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Articles tagged with "bending"
Results: 87
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Fabrication in transition: One-time metal supply house becomes a waterjet shop that now offers laser cutting, bending, and assemblyArcadia, Albany, N.Y., transitions from a metal supplier to a waterjet cutting shop to a laser cutting shop to a metal bender. Future plans call for the shop to evolve into a full-scale contract manufacturer.
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Automating bending, forming operations: Part volume determines processBending and folding of sheet metal components can be approached manually or with automation. The volume—high, medium, or low&—determines the approach.
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Knocked down, but not out: Contract manufacturer makes a comeback, modernizes, automates |
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Bending up and down, no flipping required: Folding advancements allow a single beam to fold in both positive, negative directionsFolding advancements allow a single beam to fold in both positive, negative directions.
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Tube Hydroforming Design Flexibility—Part V |
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Straining to understand bending?: Regression analysis predicts springback’s magnitude, variationBefore you can hydroform tube, you bend it. Then it springs back. You can compensate by overbending it, but first you have to predict the amount of springback.
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Fast-forward fabricating: Automation helps Estes Design and Manufacturing turn around jobs quicklyA new laser cutter, a new panel bender, and two older punching and shearing combination machines, connected to a new automatedstorage-and-retieval system have helped an Indianapolis job shop stay on top of emergnecy orders that normally come its way.
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Pallet changer, tower, or shelving system with that laser?: Options for storing, transferring materialsWhen fabricators decide to automate material handling in their laser cutting operations, they have several choices to make. The decision on whether to automate—and what kind of system makes the most sense—will depend on the shop's capabilities, its production capacity, and available floor space. The options cover the full spectrum, from basic systems that simply unload one pallet and bring in another to large racking systems that maintain a full inventory of raw material and cut parts and can transfer those parts to other machines in the shop.
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Using laser shock peening to increase pilger die life: Case-hardening for reducing toolsDuring pilgering, the dies endure extreme amounts of stress. Shot peening is a conventional, economic process for hardening the tooling, but its benefits are limited. Supplementing shot peening with laser shock peening where the stress is highest can help to extend the service life of the tools.
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Bright lights, big opportunity: Automation helps a lighting manufacturer keep up with its growing businessOrion Energy Systems, Manitowoc, Wis., has found tremendous success as a company that manufactures energy efficient lighting. The company also found that the best way to keep manufacturing in-step with demand was to bring its metal fabricating activities in-house
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A high-flying metal fabricator: Aircraft components supplier takes off in search of new marketsFrom its beginning in 1986 as a machine shop, Custom Tube Products has changed to a fabrication shop. Along the way it has adapted to the skilled worker shortage, mainly by trading in its manual processes for automation.
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Spending time with capital equipment: The 2007 Capital Spending Survey indicates that manufacturing expenditures will grow this yearMetal fabricators and formers are expected to spend more than $2.3 billion on capital equipment in 2007. The 2007 FMAC Capital Spending Survey provides more details.
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Think you have a challenging bend? Bring it on: Fabricator thrives on difficult forming applicationsTake a look at Bauer Welding & Metal Fabricators Inc., a company that thrives on difficult bending applications. It stays away from the hypercompetitive portion of the bending industry—4D to 5D bends in medium-wall-thickness tubing, applications that don't require a mandrel—and gravitates toward tight-radius or variable-radius bends in several planes, parts that require several processes such as bending and flaring, and components that needed flattening and welding.
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Nothing standard about this fab shop: The old approach isn't of interest to the new kid on the block, Seconn Fabrication--The FABRICATOR's 2008 Industry Award winnerRob Marelli left a family-owned metal fabricating company four years ago with the intention of doing things his way. Joined by a loyal group of managers and employees, he's found success at Seconn Fabrication. In the short time the company has been open, it has earned revenues of $9 million. And the company has done this by doing things other metal fabricating competitors aren't.
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Waste not, want more: General MetalWorks' lean manufacturing practices have helped it earn The FABRICATOR's 2010 Industry AwardIn recent years General Metal Works, Mequon, Wis., has leaned heavily on practices that eliminate waste in its shop floor operations and kept its work force engaged. The efforts have paid off in that no layoffs have occurred during the recent economic downturn, and the company is still on track to finish with $10 million in sales revenue in 2009. The company also has been named the winner of The FABRICATOR's Industry Award 2010.
