Press brakes are essential pieces of equipment that help fabricators to create formed parts including brackets, channels, structural forms, enclosures, ductwork, and custom projects. Press brakes are found in every fabrication job shop and many machine shops as well. Their versatility allows them to be used for many applications including forming. They help fabricators and operators to bend sheet metals and create items of different shapes and forms, but before we delve into the pros of press brakes, let's start by defining what they are.
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What are Press Brakes?
Press brakes are fabrication tools that are used to bend a sheet or plate metal. In an earlier document entitled Introduction to Press Brakes we covered them in detail. The short version is that typically, press brakes bend a sheet metal by placing it on top of a die and lowering the punch onto it. Then through a force defined by tonnage forcing the material into the die thus bending a flange up until the desired form of shape/angle is achieved. The press brake controller or operator must account also for springback in the material in order to achieve the correct angle once the pressure is removed and the ram retracts. There are several types of press brakes, and they are classified depending on the type of generation of the bending force. They include:
Pneumatic Press Brakes - Light duty for only the thinnest gage of materials
Mechanical Press Brakes - Force is applied via a flywheel driven crankshaft
Hydraulic Press Brakes - Hydraulics move the ram or bed up/down applying pressure.
Electric Press Brakes - Ball Screw or Belt Driven mechanisms move the ram also applying force.
10 Benefits of Press Brakes
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In-House Forming Capabilities
If you have been sourcing your formed parts from outside your facility you have likely Press brakes are designed to deliver ultimate accuracy, something that leads to the production of high-quality products. This reduces rejection rates and customer returns.
Unlike other machines that have to use lots of material to curve the desired items, press brakes boost high-end precision and accuracy, which leads to less waste of materials.
If you have an application for punching a systematic row of holes in a part a press brake can easily be fitted with individual punch sets or a complete die set to punch these holes out accurately and all in one stroke. Press brakes can utilize up to 70% of their overall bending tonnage for punching applications and offsetting the punch heights lets you get more punches in line then may have originally been considered
One of the necessary operations in almost every fabricating shop is the process of hemming. Hemming is folding a small portion of the sheet over and then closing it back on itself thereby creating a thicker, more rigid and durable edge whilst also making a rounded edge for safer material handling. Hemming is used in the manufacture of all types of boxes, covers and panels and is an essential part of the manufacturing process. The operation can be completed with a custom tool set or by way of a simple flat hemming die.
Press brakes are designed to offer unmatched flexibility. Combined with segmented punch and die sets, acute tooling and sophisticated controls, a press brake can form complicated muli angle parts with ease.
Utilizing a CNC control is the best way on a press brake to repeat the actions over and over again. When a production forming process irs presented the operator can make short work of it with a press brake whether the flanges are similar or vary in angle and length.
One of the great benefits of press brakes is that the setup and tooling is fairly simple so switching between applications is fairly straightforward making prototype bedding and forming applications a simple process. Whether your proving a part or process out a press brake can be a vital tool in allowing the parts to be completed without expensive or complex tooling or difficult setups.
Modern Press brakes can be automated to increase productivity, improve accuracy, and reduce overall labor costs. Manufacturers will be glad to know that the press brakes being released into the market have various specialized data ports and other innovative accessories to facilitate automation. Adding material handling robotics or even sheet followers to assist the operator in lifting heavier parts can increase productivity and allow for the same result each and every bend.
Unlike other forming processes such as Folders , a press brake can bend an extremely wide variety of materials and thicknesses allowing a shop to have a wide window of capabilities. With the right tooling in place a machine can bend anything from 28 Gage steel to 1' plate steel and do it accurately each and every time.
Many of the newer CNC controlled press brakes offer a vast wealth of information within their controllers. Because programming is simple and straightforward it is easy for a shop owner or foreman to program a job and run a full 2D or even 3D simulation of that bend with the control providing exacting information on cycle time and material blank sizes.
