FabShop Magazine - March 2012 - 17

››› PREss BRaKE RounduP
No matter how accurate a press brake is, accurate parts hinge on the accuracy of the blank. The Xpert’s software system ensures operators that they receive 100 percent accurate parts every time. Bottlenecks and throw-away parts are a thing of the past. “We can take a 3-D model of a part and generate a flat blank,” says Kemp. “We create the bend program so we know what tooling we’re going to use and the bend allowance for that tooling. It gives us an accurate, flat blank. And with that single file within the software, we can export it to the press brake as a bending program or to the laser as a cutting program. And because it’s a single file, if we make any changes to it, it affects both the cut and bend programming.” For job shops and OEMs that typically cut up to 10-ft. sheets, the Xpert 150 is a popular model, because it allows them to form just about everything. Its range of bending lengths reaches 4,100 mm. The Xpert line of press brakes goes from 60 tons to as large as 1,000 tons and bend lengths up to 33 ft. “People tend to look at the main capabilities of the press brake rather than look at the entire process and where their money is being spent – or wasted,” Kemp admits. “They’ll focus on how fast the brake is when they should be looking at, ‘how fast can I get this job out the door?’” Mc Machinery diamond series Whether a company does super-critical aerospace work or typical everyday bending, MC Machinery Systems, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corp., has a press brake to fill the bill. The company features high-speed, high-end hybrid and electric brakes from Japan as well as midrange, upscale machines from Europe. Regardless of their origin, both series of press brakes fall under the Diamond series umbrella; both offer increased productivity, unmatched accuracy and amazing speeds, notes the company. The Elite, a 40-ton to 2,000-ton press brake by Dener, a Turkish manufacturer, offers five computer-controlled CNC axes and a control capable of numerous axes. The Y1/Y2 machine delivers high-precision independent RAM control on the left and right side of the RAM with 0.0004-in. repeat accuracy. It’s connected to a 15 in. color touch-screen controller. “It delivers capability at an affordable price,” says Casey Schlachter, press brake sales manager at MC Machinery. “Everyone is pleased with the controls as it can display clear 2-D resolution as well as 3-D graphics and simulations, all of which an operator can rotate, scan and zoom at his fingertip. “That’s typical for high-end machines, but we wanted to be sure that the mid-range machines also received that feature,” Schlachter continues. “The 3-D images in both video and still shots is something that everyone wants, and we were able to include it to our B-market customers just like our higher end buyers.” For the Japanese line, the newest technology can be found on its BH series of press brakes. The BH machine is a hybrid; it uses an electric motor to drive a hydraulic pump that activates when an operator steps on its foot pedal. Essentially, an AC-servo motor rotates a pump to make the RAM go down. “We’re 50 percent faster in speed now versus our last model because for the first time, we’ve introduced AC-servo ballscrews on the machines,” Schlachter explains. “They’re responsive and fast. When you step on the foot pedal, the operator is in sync with what he’s doing. It’s like driving a car. It’s instantly energized and about a millimeter before the tool gets to the work piece, the hydraulics finish the bend.” Schlachter is referring to the ballscrew that drives the RAM down to the speed change point. At this point, the hydraulic piston then pushes the RAM down the rest of the way. Two servo motors, one on each side of the RAM, are used to move it. Its crowning system, the Ideal Curve, utilizes automatic crowning wedges to adjust without the resisting weight of the tools. The presence of this particular crowning system on each BH machine means faster production speeds as well as overall longevity in terms of service requirements. Offline programming is available for both lines of press brakes and both use the same software. Crossover between the two is simple and straightforward. No matter the product mix or level of precision, MC Machinery has something for everyone.

The Elite’s controller displays clear 2-D resolution as well as 3-D graphics and simulations.

The BH hybrid press brake is 50 percent faster in speed thanks to AC-servo ballscrews used on the machines.

FabShop Magazine - March 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of FabShop Magazine - March 2012