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Knockout punch: Hand-in-glove fit between application and process has Sanmina-SCI punching out profitsThe system Sanmina-SCI uses to produce rails for Sun Microsystems' large servers is a key factor in Sanmina-SCI's competitiveness when it comes to processing a large, heavy-gauge, complet part, delivered in large volume on an as-needed basis for computer server systems and other similar applications.
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Drawing on new experiences: Whirlpool Corporation's new line is a flexible approach to refrigerator door fabricationIn the past metal forming in the appliance industry meant giant presses with expensive tooling. Lead-times were forever, and change didn't come easy. Whirlpool Corp. in Fort Smith, Ark., is taking a new approach to metal forming, and flexible technologies are the key.
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Know your bending basics—Part 1Knowing how metal bends and what factors come into play during bending -- especially wipe bending—can make a positive difference in your stamping operation.
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Know your bending basics—Part 2When trying to make a good 90 degree bend with sheet metal, there's more than on way home. Just make sure your method can accommodate improvisation.
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Regaining flatness in stamped parts |
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It's all about tool selection -- or is it? |
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Die Basics 101: Part XVMetal bending often is perceived as the simplest metal forming operation. This article describes wipe and V bending and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of both. It also addresses ways to reduce springback. Descriptions of and links to the first 14 parts in this series can be found at the end of this article.
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Die Basics 101: Part XVIThis article continues the discussion of bending in stamping operations. It focuses on rotary and reverse U bending and addresses the advantages and disadvantages of rotary bending. Descriptions of and links to the first 15 parts in this series can be found at the end of this article.
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Sheet Metal Stamping 101: ArrayArray
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Sheet Metal Stamping 101 Part V: Forming operations: Part V: Forming operationsHow are bending, flanging, coining, embossing, stretching, curling, hemming, ironing, necking, and drawing related? They all are common metal forming operations. Find out more about these processes in this final installment of stamping expert Art Hedrick's sheet metal stamping series.
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Bending square and rectangular tubing: Modern science or ancient art?This article discusses some of the similarities and differences between bending round tube versus square and rectangular tube. Explores the characteristics of square and rectangular sections and the bending challenges associated with these characteristics.
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Reviewing forming, expansion, and bending applications for welded tubeTube used in production processes that form a part by expanding or bending the tube
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Designing an off-road sport truckThe main component in any off-road sport vehicle is the frame. Frames for mass-produced vehicles usually are stamped and welded. These are suitable for most drivers' needs, but for intense off-road driving and competitions, a sturdier frame is necessary.
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Pour me a mandrel: Bending tubes, pipes, and other forms with low-melting-point alloysTo reduce weight and cost for all types of products, design engineers often specify tubes and pipes with thinner walls instead of the previously used heavier-walled tubes and pipes. Shorter tube or pipe lengths also achieve the same objectives, but usually they require sharper or more complex bends. These designs make the tube bender's task more difficult.
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Is your bend good enough?: Standards for hot and cold bendingBending tube or pipe so the finished product conforms to one of two bending standards can help to reduce rejects and improve relations between fabricators and their customers. The standards can facilitate the use of bending terms, and promote an understanding of bending tolerances and acceptable defects before starting a bending project.
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Bending and handling tube: Tailoring equipment to an applicationThree main types of tube bending equipment are dedicated, CNC, and automated bending cells. Understanding the advantages of each is crucial to deciding which type to purchase.
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Lean times call for mean tactics—Part 1: A tube bender’s tools of the tradeRon Stange looks back on his 50 years in the tube-bending industry and provides his insight on the one thing tube bender operators must know to be successful: Ironclad rules for successful bending do not exist. Tube bender operators must start with guidelines and incorporate their own experience to be successful.
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Managing rotary-draw tube bending: Best practices minimize variation and downtimeEditor's Note: This article is adapted from a conference presentation made by the author at a previous TPJ Symposium.
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Tube-bend tooling: square-back wiper dies or wiper inserts?: Tight bend radii, thin walls create need for wiper diesWiper dies are a fundamental requirement in modern tube bending applications in which tubes are bent at increasingly tight bend radii with increasingly thinner wall thicknesses. The design of the wiper die plays a key role in its performance and durability, as does its manufacturing method and the material from which it has been constructed.