At Southern Fabricating Machinery Sales, Inc. we are experts on press brakes and metal forming. Call us today at 1-813-444- to ask how we can help you solve your forming challenges or simply visit our website to learn more.
Press brakes transform the speed and quality of metal fabrication and processing. This is why you will always find a press brake in every metalworking workshop. However, many professionals new to the technology often question press brake advantages. This article will discuss the same in-depth and examine how press brakes can benefit your industry.
Press Brake Overview
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By definition, a press brake is a machine for bending metal. The workpiece can be sheet metal or metal plates. The bending process is accomplished by applying force on the clamped workpiece with a V-shaped die. There are many options for the movement mechanism of the press brakes. The different movement mechanisms are hydraulic, manual, and electrical.
Advantages of Press Brakes
Press brakes provide countless benefits over alternative processes like folding and panel bending sheet metal. Some of the advantages of press brakes are:
- Reducing Waste: Press brakes are an accurate way of bending metal. As such, press brake machines help in reducing waste and eliminate rejections.
- Smart Technology: CNC press brakes provide an advanced automated solution to bending metal. This makes modern press brake a very smart technology.
- Faster Production: Press brakes speed up the production process. This occurs by combining automated processing with reduced defects.
- Easy Operation: Press brakes are one of the easiest pieces of equipment to operate. They do not require highly skilled operators like other machines.
- Reduce Labor Costs: Automated press brake machines reduce the cost spent on labor. This helps in lowering the cost per part.
- Improved Safety: Modern press brake machines come with many different safeguard measures like laser sensors. The sensors stop the metal fabrication operation when the operator is in harm's way.
- In-house Manufacturing: Metal fabrication workshops usually outsource the bending process to third parties. However, modern press brakes are quite cheap. This allows metal fabrication workshops to undergo the entire manufacturing in-house.
- Versatility: Modern press brakes can work on many different shapes of bends. Additionally, sheet metal of varying thicknesses can be bent. Changes to setups are not needed due to the presence of automated thickness detection software.
- Programming: Changes to the setup can be done using programming. The operator does not need to adjust the machine settings manually.
- Complex Bends: A modern press brake can use different types of dies and modified programming, allowing the creation of complex bends like cones.
- Affordable: Simple press brakes are a very affordable technology. Therefore, even small-scale metal fabrication shops can install these machines in their facility.
- Many Different Options: Many types of press brake machines are available to suit different requirements. Therefore, you can find a machine that will fulfill your exact demands.
- Seamless Workflow: CNC press brakes can fit directly into the assembly line of your metal fabrication workshop.
Are There Any Disadvantages To Press Brakes?
Press brakes are the best solution for bending sheet metals. However, they can have certain disadvantages for some users. These potential disadvantages are:
- Cost: Press brakes with automation come with a hefty price tag. This can dissuade small workshops from buying high-end models.
- Training: Press brakes do not require the skill of many other metal working machines. Even so, the operator requires some training on the technology. This calls for some added expenditure on training costs.
- Space Requirements: Press brakes can have goliath dimensions. You must dedicate much of your workshop floor space to the machine.
- Maintenance: Press brakes, like all industrial equipment, require regular maintenance. These machines can break down without a proper maintenance cycle.
- Noise: A press brake is a noisy machine during operations. Therefore, the workforce might require ear protection equipment. Additionally, it also causes vibrations in the workplace.
Different Types of Press Brakes and Their Advantages
There are many different types of press brakes. Each of these types can bring particular benefits based on the applications. These different types are:
Mechanical Press Brake
Mechanical press brakes use a flywheel mechanism to move the bending ram. Electrical motors operate the flywheel. A clutch mechanism provides control over the degree and speed of the movement. The driving force in these press brakes is the mechanical energy of the flywheel. The advantages of a mechanical press brake are:
- A mechanical press brake has a simple mechanism.
- It is a beginner-friendly machine.
- The maintenance and repair process is cheap and easy.
