Article
December 1, 2009
Using laser shock peening to increase pilger die life
Figure 1 Two views of a standard pilger die show the entrance portion of the die, where the tubing first encounters the pilger process. The area of maximum stress varies by application and is influenced by tube material, input and output tube size, roll groove design, and roll die diameter.... Read more...
Spanish
November 16, 2009
Doblando tubos no redondos
Aunque la redonda es la forma más común de tubo, abundan las oportunidades de tubos no redondos. Los tubos cuadrados y rectangulares, los cuales tienen más resistencia comparados con el tubo redondo, se usan comúnmente en aplicaciones arquitectónicas y estructurales. Los chasises... Read more...
Spanish
November 12, 2009
Article
September 24, 2009
Accelerating Diemaking
Rather than die cutting or EDM-working components for a custom die, diemakers just use standardized components and machine a template to specific part prints. Photo courtesy of S.B. Whistler & Sons Inc., Akron, N.Y. Pressure to shorten the time from order to manufacture has never been... Read more...
Article
September 1, 2009
Shaping profits with a mandrel extractor
Bending a tube and preventing it from collapsing is a mystery to most folks, especially those whose livelihood does not involve bending tubes. For those who bend tubing for a living, knowing how to decrease ovality in the bend region can be of interest.
Before discussing strategies for... Read more...
Article
September 1, 2009
Die not in the mix for tool shop
Accurate quoting and delivery of tooling (such as the ones shown here) in just four to eight weeks is helping Nortool Precision Machining & Tool, Eklhart, Ind., to gain new customers in this difficult economic environment. Its new CAD/CAM software that supports 3-D for both design and NC has... Read more...
Article
August 1, 2009
Bending nonround tubing
Although round is the most common tube shape, opportunities abound for nonround tubing. Square and rectangular tubes, which have more strength compared with round tube, commonly are used in architectural and structural applications. Automotive frames and furniture also are good candidates... Read more...
Article
April 1, 2009
10 Hot-stamping HSS FAQs
1. What Is Hot Stamping
In its simplest definition, hot stamping, also called hot forming or press hardening, is the process of forming metal while it is very hot (in excess of 900 degrees C) and then quenching it (cooling it quickly) in the die. The process converts low-tensile-strength... 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
December 15, 2008
Laser cutting for the first time
For many shops in the metal fabricating world, laser cutting capability was never a prerequisite to success. M&L Industries, Rogers, Minn., knew that firsthand; it had been doing just fine without lasers for the last 30 years. The company had relied on its two turret machines for its metal... Read more...
Article
December 4, 2008
Fact or Friction?
The tube and pipe bending process is full of variables and options, all of which you must understand and manage successfully to make the end product.
Any of these variables can make a significant contribution to the success or failure of the manufacturing process. Certain variables are... Read more...
Article
September 30, 2008
Understanding bending, moving material in roll forming
Figure 1 Click image to view larger The flower diagram for a formed box shows two distinct forming actions: rotation and horizontal movement. In simple terms, roll forming is a matter of shaping material using localized deformation with a large amount of material movement. Localized... Read more...
Article
September 30, 2008
Carbide in tool and die
With numerous possible combinations of metal binder content and grain size, carbides are used in a range of applications. The word carbide generally describes a group of materials characterized by high hardness and metallic properties. The first carbides, developed in 1921, were extremely... Read more...
Article
August 26, 2008
When does a punch/laser make sense?
Shops that process enough of the right parts can increase uptime and reduce secondary operations with a combination punch/laser machine. Photo courtesy of TRUMPF Inc.
Business growth led Hawkeye Industries President and CEO Bryan Hawkins to seek a machine that could punch and laser-cut... Read more...
Article
July 29, 2008
How to run presses faster without increasing scrap
When metal forming companies confront "my labor is cheaper than your labor" price attacks from competitors in developing regions of the world, their production engineers are challenged with finding innovative processes to win business contracts without sacrificing profit margins. One way to... Read more...
Article
July 29, 2008
What you should know about stamping coated coil
Nearly 90 years ago engineers discovered how to unroll a coil of aluminum or steel, apply a primer or a finish coat, and then recoil it before shipping it to be processed. Since those early days of prepainted metal, many stampers and fabricators have found that it makes sense to form parts... 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
May 13, 2008
Custom or standard?
Contrary to a popular misconception, the output of durable goods in the U.S. has been on an upward trend for decades. This growth is interrupted by intermittent, short-term slowdowns, of course, but the fact is that the U.S. continues to be a productive nation, and its output continues to... Read more...
