Content tagged with "press-brakes"
Results: 56
Spanish
February 9, 2010
Pensando más allí de la prensa de cortina
Figura 1
Una dobladora automatizada de paneles posiciona una pieza de trabajo. Foto cortesía de Salvagnini America.
Cuando los fabricantes piensan en doblado automatizado, usualmente viene a la mente un robot conectado a una prensa de cortina. Así es en volúmenes altos. Pero... Read more...
Article
February 8, 2010
Article
January 14, 2010
Article
January 8, 2010
On the cusp of recovery
During a conference presentation, Richard Kallage pointed to a slide depicting a simple timeline, something that perhaps drove so many to 2009's largest North American metal fabrication, forming, and welding tradeshow. The timeline showed the cash flow cycle, the time between getting an... Read more...
Article
October 8, 2009
A giant among machines
The idea of ordering a 40-foot-long press brake was no problem for Greiner Industries, Mount Joy, Pa. The real work started when the brake was ready for delivery. The company had to find a way to get the mammoth machine to its shop. The machine, a 2,750-ton Baykal press brake, ordered... Read more...
Article
October 5, 2009
Thinking outside the press brake
Figure 1 An automated panel bender positions a workpiece. Photo courtesy of Salvagnini America. When fabricators think about automated bending, a robot tied to a press brake usually comes to mind. So do high volumes. But press brakes aren't the only automation option, and high volumes... Read more...
Spanish
July 21, 2009
Máquinas verdes
"Hacia lo eléctrico" parece ser el último paso en la evolución del equipo de fabricación. Desde punzones de torreta hasta prensas estampadoras, todos parecen seguir una progresión natural de energía accionada de manera mecánica a hidráulica, y finalmente a eléctrica. Si la... Read more...
Spanish
June 22, 2009
La seguridad continúa presionando a las prensas
La tendencia más importante en seguridad de prensas es proteger al operador sin sacrificar la velocidad ni obstaculizar la habilidad del operador para trabajar de manera productiva, de acuerdo a los fabricantes de prensas y equipo de seguridad.
Esta meta se logra con herramental,... Read more...
Article
June 8, 2009
Is it time to put a robot in front of a press brake?
Dan Aronson, president, P&A Metal Fab Inc., Clackamas, Ore., is no stranger to robots. His company runs six robotic welding cells, and it has a 12-year-old robotic press brake cell as well. Robotic welding cells? That's not too unusual, as welding companies have developed cells that can be... Read more...
Article
March 10, 2009
Bending with kid gloves
Figure 1
These ¼-inch, 24-in.-radius, prepainted aluminum panels were bump-formed using a urethane pad system as the bottom die. (Photo courtesy of Polyurethane Products Corp.)
Press brake tools aren't kind to sensitive surfaces. They produce die marks and leave scratches on... Read more...
Article
January 27, 2009
Bending outside the box
Ask 10 press brake operators how they would bend a particular part, and you're likely to get 10 different answers. But all would agree on parts that gave them major headaches, such as ones with different (and sometimes unwarranted) radii requiring tooling changes, or radii that cannot be... Read more...
Article
January 27, 2009
Green machines
"Going electric" seems to be the latest step in the evolution of fabricating equipment. From turret punches to stamping presses, all seem to follow a natural progression from mechanically to hydraulically to, finally, electrically driven power. If electricity can drive a motor to provide... Read more...
Article
November 25, 2008
Punching on demand
Dean Wilson has never been afraid of taking on a challenge. As executive vice president of manufacturing for King Electrical Mfg. Co., the heating products company that his father founded in 1958, he has tackled his share. But none has been greater than transforming the company's... Read more...
Article
October 14, 2008
Article
October 14, 2008
Reasons for a press brake upgrade
Figure 1 Adaptive bending, either through laser sensing (pictured here) or internal devices, can help overcome problems with material variation. Photo courtesy of LVD Strippit, Akron, N.Y. The press brake remains one of those last bastions of manual operation. Even the smallest job shops... Read more...
