Seven Axes in Sync: Complete Motion Controls for a High-Volume Stamping Line
How CSI retrofitted the entire electrical and control system on a 4,000-ton stamping press — replacing aging controls while keeping the mechanical infrastructure intact — to restore reliable, high-speed automated part transfer for a major North American automotive manufacturer.
Industry
Automotive
Service
Migrations & retrofits
Platform
S7-1500
Press size
4,050 ton
Press in motion
A major North American automotive OEM was running a 4,050-ton double-slide mechanical transfer press that was mechanically sound but electrically outdated. The aging drive and control systems were becoming unreliable and increasingly difficult to maintain, putting an entire stamping production line at risk. The customer needed a complete controls retrofit — new brains for the machine — without replacing the press itself or its mechanical infrastructure.
CSI delivered a full electrical and controls retrofit covering both the press and its three-axis electronic transfer feed. The scope was a strategic strip-and-replace: CSI designed and installed entirely new drive systems, motion controllers, PLCs, HMIs, and over 120 remote I/O modules, while reusing the existing electrical cabinets, junction boxes, field wiring, sensors, actuators, and valves — minimizing downtime and keeping the project efficient.
The transfer feed runs on a Siemens SIMOTION D445 motion controller with SINAMICS S120 servo drives coordinating seven axes of motion, while the press itself is powered by a 500 HP Sinamics DCM flywheel drive with G120 bolster drives. Integrated functional safety, PROFINET networking, and a 19-inch Comfort HMI with comprehensive diagnostics give operators full visibility into every aspect of the system.
CSI also developed a complete suite of operator HMI screens covering press configuration, monitoring, alarms, diagnostics, reporting, and even a built-in transfer simulation mode — making the system not just more reliable, but significantly easier to operate and troubleshoot than what it replaced.
Understanding that a controls retrofit is only as successful as the people running it, CSI worked closely with the customer’s maintenance and controls engineers — providing simulation-based training and hands-on application-level instruction to ensure a seamless handoff and long-term self-sufficiency.
Since commissioning, the press has stamped over 14 million parts. Typical breakdown time has been reduced from hours to minutes, and automatic die change speed has increased by more than 50%. The retrofit didn’t just restore the machine — it gave the customer a robust, modern controls platform built to deliver another 25 years of reliable operation.
Parts stamped to date
Typical breakdown time
Faster automatic die changes
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