Article
May 13, 2008
Edge treatments for roll formed parts
According to data gathered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the steel industry's safety record improves every year, especially in injury severity. Because the incidence of lost-time(severe) injuries has fallen more quickly than... Read more...
Article
April 15, 2008
Buy it by the pound, sell it by the foot
With raw material and energy costs soaring and imported tube and pipe flooding the U.S., tube and pipe producers are facing increasing pressures to reduce costs to maintain profitability. While strategies for cutting costs or optimizing tube and pipe manufacturing processes abound, they... Read more...
Article
April 15, 2008
Lubrication and galling in stamping of galvanized AHSS
Figure 1 Click to view image larger This B-pillar simulation model shows the geometries of the tool and the initial sheet blank. Editor's Note: This article is Part III of a three-part series discussing a study of lubrication and galling in forming of zinc-coated advanced high-strength... Read more...
Article
April 15, 2008
Getting creative with punch tooling
Many fabricators are adopting lean manufacturing techniques to gain a competitive advantage in today's global marketplace. A central element of the lean philosophy is the relentless, systematic, and continuing elimination of waste. The key word is continuing. Starting down the lean... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2008
Setup or cover-up?
Even though we are in the age of CNC machinery, the old phrase "the tools make the bend" is as relevant today as ever. As tube bending applications have become more ex-treme, tooling design, setup, and maintenance have returned to a position of central importance. In rotary draw bending, four... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2008
Using FEM to compare tube forming processes
Three roll forming processes typically used in tube and pipe production are single-radius forming (top), edge forming (middle), and partial-step forming (bottom). FEA shows the displacement of material in each forming pass. In tube manufacturing, product quality is a major concern,... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2008
Controlling slug pulling with hole lapping
Ever since the invention of the die and punch, the die industry has been plagued by punched slugs pulling up as the punch leaves the die. These slugs embed themselves into the hole cavity that was just made, impeding the forward advancement of the strip. High speed and thin materials can... 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...
Article
December 11, 2007
Dissecting defects - Part III
Real-time Process Control Figure 1 A commercially available optical measuring system can be used to obtain data on the deformation of a stamped component. Variations in incoming sheet material quality, tool temperatures, press and tool deflection, and lubricant performance result in... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2007
Dissecting defects
Part I categorizes defect types and discusses the factors that affect formed part quality; Part II covers various destructive and nondestructive tests for evaluating incoming material; and Part III is an introduction to process monitoring systems. Read more...
Article
November 6, 2007
Dissecting defects - Part II
Two major types of variation in incoming sheet coil are material properties and coil thickness. Various tests, both destructive and nondestructive, are used to determine these variations.Tensile Testing
Figure 1
At top is a cross-sectional schematic of a biaxial bulge test set up... Read more...
Article
November 6, 2007
Seeking tooling longevity
BorgWarner Inc. is a drive-train developer and manufacturer that specializes in blanking and finishing of shafts, gear and spline rolling, grinding operations, and assembly. The Muncie, Ind., manufacturer of four-wheel-drive and traction control parts for the automotive industry was having a... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Dissecting defects - Part I
Figure 1
Many quality defects can occur in stamping.
Types of Quality Defects
Two main types of defects typically occur in stamped automotive body components
(see Figure 1 ):
Surface defects, such as cracks and necking
Form defects, such as fall-in, wrinkling, and... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Automatic or manual?
Whether it is as simple as a single CNC tube bender loaded by a robot or as complex as a fully automated line that turns raw coil into a finished and packaged bent tubular product, automated workcells have made their way into nearly every manufacturing theater. Once limited to the... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Blanking developments - Part III
Editor's Note: This is Part III of a three-part series on blanking developments. Part I focused on fineblanking and tool design. Part II covered fineblanking part and process design guidelines.
This column was prepared by Serhat Kaya, of the Center for Precision Forming (CPF, formerly ERC... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Blanking developments
Figure 1 Editor's Note: This is Part III of a three-part series on blanking developments. Part I, which appeared in the July issue, focused on fineblanking and tool design. Part II, which ran in the August issue, covered fineblanking part and process design guidelines. This column was... 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
August 8, 2007
12 ways to boost punch life
High-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steels are revolutionizing the automotive and construction industries, and stainless steel is tremendously popular in appliances. These steels are stronger, tougher, and often more advanced than traditional materials. To be successful, manufacturers must be... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2007
Blanking developments - Part II
Figure 1
Editor's Note: This is Part II of a three-part series on blanking developments. Part I focused on fineblanking and tool design. Part III will cover high-speed blanking and finite element analysis.
