Calculating the tonnage you actually need
Most under-specified press purchases are undersized on force and oversized on everything else. The calculation is not complicated, and getting it right before the enquiry saves weeks of back-and-forth.
| Material | Approx. tensile strength (MPa) | Working tonnage per 100 cm² of projected area |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium 1050 / 5753 | 120 - 190 | 20 - 32 t |
| Aluminium 6082 / 7022 | 260 - 400 | 44 - 67 t |
| Mild steel (S235 / DC01) | 360 - 450 | 60 - 75 t |
| Stainless 304 / 1.4301 | 590 - 620 | 98 - 103 t |
| Structural steel S355 | 470 - 630 | 78 - 105 t |
| Tool steel / hardened | 1,000 - 1,800 | 167 - 300 t |
| Copper (annealed) | 200 - 250 | 33 - 42 t |
| High-strength steel 1,200 MPa+ | 1,200+ | 200 t+ |
Then apply the shape factor. A flat simple blank in a straight-sided die needs the base figure. A deep-drawn cup, a profiled part with a large flange, or anything with significant side-wall friction needs substantially more - typically 1.5x to 2.5x the base calculation. Deep drawing especially: a cup drawn to 0.7 of its diameter needs well over double the force of a shallow blank of the same flange diameter.
Frame types and when each is right
| Frame | Tonnage range | Strength | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-frame | 20 - 200 t | Best rigidity per tonne, but the throat limits bed and daylight opening | Small parts, high cycle rates, bench mounting, punching, assembly presses, high-speed forming |
| H-frame | 200 - 1,000 t | Four-column design resists deflection under off-centre load | Deep drawing, heavy forming, large beds, applications with side loads |
| Gap-frame | 60 - 800 t | Rigid, with a clear central gap for automation and material handling | Automated lines, pallet loading, work centres with a robot or operator access from the side |
| Table / straight-side | 100 - 3,000 t | Horizontal force axis, bed is a flat table | High-volume automotive and appliance, where gravity assists loading and ejecting |
| Servo-electric | 3 - 500 t | Energy efficient, quiet, low maintenance, no hydraulic oil | High-mix low-volume, clean-room and food environments, where oil contamination is disqualifying |
One practical note on C-frames: the throat depth - the distance from the press centreline to the frame - determines the largest die you can fit and how much of the workpiece must clear the press body on the front face. If your part has a tall flange or a deep draw, the throat will be your binding constraint, not the tonnage. Always send the maximum part envelope, not just the formed dimensions.
The German manufacturers
| Manufacturer | Base | Specialism | Typical tonnage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schuler (Andritz group) | Göppingen | Largest German press builder. Servo presses, transfer presses, automotive line presses, coil handling | 100 - 10,000 t |
| Komatsu (Germany) | Werdohl / Eschweiler | Presses and transfer systems; Europe manufacturing for global Komatsu | 150 - 3,000 t |
| AFB Maschinenbau | Dresden | Servo presses, light-gauge forming, high precision, automotive tier suppliers | 25 - 400 t |
| envoART | Schwalbach | Press automation and transfer systems rather than the press itself; strong retrofit market | Automation for 100 - 2,000 t presses |
| KÖCKER | Oberkirch | H-frame and gap-frame presses, sub-contract forming, hydroforming | 50 - 1,200 t |
| Waldrich Coburg | Wuppertal | Hydroforming presses, superplastic forming, fluid forming - a genuine specialist | 150 - 5,000 t |
| H Stamp | Germany / Italy | H-frame presses for structural and heavy fabrication, roll bending and levelling | 80 - 1,500 t |
| S+K | Stuttgart region | Special-purpose presses, laboratory presses, test rigs, custom tonnage | 1 - 800 t |
| HP Hydraulik / Hülsta | Germany | Table presses, workshop and production press-brake style frames, custom hydraulic systems | 5 - 150 t |
| FÖRDERWERK / Steinbichler | Wolfsberg / Graz | Press lines and material handling integration for sheet metal | Systems integration |
| Komplet / Haspel | Various | Haspel presses for wire and strip drawing, niche but real | 10 - 120 t |
What drives the price
Indicative German pricing, configured and installed, excluding tooling:
| Tonnage | Hydraulic C/H frame | Servo-electric | Fully automated line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 - 50 t | EUR 40,000 - 90,000 | EUR 55,000 - 120,000 | Rarely automated at this size |
| 80 - 150 t | EUR 70,000 - 160,000 | EUR 95,000 - 210,000 | EUR 180,000 - 400,000 |
| 200 - 400 t | EUR 130,000 - 320,000 | EUR 190,000 - 420,000 | EUR 400,000 - 900,000 |
| 600 - 1,000 t | EUR 280,000 - 700,000 | Not economical above ~500 t | EUR 800,000 - 2,000,000 |
| Above 1,000 t | EUR 600,000+ | Not practical | Project-priced, often with Schuler or Komatsu |
The two variables that move the number most: servo versus hydraulic, and automation. A servo press costs 25-50% more up front and typically pays that back in 4-7 years through lower energy use, no oil change, no hydraulic system maintenance and much better repeatability. If your cycle rate is above 20 strokes per minute, or the environment is food, pharmaceutical or clean-room, servo is usually the right answer on economics alone. Below 10 strokes per minute in a heavy fabrication shop, hydraulic wins and stays won.