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Meeting the challenges of modern architecture: Complex requirements turn conventional bending on its headToday's architects develop designs and concepts that push past the boundaries of yesterday. Fabricators are faced with a sometimes daunting challenge to make unusual components to assist architects in completing unusual buildings, to the extent that they sometimes have to rely on themselves to develop new equipment and processes.
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Not a one-stock shop: Throwback chopper fabricator relies on skills, not equipment, to create custom bikesAfter years of working in fabricating and machining, Shawn McFadden struck out on his own to start a fabrication shop, which later evolved into a custom motorcycle shop. He doesn’t use the latest CNC machines with digital readouts and other state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment. He uses manually controlled machines and ingenuity.
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Reducing tube bending cycle times: Automating benders and peripheral equipmentBecause any multiple-step manufacturing process is only as fast as the slowest machine, fabricators interested in purchasing an automated tube bender might suddenly find his production line saddled with bottlenecks. It's necessary to analyze the entire production line and learn about the equipment that is available before automating the bending process.
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Constant radius or variable radius?: Complex bending requires a sophisticated bending technologyWhile rotary draw bending is the mainstay of the tube bending industry, variable-radius bending is making some headway. Variable-radius bending offers many advantages, primarily more sophisticated bends and faster cycle times. However, it has limitations, too. A main one is that an initial bend must be a minimum of approximately 15 degrees.
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Better lubricant control leads to better mandrel bends: Automated system reduces lubricant consumption, eliminates gallingIn an effort to reduce the need for cleaning bent tube, fabricator R & B Wagner analyzed its operations and decided to change from manual lubricant application to an automated system. The result was that its lubricant consumption dropped 70 percent. So little lubricant was left on the bent parts that the company eliminated the cleaning step.
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Understanding benders and bender applications: Matching them up for optimal outputIf you bend tube for a living, you have many choices when it comes to buying a new piece of bending equipment. Understanding how bending demands have changed over the decades and how bender manufacturers have responded are two key components in selecting the optimal bender for your particular application.
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Curving out a niche: Chicago fabricator helps McDonald's mark milestone, reaches one of its ownIn celebration of its 50th anniversary in April 2005, McDonald's® opened a 24,000-sq.-ft. restaurant in Chicago. The restaurant's most eye-catching feature is a pair of parabolic arches that stand 60 ft. high. Constructed from 20-in. by 12-in. tubes, the arches were curved by Chicago Metal Rolled Products, an OEM component subcontractor. Operating within a tight time frame, CMRP helped the structural steel fabricator and erector, Tefft Bridge & Iron LLC, by bending the tubes in multiple locations on longer sections to reduce the number of weld splices needed.
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Will your tube pass a dimensional inspection?: Check fixtures help, but understanding specifications and tolerances is the first stepVerifying that tube was bent correctly is not as simple as it sounds. Bending specifications and tolerances aren't cut-and-dried, but are open to interpretation. The fabricator, the end user, and the check fixture designer might have three different perspectives on specifications and tolerances. Achieving a consensus is critical for designing and manufacturing a check fixture.
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From the CAD station to the production floor: Modern programming methods for modern tube bending machinesConventional tube bending data, regardless of format, is entered manually and therefore susceptible to errors. A modern approach involves using a CAD system to generate a STEP file, which the CAD program exports directly to the bending machine. This method is fast and eliminates errors. The drawback is that such a system requires additional database management efforts.
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Serpentine bending in production: Making 180-degree bends quickly, efficientlyBending serpentine profiles—successive 180-degree bends, which typically are used in refrigeration systems—can be a challenge. By their nature, they tend to cause interference among the various bend dies, and they can be difficult to handle. Good planning in selecting a bender, planning the process, and paying close attention to infeed and outfeed options, can help make a serpentine project successful.
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Fact or Friction?: Understanding lubricant types is key to best selectionArray
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Bending rolled steel sections: Analyzing problems, tracking down solutionsBending tube or pipe successfully is a matter of managing a handful of processes and variables and controlling the flow of the metal. The same principles apply to bending profiles, or rolled steel sections (RSS). However, because profiles aren't closed, they are more prone to distortion than tube or pipe. A close look at an RSS bending job provides a step-by-step approach for tackling this sort of project.