This column was prepared by Serhat Kaya, the Center for Precision... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2007
Cutting tooling costs: Part I
Editor's Note: This is Part I of a two-part series that discusses how to cut tooling costs without sacrificing die quality. Part II, which will appear in the August issue, will examine tool steels and using special die engineering software to save money.
To be competitive, metal stampers... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2007
Blanking developments - Part I
Figure 1
The main purpose of the ejector or counter- punch and V-ring is to generate compressive stresses and hold the material against horizontal movement. 1
Editor's Note: This is Part I of a three-part series on blanking developments. Part II focuses on part and process... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Developing forming dies Part III
Editor's Note: This is third installment of a three-part series that discusses die development for producing nonuniform, contoured parts by breaking the process down into eight steps. Part I covers the part material, its form, and its function. Part II discusses length-of-line analysis and tip... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Article
May 8, 2007
Developing forming dies Part II
Editor's Note: This is first installment of a three-part series that discusses die development for producing nonuniform, contoured parts by breaking the process down into eight steps. Part I covers the part material, its form, and its function. Part II discusses length-of-line analysis and tip... Read more...
Article
May 8, 2007
Stop wasting time!
Figure 1 Refurbished die carts are in the standby position by the press, ready for the automatic changeover sequence. Staying competitive in today's manufacturing environment is a challenge that all stampers are trying to manage. Running lean is a way of life, and most successful companies... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2007
Developing forming dies Part I
Editor's Note: This is first installment of a three-part series that discusses die development for producing nonuniform, contoured parts by breaking the process down into eight steps. Part I covers the part material, its form, and its function. Part II discusses length-of-line analysis and tip... Read more...
Spanish
April 10, 2007
Article
April 10, 2007
Roll form tooling design for air bending
When a bend is formed with the air bending process (air bend), the interior of the bending corner can't be reached by either the top roll or the bottom roll, making it difficult to control the part's profile and dimensions. Figure 1 illustrates a typical air bend. The theoretical formed profile... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2007
Tips for grinding and wire machining tool steel
Figure 1 A great deal of tool steel damage results from improper machining procedures. As a consultant, I frequently get asked, "My die sections are cracking—what type of tool steel should I use?" or "My punches chip frequently—how do I prevent this?" Tool steel selection is a... Read more...
Article
January 9, 2007
Punching through complacency to win a bid
Anderson Metals, Greenwood, S.C., had a chance to win a large job from Eaton Electrical, but it needed new tooling for its turret presses to turn around a weekend job. Fortunately, the company found a tooling source that didn't need weeks for the delivery. Sometimes a new business prospect... Read more...
Article
December 12, 2006
Avoiding common bending problems with common sense
As we strive for simplicity in solving manufacturing problems, we are captivated and enthralled with the flash and glitter of the newest gadgets. Whether by clever marketing or our innate desire to have the latest and greatest newfangled technological gadgets, the outcome is the same. We... Read more...
Article
November 7, 2006
10 common quick die change problems
Most stampers have the same complaint concerning die changes: "Our setup time is killing us. "It seems as though the stamping industry cannot set standards to save time during die changes. The manufacturing industry has standards for safety, strength, steel, lockouts, and electrical power,... Read more...
Article
September 12, 2006
Selecting a tube end forming method
Your company has the opportunity to provide a tube assembly, but it requires end forming—a capability you do not have. An Internet search for "tube end forming" leads to a range of options. How do you sort through them?
Focusing on the function of the tubes to be reshaped, and not on the... 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
August 8, 2006
The formula for successful punching
Maximizing productivity and efficiency of a fabrication operation is usually a matter of taking a series of small steps as opposed to one giant leap. In Good to Great, author Jim Collins highlights the experiences of several Fortune 500 companies that have achieved spectacular success by... Read more...
Article
July 11, 2006
Powering up with a punch
For 45 years Generac Power Systems has helped homeowners and businesses withstand the unpredictable forces of Mother Nature with standby power-generation equipment. So when the company's Eagle, Wis., metal fabrication facility needed to power up the productivity of its punch press... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
The wiper die's feathered edge
In rotary draw tube bending, the tools make the bend. Indeed, this is why the process often is called mandrel bending. Despite the many advances in tube bending machinery, the rotary draw process itself has not changed since modern tube bending tools appeared a half century ago.... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
The regrind process for tube mill tooling - Part II
Editor's Note: This is the second article in a two-part series on regrinding tube mill tooling. Part I discussed the first two steps of the five-step process: (1) receiving and inspection and (2) analyzing and creating work instructions. Part II discusses (3) machining, (4) final inspection... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
The regrind process for tube mill tooling
Editor's Note: This is the second article in a two-part series on regrinding tube mill tooling. Part I discussed the first two steps of the five-step process: (1) receiving and inspection and (2) analyzing and creating work instructions. Part II discusses (3) machining, (4) final inspection... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
Do you need a die transport system?
