Abstract: Press driving modules are provided to permit a standardized press design. The presses of a press line are equipped with always identical press driving modules, and the pressing force of the presses is varied only by the adaptation of the number of press driving modules. The press driving modules each contain two driving devices, respectively, that interact parallel or in series and have different characteristic curves. In particular, they have different maximal traveling speeds and different maximal forces. They can also have a different design with respect to their positioning capability and path resolution. This concept permits not only a standardization of presses of different performance classes within a press line but, beyond that, the largely free definition of characteristic path-time curves of the slides, and thereby finally also a freer design of workpieces, particularly of vehicle body parts.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a metal piece at an elevated temperature comprises a part having a binding surface configured to hold the metal during forming, wherein the binding surface comprises a porcelain enamel coating. The apparatus may be a superplastic forming process, and the binding surface may have an enamel coated seal bead that cooperates with a second binding surface of a second binding surface to form a seal about a perimeter of a metal sheet that is formed into a desired shape.