Press Braking
In most cases, you need to form metal before you can use it. There are so many ways of forming metal. However, the most common of them all is using the press braking machine. A press utilizes some form of force to change the shape of the metal. The press brake is one of the common types of press brakes and some people refer to it as the brake press. The machine is used to bend sheet metal into the desired shape. The Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Ohio makes good use of this technique in their day to day working. It is one of the techniques that the company professionals use to work on any metallic order for their customers.
The angles that are formed from this type of technique are extremely accurate. Depending on the type of die that you use, you can make multiple bends at one time. Press brake machines have two frames that form the sides. They are attached on a table to the bottom with a beam or ram at the top. The punch and die are attached on the beam and to the table. The sheet metal is run in between the two, the punch goes down, and the metal is formed in the shape of the die. When handling basic operations, there are four types that you can choose. You break it down to the way the force is applied in bending the metal. Not all the methods will work for all the applications. Some of them are accurate or slower than the others.
The mechanical press is the other form of brake press machinery. This type of press has a flywheel inside the electronic motor. Energy is then applied to the flywheel and using a clutch, you will engage the wheel so that it moves a crank to help lift the beam up and down. This type of press is the most accurate and the fastest.
A hydraulic press utilizes two cylinders that are mounted on the sides of the press. Its cylinders are synched up to make them move together. A mechanical press is faster than a hydraulic press. A pneumatic press is the same except the fact that it uses fluid.
The servo-electric press has a ball screw or a belt drive that is driven by the servomotor. The best application of the pneumatic and servo-electric brakes are the tasks that don’t require as much tonnage or pressure put on the ram. Until of late, the mechanical press was the most commonly used. The reason is that they are highly accurate and fast. In the past, hydraulic presses were slower as they had to wait for the user to reset them. However, the advances in hydraulic presses have reduced the waiting period remarkably.
The advancements in computer controls also make hydraulic press brakes more accurate than ever before. It also goes without saying that they are the safest choice in the market. You can use a single piece of the press brake machine to work on several jobs. The only thing that you need to do is change the die and punch. The punch is the one that goes on the ram and pushes the metal down to the ram. This is what we specialize in at Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Ohio.
The punch gives the inside angle to the bend while the die gives it the exterior angle. However, depending on the process of bending, whether it is bottoming or air bending, there may be no need for a die. Press brakes are used in pressing and bending sheet metals into new shapes. Some of the things that are made this way are cases and brackets for electronics. There are different types of press brake machines and different dies and processes. You choose one depending on the objective of your project.
Modern advancements have helped certain metal fabrication brands to be more efficient than the others. However, we have so many that are still experiencing a hold up to somewhere especially on the process of press brake setup.
The press braking setup has to be both accurate and efficient for it to eliminate waste and rework in both materials and time. From the production point of view, the most expensive stage in any operation is the setup and no parts are being made at this point. To achieve both speed and accuracy, proper operating procedures and training for repetitive jobs via a standard process of setup can assist in delivering superior results.
Training
One of the most difficult machines to operate in a precision metal fabrication shop is the press brake. Despite all the technological improvements, the operator should know-how and possess the skills of thinking through the various steps to create the required part and anticipate any issues ahead of time. This is specifically true in the modern world because the costs of raw materials have escalated and excess wastes from the bad tolerances are not an option.
Modern press braking machines have so many features to apply any guesswork. The process requires automatic spring-back adjustments and thickness compensators to be able to succeed. These features are invaluable and their richness adds to the knowledge that the operator requires to understand all the settings possibilities. Options abound and you need proper training on how to leverage the right options for accuracy and efficiency to reproduce the desired part.
Standard Operating Procedures
Today, metal fabrication shops demand tighter tolerance, and small runs from their clients. The implementation of standard operating procedures and the right training in process execution go a long way towards the achievement of consistency in the production of high-end parts with minimal wastes. This is particularly true when you are comparing part variations that are produced with multiple operators that possess different levels of skills.
For recurring tasks, setup sheets can assist in achieving a high level of efficiency and consistency because they capture the previous knowledge of the best practices. They also help in eliminating the errors of omission and boost efficiency because the person does not have to figure out everything from scratch every time. This setup tools can comprise of the required tools settings, set up sequences, and other specific info about the job. A setup procedure can contain 7 steps which include;
The first step is to review and drawing. You do this the first time you are running a job and the information is captured to help in reviewing the subsequent runs. The basics include the type and thickness of the material, any flange tolerances and dimensions, the inside radios and angles required, and the blank size. Most drawings don’t specify the inside radios but this is crucial in determining the type of tooling that you need and, in some instances, which press brake.
The second step is selecting the tooling depending if air bending, coining, bottom bending, or any other application if they are called for.
Thirdly, establish the tonnage requirements depending on the toning method that you select in the second step.
The fourth thing is to position the tool either off-center or centered as appropriate and make any necessary adjustments. This is the most time-consuming step and you need a lot of care for precision.
The fifth step is setting the program parameters for your press brake control system. The area is another training opportunity for efficiency. Even though the step consumes a lot of time, very little time is dedicated to training, especially on the modern-day features that are more sophisticated.
Sixth is performing a test bend and making any adjustments. Use scrap wherever possible so as to save on the cost of materials. An operator who is well trained will make these adjustments efficiently and quickly. After forming a good part, you should not allow further adjustments in the parts.
Lastly, start running but set a sampling interval to ensure that the part will continue to be produced with appropriate tolerances. When operators use consistent training methods, they become more efficient in working with general processes and equipment. The simple tactic allows metal fabrication shops like Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Ohio to alleviate the rising material costs while producing high-quality products consistently. The experts use the specialty control features of modern press braking, consistent production process, and human knowledge to increase productivity and reduce scrap.
The company commands the largest customer base when it comes to all forms of laser cutting and metal fabrication projects. You can get your name on this list by simply consuming our contract manufacturing services.
Our core offerings and services at Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Ohio includes, but is not limited to, the following:
We service multiple cities throughout the state of Ohio. We provide all the services listed above, and much more in every city throughout Ohio.
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