The LMC press system uses an extreme velocity ram that impacts the tooling, and in less than a millisecond creates an adiabatic effect in the metal at the point of separation. This press system has been successful in its use of the adiabatic process for improving part quality consistency, as well as in the cost savings from high cycle rates, increased tooling life, minimal material waste, and lower energy costs, time, floor space, and labor. LMC, considered the world's foremost authority in Adiabatic Manufacturing Technology, introduced the process in the early 1980's and integrated it into their highly efficient patented press system for the manufacturing of precision blanks. This technology has been known to engineers as Adiabatic Softening.

LMC offers three other standard presses that will cut off solid round or shaped stock from coil or bar stock, and tubing from bar stock using its patented floating/fixed mandrel system. The SIP25 cuts up to 1/4" stock at cycle rates up to 500 ppm, the SIP50 cuts up to 1/2" stock at cycle rates up to 350 ppm, and the SIP100 cuts up to 1" stock at cycle rates up to 225 ppm. Diameters up to 4.00" can be cut on LMC's larger press systems.

LMC has successfully developed their patented high velocity technology into all its presses and tooling. The press systems incease quality consistency and production cycle times with less press maintenance and an operating warranty of up to 12,000 hours. The mechanical press system meets all the conditions for Adiabatic Softening in most metals to include low and high carbon steels, stainless, brass, copper, titanium, aluminum, lead and more. Regardless of the metal, the process works the same. This technology eliminates many drawbacks of the conventional methods in the production of metal blanks.

The LMC press provides cut-off blanks automatically from either coil, bar stock or tubing with cut off or fracture time less than a millisecond. The mechanical extreme velocity process creates a heat band or fracture zone across the metal only a few thousandths of an inch wide and producing blanks ready for forming or machining. Heat is not allowed to dissapate into the metal and the part shows no work hardening or micro cracks on the ends. The process provides outstanding mass and volumn control, ideal for billets used in forging and cold heading.

Length variations of less than +/- .001" will be maintained regardless of overall length. Manufacturers have eliminated post production processes; no burrs and no end grinding. CPK results can be expected to significantly improve. Unique to this technology is that there is theoretically no limit to the volume size of metal that can be cut. Die life in some instances extends to over 50 million cycles with proper maintenance.

Today, LMC is offering the Adiabatic Technology to manufacturers worldwide with turnkey systems for the cut off of bar, coil and tube stock from round or shaped metals, including secondary equipment such as barfeeders, arbor and roll straighteners, and coilhandling. Its APM Process Center, a division of LMC, provides a cut off and blanking service to manufacturers to propose parts to their specifications.

The Company has been providing the LMC Adiabatic Process Technology to manufacturers throughout the world since 1980 from its engineering and manufacturing facility 60 miles west of Chicago. LMC also utilizes the process for net shape forming, blanking and powder compaction.