Article
October 14, 2008
Growing season: Fabricating for agriculture
A worker at FSI Fabrication welds a heavy hitch onto the front of a mobile spreader. The Curfmans live in Sunnyside, Wash., an enviable place amid the wineries proliferating in the Yakima River Valley, southeast of Seattle. Their company, FSI Fabrication Inc., manufactures products for what... Read more...
Article
September 30, 2008
Automation helps ovenmaker cook up profits
The test kitchen at Wood Stone Corp., Bellingham, Wash., showcases most of the commercial kitchen appliances the company fabricates.
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Bellingham, that's automation. That slight variation of the old Dean Martin tune makes a lot of sense for Wood Stone... Read more...
Article
August 26, 2008
Cycling through a business transition
Maybe it's the fact Lori calls her sister "Trace," short for Traci. Maybe it's because they complete each other's sentences. Or that they live a block apart. Or that they had their first children (both girls) within two weeks of each other. Or that they both first went into finance: Lori was... Read more...
Article
July 15, 2008
Bending up and down, no flipping required
Figure 1
Click on images to view larger A single-beam system folds a part down in the negative (left) and up in the positive direction.
Press brakes have ruled the roost in North American manufacturing when it comes to bending blanks into their finished part form. But they are just... Read more...
Article
June 17, 2008
The evolution of precision bending
Photo courtesy of Wila USA, Hanover, Md.
Precision bending has come a long way in recent decades. What used to be considered "precision" in the 1970s wouldn't pass muster today. Then a fabricator might have considered ±1 degree a precision bend; today a precision bend is within a half... Read more...
Article
June 17, 2008
Setting the stage for press brake productivity
Sheet metal fabricators often find themselves with this dilemma: What's more efficient for their customers may create more inefficiency for themselves. In a lean manufacturing world these shops are seeking ways for both parties to maximize efficiency. Bending parts on a press brake offers a... Read more...
Article
May 13, 2008
Driven to integrate
A Parkview Metal Products worker operates a stamping press at the company's facility in Lake Zurich, IL. Parkview produces components for the automotive industry, consumer electronics, and barbecue grills. Changes come often in the steel industry. An item manufactured in the U.S. today can... Read more...
Article
February 12, 2008
Nothing standard about this fab shop
After five years of working for a family-owned metal fabricating business in eastern Connecticut, Rob Marelli wanted to do things his way. He approached the president with an offer to buy the company from him, but he was soon gone with a handshake and a letter of recommendation. He eyed... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2008
Heavy bending
Figure 1 A double-beam folding machine can bend heavy-gauge material both in the positive and negative directions. A 4- by 4-foot, 1/4-inch-thick plate can weigh more than 113 pounds. Even a 4- by 4-ft., 3/16-in.-thick plate can weigh more than 85 lbs. Such weights can create challenges on... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2008
2 strategies for optimizing bending operations
Offline bending software expedites the bending process. Metal fabricators must continuously seek new ways to maximize their uptime and improve their staff utilization to combat the skilled worker shortage. Fabricators typically encounter bottlenecks during setup and production in their press... Read more...
Spanish
November 6, 2007
Cambie el orden de formado
Configure le prensa de forma que usted trabaje con su flujo natural. Foto cortesía de Wila USA, Columbia, Md.
Con qué frecuencia estima usted que está desechando partes debido a que se formaron al revés o se doblaron con el grupo de herramientas inadecuado? Usted podría estar... Read more...