Tooling is often a bigger number than the press
A press is a one-time purchase you will keep for 15-20 years. Tooling is per part. On a typical forming application, toolset costs 20-60% of the press value and is replaced every few years or every part changeover. Budget it as a separate line and get it quoted separately - some press suppliers will discount the press heavily to win the tooling order, which is fine as long as you know it is happening.
Questions to ask before requesting a quotation
- Calculated tonnage including the shape factor, and the peak tonnage on a sample part measured with a load cell.
- Throat depth and daylight opening - confirm your part envelope clears with 25 mm minimum.
- Stroke rate at the required working height, not the theoretical maximum at top dead centre.
- Die cushion specification and the number of cushion pins and threads, which determine tool change speed.
- Whether the unit is pressure-compensated or constant-displacement, and what the residual drift over 8 hours is.
- Servo or hydraulic, and the specific energy consumption in kWh per 1,000 strokes.
- Crown compensation, and whether the press is designed for dies of differing height on the same setup.
- Safety: whether the risk assessment, light curtains and safe-speed function are certified to EN ISO 13849-1 or EN 62061 with a Performance Level d or higher.
- CE conformity under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, and whether a Declaration of Conformity will be issued.
- Commissioning, training days, and the spares package with actual recommended quantities.
Tell us the material, the part, the thickness, the annual volume and your cycle-time target, and we will put a shortlist of the German builders who can genuinely deliver it, with current pricing. Free for buyers.
Related reading
- German hydraulic press manufacturers
- German hydraulic press manufacturers compared
- German hydraulic press manufacturer comparison
- German press brake manufacturers
- Hydroforming press manufacturers in Germany
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hydraulic press tonnage?
Multiply material tensile strength by the projected area of the part in the die, then apply a safety factor of 2.5 to 3.0, then apply a shape factor of 1.0 for a flat blank, 1.5 to 1.8 for a moderately profiled part, and 2.0 to 2.5 for deep drawing or heavy side-wall friction. A mild steel part with 100 cm2 of projected area needs 60 to 75 t. Then size the press at 1.25 to 1.5x that calculated figure so that real die wear, misalignment and temperature do not push you over capacity.
What is the difference between a C-frame and an H-frame press?
A C-frame press is the most rigid design for its tonnage because the load path is short and direct, and it is the right choice below roughly 200 t. Its constraint is the throat depth, which limits bed size and workpiece clearance. An H-frame or four-column press has a much larger bed and daylight opening and tolerates off-centre loading far better, which is why they dominate above 200 t and in deep drawing. A gap-frame is a variant of the four-column design with a central opening for automation and side access.
How much does a hydraulic press cost in Germany?
A configured German hydraulic press ranges from about EUR 40,000 at 50 t to around EUR 700,000 at 1,000 t. Servo-electric presses cost roughly 25 to 50% more up front. Fully automated lines including the press run from EUR 180,000 at 150 t to EUR 2,000,000 at 1,000 t. Tooling typically adds 20 to 60% of the press value and is a separate, recurring cost.
How long does it take to build a German hydraulic press?
Expect 14 to 20 weeks for a standard configured C-frame or H-frame press from order to delivery, and 20 to 30 weeks for a servo press or an automated line, where the automation integration is usually the long pole. Presses built to a customer specification rather than from a standard configuration commonly run 26 to 36 weeks. Add 4 to 8 weeks for custom tooling in parallel.
Are servo presses worth the higher price compared to hydraulic?
For high cycle rates above 20 strokes per minute, and in food, pharmaceutical or clean-room environments where hydraulic oil is disqualifying, usually yes. A servo press costs 25 to 50% more but uses roughly 60 to 80% less energy on short cycles, requires no oil changes and no hydraulic system maintenance, and holds far better repeatability over eight hours. The payback is typically 4 to 7 years. Below 10 strokes per minute in heavy fabrication, hydraulic is more economical and stays so.