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Shaping profits with a mandrel extractor: The basics of mandrel extractors and their applicationsArray
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Making a workhorse run: Getting the best performance from a vertical compression bender |
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Opening the gate to efficiency: Farm equipment-maker combines new, custom machines to boost productivitySince 1945 family-owned and -operated Tarter Gate has grown in staff and sales as it has changed the design of its products. To keep up with sales, continue growing the company, and absorb as many rising costs as possible — particularly in steel and fuel prices — the company uses custom machines and new technologies to its advantage.
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Aluminum stands tall as a structural metal—Part 2Editor's Note: This article is Part II of a two-part article covering the properties, characteristics, and applications of aluminum as a structural metal. It explores the use of structural aluminum in the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory in Washington, D.C. Tension, compression, bending, shear, and torsion are addressed. Part Iappeared in the November 2002 issue of The FABRICATOR®.
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Metal fabricating in a new millennium: How metal fabricators elevated plate cutting, bending, welding, and finishing to an art form to create Millennium Park's Cloud GateThe forming and fabricating of the 925-foot BP Pedestrian Bridge located at the east section of Chicago's Millennium Park, and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion is explored.
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Automation helps ovenmaker cook up profits: Wood Stone Corp., Bellingham, Wash., learns valuable lessons as a resultWhat kind of a difference did an automated fabricating system make for Wood Stone Corp., Bellingham, Wash.? Before the system, the company actually had more people in the shop, and they were working 10 hour days for about 4-6 months to make fewer products than are produced today.
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Weld inspection before you weld: Using procedure qualification testing to standardize welding processesAlthough it takes effort and time, procedure qualification testing can help you standardize your welding procedures and know what to expect when it comes to the quality of your manufactured parts.
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Can I form a box that deep?There's no reason you can't form sharp, deep boxes with a press brake consistently. You just have to be familier with what your tooling can and can't do under certain circumstances.
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Bending hot 'n' cold: Cold induction bending strutural profilesThe author examines the two basic types of structurals, load-bearing and architectural, and then discusses two ways to bend steel forms for these applications, cold bending and induction bending, and criteria for determining when to use each.
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Selecting a new press brakeProspective buyers of press brakes are advised to consider their purchase in terms of its end use, the amount of deflection likely to occur in a give machine, the inside radius of their parts, and several other factors before speding their money.
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Turning the corner on making doors: North Carolina company streamlines the processA small fabricator North Carolina, family-owned company manufactures standard and custom electrical enclosures for the commercial construction industry and a growing number of OEMs.
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Leaping the hurdles to press brake automationUnderstanding the obstacles to automating press brakes requires an analysis of the bending process.
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Improving bending operations: Advanced bending technology reduces setup time, improves part accuracyThe Ottenweller Company Inc. is a heavy sheet fabricator that produces fabrications and assemblies for construction and agricultural equipment manufacturers and heavy-duty truck builders. The family-owned business employs 150 and operates from a 120,000-square-foot facility in Fort Wayne, Ind.
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Why should you care about inside bend radii?Operators, designers, and engineers, why should you care about the inside bend radius if the customer doesn't? Because, ultimately, just how easy or difficult it is to produce a part depends on decisions made during the design stage. Misunderstanding terminology, process capabilities, or production methods can lead to mistakes that can make production more difficult. The most common mistake is incorrectly calculating and achieving the correct minimum inside bend radius.
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New bends in the roll: Roll bending trendsAs more commercial buildings are designed with larger open spaces, the beam spans grow longer, and the beams must be bigger and heavier. This requires ever-larger section bending rolls to accommodate this demand. In addition, the trend toward the use of higher strength steels has taxed the capabilities of plate roll bending equipment. These changes and other emerging demands have driven the trend toward the use of CNCs, inline material handling, and larger angle bending rolls.
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Oversized V dies: the effects on bottom bendingUsing oversized V dies in bottom bending can damage press brakes and tooling, but used properly, these dies can help compensate for springback.
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Bend allowance and springback in air bending: How to predict it and compensate for itThis study illustrated that, when the thickness and stress-strain curve of the sheet material are known, it is possible to predict with acceptable accuracy the bend allowance, springback angle, and punch stroke to obtain the desired final product dimensions.
