S-HTF series ball screws from NSK are for the first time enabling leading powder-press manufacturer Osterwalder AG to employ servo-electric drives on its larger machines, rather than conventional hydraulic drives. As a result, new systems such as the Osterwalder OPP 2000 multi-level machine with 2, 000 kN press force, use around 80% less energy than hydraulic counterparts of equivalent power output. In addition, pressed parts are produced with significantly higher dimensional accuracy, which reduces the amount of reworking and substantially lowers process and material costs. Technology step change Today, Osterwalder offers a wide range of machines, and with the CA-SP Electric and CA-HM Electric powder press series introduced around five years ago, brought to market a completely new type of drive technology. Direct Drive Technology (DDT), as it is known, comprises servo-electric motors and NSK ball screws, and thus replaced the hitherto dominant hydraulic drives in this field of application.