If your current method for transporting 5- to 100-ton dies is causing injuries and you need to reduce downtime and costs to stay competitive, now might be the time to ask whether you need a die transport system.
Determining the Need
For a stamper, the primary indications that a die... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2006
Processes for hydroforming sheet metal
Editor's Note: This article is Part III of a three-part series that discusses various sheet hydroforming processes. Part I, which appeared in the February issue, discussed sheet hydroforming with a die only (SHF-D). Part II, which appeared in the March issue, reviewed sheet hydroforming with a... Read more...
Article
March 7, 2006
How to avoid slit-in coil slitting problems
Good coil slitting tooling and practices result in good edge quality.
Many problems can arise during metal slitting. These include poor edge quality, edge burr, edge wave, camber, crossbow, knife marks, and slit width that is out of specification.
When slitting... Read more...
Article
February 7, 2006
Simplicity 'n' press brakes
Low-volume products, such as this zero-turn-radius lawn tractor with a 21- or 23-HP engine, kept Simplicity Manufacturing's laser cell busy, but also created a bottleneck at the company's old press brake. For almost 70 years, Simplicity Manufacturing Inc. has worked to live up to its... Read more...
Article
January 10, 2006
Organizing your chaos
Image courtesy of Wilson Tool Intl., White Bear Lake, Minn. Storage cabinets run the gamut in terms of expense. On one end of the spectrum are expensive cabinets that have large, high-capacity drawers with features such as high-quality slides and drawer lockouts. At the other end of... 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
November 8, 2005
Cushioning the blow
If anyone should know that there's strength in numbers, it's Hercules. Hercules Machine Tool & Die Co. maintains 36 stamping presses, ranging in size from 500 tons to 4,000 tons, in its two facilities totaling 140,000 square feet in Warren, Mich. With these presses the company is able to... Read more...
Article
November 8, 2005
Okay with tool coating
Applying a thermal diffusion coating to stamping tooling has doubled tool life. Production runs now exceed 100,000 cycles, according to the company. In the 35 years Okay Industries, New Britain, Conn., has been in the stamping business, it has grown to 160 employees, including 11 tool... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2005
See unitized tooling make a difference
Figure 1 Modular press tooling can be used to punch or notch 2-D flat sheets and 3-D forms. As life cycles get shorter, total program quantities are lower for both end products and components. The hard tooling needed to make those components is amortized over fewer parts—which... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2005
Article
September 14, 2004
The growing versatility of turret punch presses
Press Drive Flexibility Higher hit rates on a mechanical ram system are a direct result of the faster axis speeds and quicker acceleration and deceleration supplied by servo systems. A mechanical ram has a fixed stroke length, which starts at the fully retracted position and finishes... Read more...
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
July 13, 2004
Getting more punch life
Augur Metal Products, a custom fabricator in Independence Ken., performs a variety of processes for manufacturers. While the company's capabilities include shearing, cutting, forming, welding, and finishing, chief among them is sheet metal punching. One of its processes involves punching... Read more...
Article
March 25, 2004
Worn out roll forming tooling and no drawings?
You may have found yourself saying, "I need to make an engineering change to my roll form tooling, but I don't have the roll tooling designs or drawings." Maybe you have a product change; or the tooling is worn out, chipped, or broken; or your company just needs to improve the tooling.... Read more...
Article
March 25, 2004
Building the perfect tool cabinet
Figure 1
Deciding What Works Best
All too often tooling is thrown on a shelf, pallet, or table – one tool piled on top of another ( Figure 1 ). Operators dig through the pile, looking for a specific tool and damaging other tools in the process.
Depending on... Read more...
Article
August 28, 2003
Measuring tube as it grows and shrinks
We always have some confusion at our house concerning desserts. My wife claims that I like only two kinds of pie: hot and cold. Well, she is mostly right. My favorite is cherry, and I love it served either hot or cold. Here's our family recipe—you be the judge.
Grandma's Cherry Pie... Read more...
Article
April 24, 2003
Truckin' along through a stamping plant
The earlier cab models were built in a facility that was converted in 1921 to produce the model S truck line, a truck with a 1.5-ton load capacity and a top speed of 30 MPH. The company determined that it could not competitively launch a new line of vehicles without building a new... Read more...