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Say ye shibboleth!: Finding, defining, and preventing taper in press brake operationsProperly trained press brake operators understand the nuances of tapers. Armed with this knowledge and following a five-step process that includes inspecting tooling and materials, precise setup, checking the part, and making necessary adjustments, these skilled workers can complete machine setup and produce quality parts in minimal time.
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How to prevent press brake ram upset: Bend within limits to avoid troubleEvery press brake is subject to normal deflection under load. This deflection is corrected by shimming. If you deflect behond design limits, you will put a permanent bend in the ram and this is known as ram upset. You cannot adjust to compensate for ram upset. Remachining of the ram is the only solution. To avoid causing ram upset be careful about bending loads above your tons per inch limit and only air bend if possible.
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Simplicity 'n' press brakes: A simple leap of faith helps a lawn tractor manufacturer make a huge leap in bending efficiencySimplicity Manufacturing Inc. of Port Washington, Wis., needed new press brakes because it was about to increase its laser cutting capacity. The outdoor power equipment manufacturer turned to a vendor of Turkish-built press brakes for help and found the answer for which they were looking.
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Fabricator puts the brake on bend inconsistency: Laser-based control system compensates for material variations, springbackWell-known for agriculture, Nebraska also has a strong manufacturing base. OEMs include Kawasaki, Husqvarna, Eaton, Thermo King, Claas, and Case New Holland. Standard Iron & Wire, a Minnesota-based fabricator, opened a manufacturing facility in Grand Island, Neb., to take advantage of this fertile manufacturing environment. Chief among its concerns was finding a press brake that would produce accurate, consistent parts. It purchased two LVD press brakes with the company's adaptive bending technology.
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Leaning on press brake tooling: 4 ways to apply lean concepts to bending toolsPress brake tooling can play a significant role in minimizing setup, reducing WIP, increasing throughput, and minimizing waste -- the goals of lean manufacturing. Some new developments are staged bending, push-button loading, sectionalized tooling, and precision-ground tools.
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Manufacturing evolution in the job shop: Contract manufacturer figures out how to accomplish more with lessGardner Manufacturing, Horicon, Wis., needed automation and flexibility to keep up with more challenging customer demands. The contract manufacturer found its answer with two laser cutting devices with automated material handling and three new press brakes capable of precision bending.
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Avoiding common bending problems with common sense: Match tool design with bending applicationTooling determines the outcome of a bending operation. Whether an application is simple or complex, matching the right tooling with the bending equipment and method will save both time and money.
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Are you dedicated to manual bending?: Discovering the uses of a dedicated manual tube bender in the 21st centuryAt a time when automated equipment is the most popular and well-known method for bending tubes, there is still a demand for dedicated manual tube bending (DMTB) units to help fill a void that the use of CNC equipment sometimes creates.
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Bending the new breeds of high-strength steel: New challenges, new tools, new rulesSeveral new breeds of high strength steels have arrived that bring with them a host of new opportunities. However, these new breeds also bring with them special challenges not common to bending mild steel, and with them, the need for new tools and new rules for proper bending.
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Pipe fabricator saves big time with big bends: 4 lessons to learn from Universal Pipe and Steel Supply and its four-roll benderUniversal Pipe and Steel Supply, Fort Myers, Fla., needed a roll bender with greater capacity to capitalize on the market for larger pipe sections. The company found its answer with a four-roll bender from Bertsch.
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Toro trims waste with press brake tooling upgrade: Turf maintenance equipment manufacturer reduces setup times 40 percentOutdoor equipment manufacturer Toro Co. regularly sends out bids for parts, forcing its own manufacturing plants to compete with outside vendors. Toro's manufacturing plants face the same competitive pressures as any other manufacturer, so its plant in Shakopee, Minn., analyzed its forming operations and decided to replace its press brakes and upgrade its tooling.
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Manufactura esbelta con herramientas para Dobladoras de cortina.: 4 maneras de aplicar los conceptos de la manufactura esbelta con herramientas para dobladoraLas herramientas para dobladoras de cortina pueden jugar un papel significativo en la reduccin del tiempo de preparacin, en el aumento de la produccin y en la minimizacin del desperdicio -las metas de la manufactura esbelta. Algunos nuevos desarrollos en herramientas para dobladoras de cortina, tales como doblez por etapas, cambio rpido, herramientas seccionadas y herramientas de precisin perfectamente asentadas pueden conducir a operaciones de doblez an ms eficientes.
