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You should always oversize the press brake capacity by around 20 ' 30% with respect to your data in order to allow for the variability in the characteristics of the metal and so that you are not in danger of working to the limits of the machine's capacity.
One of the most common misjudgements is to confuse the total force needed to bend a given sheet metal part with the tons per metre for the specific thickness, material and die. Find out more in this guide.
Clearance is simply the front opening of the press brake. A press brake with a larger stroke is a machine equipped with greater intermediates that allow easier extraction of the bent parts.
Different metals have varying properties and behave differently when subjected to bending. For instance, aluminum is generally more malleable than stainless steel. Understanding the characteristics of the specific material you're working with is essential in determining the appropriate press brake and bending parameters.
Our Ultimate Guide to Sheet Metal Materials provides expert insights and practical advice. Explore now to choose the perfect material for your project.
Complex press brakes offer advanced features and automation, but they often require skilled operators. If your team lacks the necessary expertise, consider the time and resources needed for training. Weigh the benefits of increased capabilities against the potential challenges of operator training and maintenance.
There are many different types of press brake machines. Each of these comes with its own set of advantages and limitations. You can choose the right press brake based on your use case. These different types of press brakes are:
Mechanical Press Brakes: simpler and more affordable, but with lower precision and speed.
Hydraulic Press Brakes: offer better precision and control but require more maintenance.
Pneumatic Press Brakes: fast and easy to operate but have lower force capacity than hydraulic presses.
Servo Press Brakes: highly precise and efficient.
CNC Press Brakes: fully automated for maximum productivity and accuracy.
Hybrid Press Brakes: combine the best features of hydraulic and electric press brakes for optimal performance.
Tandem press brake: particular configuration that involves the connection of two machines into one, but there are also solutions that combine three bending machines (tridem) or 4 bending machines (quadrem). Read our guide on "What to know before choosing a tandem press brake".
Secondary Factors to Consider For the Right Press Brake
Intermediates are adaptors to insert between the beam and the punches and are very useful because they allow deep box structures to be easily made.
The tool clumping systems are sub-divided into:
manual locks;
semi-automatic locks:
pneumatic blocks;
hydraulic locks;
The choice of correct locking is fundamental to reduce the work times and correctly manage the work zone.
It is a manual semi-automatic lock with rapid front locking-unlocking system of the punch. Operation is very simple and, compared to the traditional manual solution, allows faster and easier re-equipment of the machine.
In fact, by moving the locking lever, the punch is released to remove it from the front; while, on closure, the punch is automatically brought to stop and perfectly aligned.
The automatic tool locking systems allow equipping of the press brake in complete safety. The tools are automatically aligned, positioned and fastened. This solution drastically reduces the equipping time and considerably increases production.
Today, a modern and innovative solution exist that allows automated change of the punches and matrixes. For example, VICLA hybrid press brakes can be connected to an automatic tools warehouse that allows equipping, even on multiple stations, of higher and lower tools.
This system is customisable and designed to measure according to client requirements; it reduces setup by 4 or 5 times compared to manual tasks and automatically performs even the most complex equipping, managing 70 mm wide V matrices, rod holding tools and allowing the tool to rotate 180°.
Automation covers everything, including upstream operations. One of the more interesting aspects is programming by the technical office: the CAD/CAM system processes the three-dimensional file, creates the best bending cycle and sends the program to the machine that is automatically equipped, referencing the bending sequence directly on the numerical control. All tooling and machining data are automatically saved at the end of the work and exported to management for a 4.0 key data analysis.
The rear gauge is a motorised structure on which the references are set and can be moved and positioned to allow a variety of complex bends.
Movement of the back gauge along the depth of the machine is called axis X. Vertical lifting is called axis R.
It consists of very important and useful tools to support thin sheets. They are equipped with pneumatic operation and a Teflon coating that prevents marks on the material. They can also be activated by numerical control. There are 2 references and they are usually manual, but they can be automated and controlled directly by the CNC; the positioning of the stops is along the Z axis.
All towers are equipped on VICLA press brakes with a visual LED stop. Switch on of the LED ensures contact of the sheet with the reference.
In more accessorised versions, the towers are:
Motorised (axes z1- z2)
Independent (axes x2 - x3)
Anthropomorphic (axes r1 - r2)
The greater the length of a bending machine, the more the problems relating to the structural failure of the bench, making it more difficult to get a well worked part. Over the years, technological evolution has taken giant steps, passing from manual systems (such as using paper shims under the matrix) to automatic, mechanical or hydraulic systems, where a pre-load of the assumed deformation was determined. The limit of these systems is based on a theoretical calculation set by numerical control.
VICLA has developed an intelligent system that improves the work in the workshop: the active Clever Crowning system.
Thanks to special sensors in the beams, crowning enables measurement and compensates deformations in real time. There is no need to set any data; the system actively reacts to changes in characteristics.
Each press brake, despite its robustness, is subject to structural bending, during the bending phase, and obviously the deformations are much bigger the greater the effort the machine has to make.