Spanish
October 9, 2007
Doblando los nuevos tipos de acero de alta resistencia
Han surgido varios tipos nuevos de aceros de alta resistencia que han traído consigo una gran cantidad de oportunidades. Sin embargo, estos nuevos tipos también traen consigo retos que no son comunes en el doblez de acero suave, y con éstos, la necesidad de nuevas herramientas y nuevas... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Fabrication in transition
Arcadia's five-axis waterjet cutting machine allowed the company to provide a service that other nearby metal supply houses didn't offer. As a result, the company developed a reputation as a fabricator of large, 3-D stainless steel and aluminum parts. Which comes first—the purchase... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Toro trims waste with press brake tooling upgrade
Toro Co. has found that in its high-end commercial mowers, sheet metal is the second most costly item. Toro's own manufacturing plants compete with outside vendors, which fosters competition, innovation, and cost-cutting measures. In a world of on-demand, lean manufacturing, sheet metal... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Laser cutting with less labor and less hassle
In February 2007 a four-man precision metal fabricating shop—with the help of two temporary employees—laser-cut more than 500 jobs comprising 73,863 metal pieces and weighing more than 315,000 pounds. That's good news for Chris Hollenback, president of Integrated Manufacturing... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
The tao of forming order
The Emperor's guard was patrolling the river near the base of the Great Falls when the scout came running back down the bank. He was short of breath, too excited to speak.
The Captain of the Guard's attention was drawn to the excitement. "Report the cause of this commotion, soldier!"... Read more...
Spanish
April 10, 2007
Article
March 13, 2007
Bending the new breeds of high-strength steel
This heavy-duty gooseneck punch with an acute-angle 1V die provides the ability to overbend material to compensate for springback.
Since the early 1980s, sheet metal fabricators have, for the most part, followed a pretty basic set of rules to air-bend mild steel. To determine the... Read more...
Article
January 9, 2007
Safety still pressing for press brakes
Press brake safety equipment must ensure safety without hindering speed or productivity.
The leading trend in press brake safety is to protect the operator without sacrificing speed or hampering operators' ability to work productively, according to press brake and safety equipment... Read more...
Article
January 9, 2007
Spending time with capital equipment
Ask fabricators how they view business in 2007, and you'll likely get for a response, "Cautiously optimistic." In these days of potential terrorist attacks, war in Iraq and Afghanistan, tightening oil supplies, a shallow labor pool, and the constant threat of being replaced by an overseas... Read more...
Article
December 12, 2006
Can your manufacturing software do this?
Software has changed the nature of fabricating. Most fabricating shops hammer out the manufacturing details of a job on their own computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software packages immediately upon receipt of the customer's engineering drawings. Some of the more aggressive fabricating shops... Read more...
Article
December 12, 2006
Live or die making tools
In a state of transition, the Niemela family business still bears its former tool and die name—NTE for Northern Tool & Engineering—and Laser North, the name of its new, repositioned company. Leo Niemela's business style is a product of his upbringing. Niemela recalled his... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Manufacturing evolution in the job shop
Because of their press brakes' dynamic crowning and springback compensation technology, Gardner Manufacturing operators can bend long parts without worrying about the material bowing or twisting. Bronze Age, Iron Age, Industrial Age—each period in civilization's history has led... Read more...
Article
September 12, 2006
Leaning on press brake tooling
Staged bending can make short runs more cost-effective
because each part is handled only once.
Most of today's original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and contract manufacturers have embraced the principles of lean manufacturing. Many of the obvious offenders—the... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
Fabricator puts the brake on bend inconsistency
When you think of Nebraska, you probably think of farming. Well-known for endless fields that cover 96 percent of the state, Nebraska produces vast amounts of corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and wheat. Look a little closer, though, and you realize that the so-called Rust Belt has crept westward... Read more...
Article
March 7, 2006
Taking the danger out of bottom bending
Liability! It's more than just a word. It is the single reason that manufacturers of press brakes and press brake tooling maintain that you cannot bottom bend with their tooling or machines.
It is all too easy to ruin a tool or upset a ram if the process is done incorrectly. Ram upset occurs... Read more...
Article
February 7, 2006
Selecting equipment for maximum productivity
One of the simplest ways to increase productivity in a metal fabrication shop is to purchase a new machine, usually the largest machine you can afford. But where do you go from there? Does every subsequent purchase have to be bigger and better? Sometimes, but not always. With a little... Read more...
