C66YA Hydraulic Open Die Forging Hammer: What are the differences compared to steam/air hammers?

If you are facing a choice of free forging hammer, you may encounter two types of hammers. One is the traditional steam/air hammer, and the other is the full hydraulic open die forging hammer that pursues higher efficiency, less pollution, and better control of striking energy. They are both widely used for various types of free forgings such as agricultural machinery shafts, flanges, pin shafts, etc.
The AYANK C66YA series belongs to the full hydraulic hammer. But what exactly are the differences of the full hydraulic hammer? I will list in detail the C66YA hydraulic hammer from its structure, performance, and typical applications to help you determine which type of hammer is more suitable for you.

一、"What exactly is 'full hydraulic' (compared to steam/air hammer)

A steam/air hammer relies on steam provided by a boiler to drive the ram. The energy conversion path is: fuel → boiler → steam → cylinder → ram.
One disadvantage of the steam/air hammer is that during energy conversion, the energy loss is large, and the overall efficiency is usually less than 2%.
An electro-hydraulic hammer uses a hydraulic power unit, accumulator, and servo valve to replace the entire steam/air system. The energy path becomes: electrical energy - hydraulic pump - accumulator - servo valve - ram. The comprehensive energy utilization rate is 20%.
The overall energy utilization rate has increased by 10 times. At the same time, auxiliary equipment such as boilers, steam pipes, and compressed air pipe networks are no longer needed. Under the condition of forging the same forgings, the full hydraulic hammer saves 70%-80% energy compared to the steam/air hammer. The saved energy is the profit saved.
The C66YA series has an arch-type structure, adopts full hydraulic power, and has better rigidity when performing processes such as long shaft stretching and rounding."

二、What are the advantages of the C66YA arch structure?

1.Double-arm arch frame body + hammer/anvil ratio of 1:20
The arch-shaped frame allows the impact force to be evenly distributed during striking. Coupled with the large anvil, it ensures that the whole machine remains stable under continuous striking, effectively reducing foundation vibration. Therefore, it can provide consistency for long-shaft type forgings.
2.Upper X-shaped guide rail + tie rod
Open die forging involves eccentric striking, such as stretching one side of a long shaft or flattening the edge of a flange. On a steam/air hammer, eccentric load accelerates the wear of the guide rail. The C66YA uses double X adjustable guide rails combined with tie rods, which can effectively absorb lateral forces and improve the life of the hammer rod and dies.
3.C66YA full hydraulic open die forging hammer adopts servo differential spool valve + poppet valve composite (AYANK patent)
The core of hydraulic power is the servo differential spool valve combined with the poppet valve – this is AYANK's patented design. The flow capacity reaches 10,000 L/min, enabling full-energy continuous striking (more than 50 blows without pressure drop). No back pressure during return stroke, therefore the cycle frequency under the same tonnage is higher than conventional hydraulic hammers.
4.Programmable striking capability
Striking energy is precisely controllable, achieving ±1.5% error control through PLC programming, with high repeatability accuracy, ensuring consistent quality of forgings.

三、The following is a comparison between C66YA and steam/air hammer

Insights for the free forging workshop:
High efficiency in stretching/swinging rounds – full hydraulic hammer has sufficient energy, fast frequency, no mold sticking, low failure rate
Mandrel expanding – arch frame makes it easier to accommodate ring parts
Batch flexibility – CNC program switching takes only minutes, not hours
Energy cost – compared to steam boiler operation, electricity cost can be reduced by 90%

四、Technical parameter table

五、How to choose the correct C66YA model?