Page 29 - MetalForming December 2019

Fabrication: Folding/Bending
plier partner MC Machinery Systems a 3-m, 135-ton BH13530 hybrid press brake. The machine’s dual-drive system controls high-speed up and down movement with a ballscrew and bend- ing movement with the servo-hydraulic piston. The technology allows for high- speed descent at 200 mm/sec. with high repeat-stop accuracy.
Other accuracy-ensuring features: ram cylinders powered by AC servo motor, combined with the 4-micron accuracy of the backgauge driven by Mitsubishi motors. In addition, auto- matic thickness detection minimizes angular irregularities due to material thickness and off-center bending. Smith notes how auto-crowning can all but eliminate deflection on fine bends, to 120 in. in pieces to 10-ft. long. He adds that the 40-deg. back- gauge has also had a major impact, compensating for bends that aren’t a true 90 deg. to the machine, and elim- inating the need for additional fixtures or tools.
All of this technology enables AccuBurn to complete the forming process for an ag customer in roughly half the time it took before purchasing the press brake—about four days instead of eight. “The new brake takes the bulk of the smaller pieces in the kit due to the much simpler changeover and setup,” Smith explains.
The shop does not restrain the use of the machine to the small parts in this new project, however. “We just can’t,” Smith says. “We’re doing 3 mil- lion lb. of parts per month with a 10- day lead time. It is definitely a just-in- time world, with nobody wanting inventory on their floor. As a result, our new press brake has been operating 10-12 hr./day, 6 days/wk. since it arrived last year. We’ve been able to do more 10-ft. bending since we got this machine than in the 15 years after we installed our first press brake.”
Transformational Technology
The new press brake has fundamen- tally transformed AccuBurn and the way it solicits and quotes new business, says Smith.
“We’ve won quite a few new jobs because I feel confident in knowing what the machine can do,” he says. “I know how much faster we can get the product out and how much easier it is to set up new jobs.”
The press brake’s software and its ease of use, says Smith, also has helped in the quoting process as it allows for simulation and testing before writing up an estimate, resulting in faster and more accurate quotes. This ease of use translates to the floor as well, with CAD files loaded directly into the machine and setup described in a clear step-
Shown: uniform bent steel created using the new hybrid press brake.
by-step format. Operators receive green notifications if strokes, shapes, lengths and clearances are in order, and red notices if there may be a collision or other issues.
While the features have saved on scrap and speeded up changeovers, the interface simplicity has improved onboarding and training processes as well. In a town of 4000 with three fac- tories within a 10-mile radius employ- ing 600-800 each, qualified labor can be hard to come by.
“You want the person that knows the math behind everything, but in this environment, you have to be able to work with less-experienced operators,” Smith explains. “The equipment elim- inates the need to figure out bend data and equations. Instead, operators can look at the print and determine if it’s an inside bend or outside leg, and the control compensates and does the math.” The technology has freed up team leaders to be true leaders instead of frequent troubleshooters, Smith adds.
“It’s rare that a single machine can have such wide-reaching impact,” he concludes, “both in terms of produc- tion and business operations.” MF
Article provided by MC Machinery Systems, Inc., Elk Grove Village, IL: 630/616-5920, www.mcmachinery.com
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