Article
January 10, 2006
How to prevent press brake ram upset
Of all the potential problems you might have when bottom bending or coining with press brakes, the least understood is a problem called ram upset. What Is Ram Upset? Ram upset is a condition in which the press brake ram is permanently deflected in the vertical plane, and so the distance... Read more...
Article
November 8, 2005
Knockout punch
Punched and tapped parts are stacked on a pallet to be delivered to the press brake area for bending. A finished part (after bending) is shown on the left side of the stacking table for illustration purposes. This is an application destined to stay in the U.S. It's a large,... Read more...
Article
September 13, 2005
Software brings new intelligence to press brakes
Software with the capability to store and apply process intelligence enhances fabricators' ability to achieve first-part accuracy; reduce part waste; and meet demands for small lot sizes, short turnarounds, and complex shapes. To keep up with profound changes in the manufacturing... Read more...
Article
August 9, 2005
Oversized V dies: the effects on bottom bending
Figure 1
Why are so many press brake and tooling manufacturers adamant that you cannot bottom-bend with their products?
One word: Liability!
It's so easy to upset* a ram or blow tooling if bottom bending is done incorrectly. So who can blame the manufacturer for... Read more...
Article
May 10, 2005
It's all about tool selection -- or is it?
Figure 1
The radius gauge fits squarely into the bend.
Air forming, bottom bending, and coining are different forming methods that can be used to create various bends—sharp, radius, and profound-radius. Throw in a mix of operators and engineers with different... Read more...
Article
September 14, 2004
Article
August 10, 2004
How to reduce press brake setup times
Despite these innovations, even the most advanced shops encounter bottlenecks in their press brake areas. While these bottlenecks cannot be attributed to a single factor, fabricators can make several changes to help reduce lengthy setup times, increase efficiency, and improve overall... Read more...
Article
February 13, 2003
How air forming works
In one form or another, air forming always has been a part of the forming process on a press brake. This was true even when coining and bottom bending were the dominant methods of forming. Without the use of custom-made tools, all bends other than 90 degrees were by default air-formed, even if... Read more...
Article
October 24, 2002
What the? This can't be done!
"What the ...? This can't be done!"
How many times have you heard that expression? Or seen someone scratching his head in bewilderment when trying to decide which flange to form first or last, not unlike the operator pictured in the lead photograph?
Sure, we've all been there, but... Read more...
Article
August 29, 2002
Using proper press brake setup procedures
The most expensive part of any press brake operation is setup. During setup no parts are being made, and the longer setup takes, the longer the list of costs becomes. The efficiency and the profitability of a press brake are measured by the number of completed and correct parts you can produce... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2002
Things every press brake operator should know
Many factors contribute to good part formation on a press brake. But every operator must understand four simple but crucial elements of the process for that to happen: The operator The brake The tooling The drawings Operator Foremost are the operators, who need to be well-trained and... Read more...
Article
April 15, 2002
Reviewing bottom bending and nested parts
Figure 1
Air forming is a three-point bending process. The metal is in contact with, and bent by, the two top corners of the die and the punch tip.
Hey, it's a brave new world—a world in which the reality of precision sheet metal manufacturing has to include optimizing the number... Read more...
Article
February 14, 2002
Learning lessons from the past
For several years my work as a press brake consultant has taken me into many different fabricating shops. My job is to seek out problems and try to find solutions that make press brakes more productive. I have encountered many different situations, and I thought perhaps sharing some of the... Read more...
Article
May 15, 2001
Urethane tooling for radius bending on press brakes
Radius bending on press brakes is one of the most complicated, mind-boggling, and often frustrating categories of all press brake forming applications. The springback of the sheet metal may not be consistent from sheet to sheet in the same lot or even from one end to the other on the same sheet... Read more...
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