The main deformation is crowning, which corresponds to bending of the beam which is pushed into position by the side cylinders; the other (and for many reasons semi-unknown), is called in jargon 'yawn' and is the tendency of the frames to open in the throat zone.
Thanks to the Flex system the sheet metal press brake dynamically compensates any deformations based on the effort required: the CNC receives the data from the pressure sensors of the cylinders, which are interpolated in real time to establish the correction to implement.
It is not enough to just add an inverter to call a press brake "hybrid"; in fact, technological innovation revolves around a specific hydraulic system, which in the case of the standard hybrid model, includes a completely independent dual hydraulic circuit, each equipped with its own tank, motor, pump and inverter.
The functional separation of the two cylinders allows optimised control according to the load required for each cylinder; moreover, it allows efficiency to be achieved in terms of energy.
It is a system able to minimise wear of the machine by concentrating all its efficiency and automatically balancing the working pressure exclusively on the side that is used during bending of that specific part.
A further level of performance is provided by the Hybrid Plus model: the system consists of a brushless motor for each cylinder, capable of providing high forces and high movement speeds. It is an even more compact system consisting of a direct drive motor and pump, installed directly on the cylinders. with significantly reduced piping.
The results in numbers of this technological innovation are significant, as seen on the graph.
VICLA's angle control consists of two laser sensors mounted on linear guides that slide to the rear and front of the press brake bench taking the measurement in one or three points depending on the length of the piece.
Located on the sides of the matrixes, they have the purpose of reading, through a system of lasers and cameras, the inclination of the edges of the bends during deformation.
It is the most complete and performing solution for automatic angle measurement and control.
Angle reading takes place in 3 phases:
A laser beam is projected on the sheet metal surface
The camera detects the elastic recovery of the material
The CNC automatically sets the correction suitable to obtain the system desired angle that we use on our VICLA press brakes and is the best you can find on the market. The guaranteed precision is very high and in the order of fractions of a degree.
The system is also able to historicize the elastic recovery of the sheets, ensuring a constant and specific self-learning of the press based on the real situation of the company.
Obviously the angle control system guarantees the best performance if it is supported by solid and precise mechanics and perfect integration with numerical control.
With the latter, there is a continuous data exchange dialogue that allows perfect application with each item being processed.
If, for example, for volume issues, a specific bend cannot be measured by the angle control system, it can be "linked" to the previous reading made on another flap of the same piece.
The company is the world’s best Hydraulic Metal Bending Brake supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Vicla optical angle control is a safe investment and surprisingly quick return as it makes continuous measurement operations by the operator completely unnecessary with an exponential increase in productivity and quality.
Probe angle control
There are essentially three types: inserts in the punch, hosted in the matrixes or applied to parallel sliding trolleys the exact same as those of the optical systems and placed on the sides of the bench.
On first examination, it could appear a definitive solution, however these are also not without limitations which, in practice, only appear during their real use.
The first is without doubt the installation difficulty. This is the typical limit of the controls inserted in the tools that include use of special punches and matrixes equipped with sophisticated, sensor-based strips.
Such angle control systems have very poor versatility when you consider they are not usable by changing tool set-ups.
Another limitation is their characteristic fragility.
Being small and very sophisticated mechanical elements, they are easily subject to failure caused by accidental impacts or malfunctions due to the accumulation of dust and dirt.
O.A.C. (Optical Angle Control)
Optical control is directly assembled on photocells to capture images of the profile detecting, calculating and correcting the bending angle.
One of the most sophisticated optical controls is the IRIS PLUS system. Although it is part of the optical angle control unit, IRIS plus is an alternative solution because it can perform an extremely accurate reading during the bending phase while remaining at a safe distance from the work area.
This eliminates any interference between the parts and the angle control devices and achieves totally versatile use.
The system, in fact, allows very interesting accuracy and reliability if the emitter and the receiver are not beyond a certain distance.
After approximately 2.5 metres, in fact, there is a natural increase in the phenomenon of refraction of light rays that reach the control system which are not sufficiently clear. The "noise" can be reduced by decreasing the sensitivity of the system but with the consequence of not ensuring the same accuracy in the reading of the bend.
The bottom bed has a bending/flattening table in order to perform flat hem bends without the need for a dedicated die. Its versatility makes it the ideal solution for companies that carry out many flat hem bends. The option is built directly into the die holder, and therefore can be used in conjunction with any other die that has a standard connection without the need to disassemble the table.
Front sheet metal supports
These front supports have a linear guide that extends beyond the bottom beam. Their height can be adjusted and they also slide sideways and rotate. A practical clamp-release system makes them very easy to mount and remove quickly.
They can lift weights up to 380kg. Use of the metal sheet bending followers offers an important advantage to reduce risks for the operator and increase the quality of the bent parts: it was designed to avoid counter-bend effects and reduce the need for other operators. It can also be easily removed from the front and placed on another bending machine.
An extension of the linear guides, extending beyond the bench. This solution is used to park the sheet metal supports when not in use.
