Online product advises press brake users on tooling choices

Wila offers the Tool Advisor, an engineering product that helps users choose press brake tools online that are best suited to their specific bending needs. If the required tool is unavailable as a standard, the user can design a special tool and order it online.

The product can be used in two ways: to deal with a specific bending issue or to design a special tool immediately. In the latter case, the user must know which standard Wila tool needs to be modified to create the special tool.

Users can enter additional data such as type of press brake, type of press brake tool, and type and thickness of the intended material. They also can create a 2-D sketch of their plate products.

The product then uses these details to generate appropriate advice, suggesting a variety of tools with specifications on price, load ability, and general deployability. Users then can make a tool selection based on the data provided.