- They have a high bending capacity.
Hydraulic Press Brake
A hydraulic press brake generates force due to water pressure. They do not use a mechanical system such as the flywheel. Water cylinders are capable of minute movements. Therefore, the operator has higher control over the degree of the bend. The driving force in these press brakes is the hydraulic pressure. The advantages of a hydraulic press brake are:
- They provide a higher degree of customization.
- They have high-end precision while bending.
Servo-electric Press Brake
A Servo electric press brake uses servo motors to move the bending die. A belt and pulley mechanism transfer the movement of the servo motors. The driving force in these press brakes is electrical energy. The advantages of servo-electric press brakes are:
- They have a simple setup.
- Parts like servo motors are easily fixable.
- The bending operation is very cheap.
- The lack of hydraulic mechanism eliminates risks and costs of oil leakage.
CNC Press Brake
A CNC press brake uses Computer Numerical Control for automation in the bending process. These modern machines can have a hydraulic or electrical movement system. The movement itself is controlled by CNC programming.
Accurl's CNC press brakes have completely transformed the metal bending process. Companies in every metal fabrication segment use these machines to add in-house bending in their facility. The benefits of these machines are:
- Automation in the bending process.
- Setup parameters can be directly adjusted remotely.
- These machines can be integrated in the assembly line.
- Any changes in the bending values can be made by adjusting values in the programs.
Tandem Press Brake
A tandem press brake is a combination of smaller press brake machines. Small individual press brakes are coupled to work in tandem. The objective is to bend a large workpiece or create consistent bends in a smaller workpiece. The advantages of tandem press brake are:
- Ability to bend metal sheet metal with lengths as far as 60 feet.
- Faster bending for large volume parts where the same bending angle is required.
- Cheaper in cost than building a single large press brake.
Pneumatic Press Brake
Pneumatic press brakes use air pressure to move the bending die. They are very similar to hydraulic press brakes, replacing liquid pressure with air pressure. However, they provide a fraction of the bending force when compared to other types of press brake. The advantages of a pneumatic press brake in metal fabrication are:
- They provide a high-speed operation for bending small-scale parts.
- There is no risk of oil leakage.
- Maintenance requirements are low.
How to Get the Most From a Press Brake?
The above sections illustrate the many benefits that a press brake provides. You can avail an added improvement on these benefits by following the below tips:
Choosing the Right Press Brake
Press brakes have many different types and models. Choose the press brake machine that is ideal for your requirement. Here are some suggestions for different applications:
Build Quality
Press brake tooling is designed to punch heavy sheet metals. Therefore, focus on a machine with a good build quality. Compromising build quality to save a fraction of the cost will lead to serious machine breakdowns and labor injury.
Bending Capability
Get a machine that can handle the sheet metal bending requirement you have. For instance, hydraulic and pneumatic machines have very low punching force and do not perform well for heavy-duty applications.
Patience
It can take some time to get precise results from your press brake. Therefore, be patient and spend time learning the machine instead of directly using it for projects.
Who Benefits From a Press Brake?
Manufacturers and metal fabrication workshops looking for modern machines to produce complex parts in-house benefit most from a press brake. Press brakes provide a cheap solution to the bending process in metal forming. Additionally, equipment such as Accurl's CNC press brake machines takes things a step further. They provide the bending operations of sheet metals while reducing overall labor costs.
Therefore, manufacturers looking for correct angle bends at a low cost also benefit greatly from this equipment. They are also good at increasing efficiency while reducing waste and manufacturing errors.
Endnotes
Press brakes have more advantages and applications than any other alternative in metal fabrication. This is why these machines are used everywhere, from small workshops to large manufacturing facilities.
The current technology has added great automation to the whole process. Machines like CNC press brakes can create the correct angle bend without human intervention. These can be a great fit if you are considering investing in a new press brake for your metal fabrication industry.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Hydraulic Press Brake for Automotive Industry.