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Dealing with Mother Nature's wrath: Fabricated hinge system to protect bridge from earthquake damage |
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Automatic or manual?: Automation doesn’t solve process problems. People do.While automation can increase throughput and reduce labor, it doesn't solve manufacturing problems. A manual process that produces poor-quality or inconsistent parts will simply do so at a faster rate if automated. Understanding the process and process variables is the key to troubleshooting problems and resolving them to get the maximum gain from automation.
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2 strategies for optimizing bending operations: Do setups offline and rely on press brake controls to adjust bending parametersFabricators typically encounter bottlenecks during setup and production in their press brake bending operations—obstacles that lead to downtime and fewer operators actually processing material. Representatives from Amada, LVD Strippit, Bystronic Inc. addressed these issues in a recent presentation. The two largest problems? Performing non-value-added steps and having to compensate for material variations. Fortunately, some new technologies and two key strategies can help fabricators optimize their press brake operations in these areas.
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New roll bender 'bales' out farm implement manufacturer: Powder River reduces scrap and time needed to make horse feedersPowder River, a Provo, Utah-based fabricator of farm implements, turned to KNUTH Machine Tools USA for a three-roll bender the company uses to make its round bale feeders for horses.
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The evolution of precision bending: Bending moves further from art, closer to scienceThree decades ago bottoming with penetration, or coining, was the only way to achieve high accuracies on press brakes, and this meant fabricators endured high tooling costs. Over the years precision air bending with CNC hydraulic press brakes using precision-ground tooling evolved to become the dominant forming method in the precision market. However, it took some significant machinery advances to get there.
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Reasons for a press brake upgrade: Adopting new technology takes a change in shop mindsetModern press brakes add intelligence to the machine control and bring programming offline.
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Bending outside the box: Good part design considers fabrication from the get-goFor the best, most cost-effective parts, designers should consider fabrication from the get-go. This article shows examples of what those parts look like.
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A giant among machines: Structural steel fabricator installs 40-ft.-long press brakeGreiner specializes in structural steel and heavy plate fabrication. It does work for power plants and the mining industry. In the 33 years the company has been in business, it has done structural steel jobs in an industry where the work always seems to be getting larger and heavier. It recently installed a 40-ft.-long press brake that weighs more than 800,000 lbs.
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Reclaiming the disappearing press brake knowledge in your shop: Bells and whistles won't make good partsExpensive options on a press brake won'tguarantee knowledge transfer from a veteranpress brake operator to a shop floor rookie.For knowledge transfer to occur, a shop needsexperienced workers that can communicate anda younger work force eager to learn becausethey see a future in metal fabricating.
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Bending perforated weathering steel: Not a pedestrian challenge: Sure Iron Works fabricates a unique pedestrian bridgeSure Iron works takes on a fabricating challenge: bump-bending perforated weathering steel plate sections with edges that aren't designed to be perfectly square.
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Selecting equipment for maximum productivity: Is bigger always better?H. Meeuwsen B.V., a fabricator in Yerseke, Netherlands, found that purchasing a laser that could handle parts up to 12 m long greatly enhanced its capabilities. It augmented this purchase with a tandem press brake. One side of the brake has an 8-m capacity; the other has a 4-m capacity. This gives the company the ability to bend 12-m parts, if necessary, or to run the two brakes simultaneously for smaller items. Subsequent growth in customer demand led the company to consider purchasing a second laser. A careful analysis revealed that the company could do just fine with a smaller laser, so it purchased a laser with a 3-m capacity.
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When does a punch/laser make sense?: 3 Questions a fabricator needs to askHawkeye Industries Inc., Tupelo, Miss., was getting more and more orders for parts that required both punching and laser cutting. To meet the growing demand, the company purchased a combination punch/laser machine. Some shops are more suited than others to this technolgy--combination machines can increase profits for some companies, and costs for others. Shop owners should keep five key things in mind when evaluating and purchasing a combination punch/laser machine.
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