexcell™ concept also makes the handling of heavy tools easier, while taking away the manual feeding of parts, making this process safer and more efficient.

Benefits and Applications for the Low-volume Manufacturing Industry

Electrolux stove top example of low volume manufacturing with Quintus

Electrolux stove top

Electrolux stove top in 1.5 mm (0.06 in) mild steel preformed in a plastic die and formed to final shape on an aluminum punch tool with inserts to 800 bar (11,600 psi).

Autoclave end plate made on Quintus Technologies sheet metal press

Autoclave end plate

Autoclave end plate in 8 mm (0.31 in) stainless steel formed in an aluminum die in one operation to 2,000 bar (29,000 psi). A hardwood die was also used for test purposes.

Duct, A Steel showcases Quintus low volume sheet metal forming

Duct. A steel tube

Duct. A steel tube is placed in the tool with a circular rubber insert in the center. The pressure from the Flexform diaphragm, assisted by the rubber insert, then expands the metal into the die.

User benefits

Prototype and development components:
Flexform results in high quality, low-cost parts with short lead times.

  • forming with one rigid low cost tool half and a flexible rubber diaphragm
  • high, uniform forming pressure for parts with close tolerances
  • easy tool modifications and no matching of tool halves

Flexform™ Results

Low-volume production items:
Flexform results in high quality, low-cost parts with short lead times.

  • forming with one rigid low-cost tool half and a flexible rubber diaphragm
  • forming including undercuts, flanging and trimming with a single tool half
  • easy tool modifications and no matching of tool halves
  • prototype tool can also be used for production

Watch video: Flexform Fluid Cell Press type QFC 0.7x1.8-800

Watch video: Flexform Press type QFC 1.2x4-1400

Watch video: Deep Draw Hydroforming Press QFM 0.8-800

Watch video: Quintus Technologies Flexcell™

We are here to help your business increase productivity and lower production costs.

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