Patent ID: 7805973

Claim:
A method for operating a mechanical press comprising a first electric drive motor, a drive control for controlling the first motor, a ram, a flywheel driven by the first motor, a clutch configured to connect the flywheel to the ram, a second drive motor or actuator arranged to drive said ram, and a translating member for translating rotational motion of said flywheel in a first rotation direction into a linear motion of said ram, wherein said ram is arranged to be lowered and raised along a linear path for operating said press to carry out a press production cycle, wherein said press production cycle comprises a pressing part and one or more non-pressing parts, the method comprising: controlling output of the press through controlling said second drive motor such that the speed of said second drive motor is varied during at least one part of said press production cycle, wherein the second motor drives the press in a first rotational direction to a speed above a pressing speed prior to carrying out the press production cycle and slows the speed of the press down to a pressing speed at a pressing time; carrying out the pressing with power at least from the flywheel; and reversing said second drive motor at the end of each complete press production cycle and driving the press in a second rotational direction with the second drive motor.