Article
April 24, 2003
Coating fabricating tooling
Exotic metals are being used more often, and stainless steel usage continues to rise in this industry as end users seek better-quality products to stay ahead of their competitors. Coatings have become a major player in helping tube fabricators manufacture parts from such materials. Let's talk... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2003
Making the connection
Eaton Corp. manufactures a patented end connector, called STC®, or Snap to Connect. It is a reusable connector designed for low-, medium-, and high-pressure applications. STC is a threadless connection that requires only hand assembly to connect and a simple release tool to... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2003
Solving the mysteries of the fin pass—Part 1
Figure 1
Original tubular forms, such as bulrushes, are found in nature. Modern tube isn't an invention—it's merely a copy of a natural plant form. Photo courtesy of Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, copyright 2001.
Editor's Note: This article is the first part of... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2003
Designing tooling economically
Manufacturers constantly are challenged to cut costs and reduce expenses through lower tooling costs while still providing a quality product to their customers. Many toolmakers are exploring existing tool modifications to reduce costs instead of building new tools. Long-standing,... Read more...
Article
September 26, 2002
Tooling: Lube it or lose it
Many variables affect tool wear in stamping operations. Just a few of them are: Lubricant properties. Lubricant application and control. Material. Tooling. Lubricant Properties Most metal forming operations use lubricants to protect the tooling and part from excessive wear caused by... Read more...
Article
July 25, 2002
Creating finger tooling for three-axis transfer presses
Modular, off-the-shelf finger tooling components have been devised for designing finger tooling that will work effectively with your transfer press dies. After you determine all of your die and transfer parameters and specs, the job becomes one of configuring the tooling more than... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2002
Examining roll forming machinery, tooling, and lubrication
Last time around we took a closer look at problems in the roll forming process and found that work material generally is not the culprit.
If material is ruled out, what can the problem be? No changes have been made, and the operator and setup people claim that they have done nothing... Read more...
Article
February 28, 2002
What to look for in end-of-arm tooling
Figure 1: Grippers with modular mountings can be reconfigured quickly for the next job. Many factors affect the real cost of clamps used in end-of-arm tooling. A clamp's original price is important, but other variables have their effect on production and reduce cost of ownership.... Read more...
Article
November 29, 2001
Tooling, the key for mill production
One of the most important lessons any successful tube mill producer learns is that high-quality tooling is mandatory to achieving and sustaining top-grade production values. To put it simply, tooling is to a tube mill as an engine is to an automobile: You can't get where you need to go without... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2001
Mastering the tool selection process
Editor's Note: Baicheng Wen is no longer with Roll-Kraft. This article originally appeared in the December 1999 edition of TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal. Two of the goals all manufacturing companies share are minimizing production costs and maximizing profits. In the tube and pipe... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2001
Article
August 16, 2001
Improving in-press transfer preformance with tooling
Figure 1A: Traditionally, pins and heel blocks have been located as far outboard as possible. Figure 1B: Different locations can be used, depending on the application. Critical path planning and project management time lines influence most projects, including transfer systems and... Read more...
Article
July 26, 2001
Tool design tips for coated stampings
From time to time designers and manufacturers of progressive or stage tooling are faced with a project involving production of metal stampings that will be post-processed with painting, powder coating, or plating operations. Customer requirements for postprocess finish quality often are... Read more...
Article
July 12, 2001
Hydroforming on a budget
In today's business environment, characterized by cost-cutting measures and increasing competition, it can be difficult to justify spending money on new manufacturing equipment. It can be especially difficult to justify purchasing equipment for a competitive niche market, such as hydroforming.... Read more...
Article
June 18, 2001
Article
June 12, 2001
Leaping the hurdles to press brake automation
Figure 1: This figure shows the ratio of value-added versus nonvalue-added time for a 50-part bending job. In this example, 42 percent of the time needed to bend the parts was spent on setup. Understanding the obstacles to automating press brakes requires an analysis of the bending... Read more...
Article
May 30, 2001
Discovering the limits of press brake tooling
One of the most important aspects of press brake forming is tooling selection. What are the tools capable of? What kinds of loads can they withstand?
Figure 1:
A standard straight press brake punch withstands more tonnage per foot than the press brake itself withstands.... 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...
Article
March 23, 2001
Selecting a new press brake
You have realized for a long time that your company should consider buying a new press brake. Now you have the responsibility of developing the specifications and recommending a new machine. This is an awesome responsibility, because if you select the wrong machine, your manufacturing costs... Read more...