It is powered by an integrated solar panel that allows you to get up to 20% more autonomy from battery life; it does not require connection, nor cable laying. The ultrasonic sensors are located on either side of the lower bench to transmit and receive data wirelessly.
The system indicates via the incorporated LED the right locking position of the equipment during tool configuration and indicates the position of the active tool in production mode.
It is a real and proper visual aid immediately available to the operator who, by doing so, does not waste time measuring and understanding where to position the tool and can dedicate his time to other operations.
The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Perfect Used Hydraulic Press Brake for Sale
If you are looking to buy a used hydraulic press brake, then you have come to the right place. Whether you' are wanting to upgrade your existing hydraulic press brake machine or buying your first hydraulic press brake machine, we will provide you with valuable insights, tips, and recommendations that will help you make an informed decision to choose the ultimate bending machine for your specific requirements. Selecting the right bending machine for your business is a crucial decision that can significantly impact your productivity and efficiency. We can assist you with the right information to make an informed decision.
What is a Hydraulic Press Brake
A hydraulic press brake is a machine tool used to bend sheet metal and plates of various material types. It uses a hydraulic mechanism to apply force to a punch, which then presses the workpiece against a die to create the desired bend. Hydraulic press brakes are known for their versatility, power, and accuracy, making them indispensable in industries such as manufacturing, sheet metal fabrication, construction and mining workshops. These powerful metal forming machines are essential for bending sheet metal and plate of various material types with precision and efficiency.
The bending process involves several key components:
1. The upper beam or ram, which moves vertically and holds the punch (top tool)
2. The lower beam or bed, which supports the die (vee block)
3. The hydraulic system, which provides the force for bending
4. The backgauge (backstop), which positions the workpiece accurately
5. The control system, which manages the bending parameters and machine operations
Key Features of Hydraulic Press Brakes
Reasons to Choose a Hydraulic Press Brake
Power and Versatility
Hydraulic Press Brakes offer superior bending force compared to mechanical alternatives. This allows them to handle thicker materials and perform a wider range of bending operations. The ability to adjust pressure and speed makes them suitable for various materials and bend types, from thin sheet metal to thick steel plates.
Precision and Consistency
Hydraulic Press Brakes, provide accuracy and repeatability. This ensures consistent results across large production runs, reducing waste and improving overall quality.
Maintenance Costs
Compared to mechanical press brakes, hydraulic systems generally have fewer moving parts. This translates to reduced wear and tear, leading to lower maintenance costs and longer machine life. However, regular maintenance of the hydraulic system is crucial for optimal performance.
Adaptability to Different Materials
Hydraulic press brakes can easily adapt to different material types and thicknesses by adjusting the bending force and speed. This makes them suitable for working with everything from soft aluminium, mild steel, stainless steel copper, hardox, domex, and other high tensile strength steels.
Types of Hydraulic Press Brakes
Conventional Hydraulic Press Brakes
These traditional models use a straightforward hydraulic system to power the ram. They are reliable, cost-effective, and suitable for many standard bending applications. The are often preferred for simple, repetitive bending tasks.
NC Hydraulic Press Brakes
A Hydraulic Pressbrake equipped with a numerical control (NC) These machines offer the ability to do programmable bending sequences for repetitive production jobs. They are useful for production work. NC systems can store a limited number of programs, allowing for quick setup and changeover between different parts.
CNC Hydraulic Press Brakes
A Hydraulic Press Brake Equipped with computer numerical control, these machines offer programmable bending sequences, automatic tool selection, and enhanced precision. They are ideal for complex parts and high-volume production. CNC systems can store multiple programs, allowing for quick setup and changeover between different parts.
Tandem Hydraulic Press Brakes
Multiple press brakes linked together to handle extra-long workpieces. These are essential for industries dealing with large-scale metal fabrication, such as shipbuilding or large structural components. Tandem systems can often be operated as a single large machine or as individual units for smaller jobs.
Factors to Consider when looking for a Used Hydraulic Press Brake For
Sale
Bending Capacity
Determine the types of material you will need to bend and the re maximum thickness of these materials as well as the length of the materials you' will need to bend . If in doubt, let our expert team assist you to determine the correct t capacity of bending machine you will need to ensure you choose a press brake with adequate tonnage and bed length to accommodate your needs.
Available Space
Remember to consider the footprint of the machine and any additional space required for material handling and operator movement. Don't forget to account for safety zones and maintenance access.
Tooling Compatibility
Ensure the press brake is equipped with suitable tooling for your jobs or factor in the cost of additional tools if required.
After-Sales Support
Spare parts available as well as the ability to re-engineer parts, and an in-house team for technical support, and training.
Popular Hydraulic Press Brake Manufacturers
Promecam Press Brakes machines are primarily manufactured in Italy. The company is recognized for its expertise in producing advanced machine tools and pressbrakes for the sheet metal working industry
MVD Press Brakes machines are manufactured in Konya, Turkey. The production site in Turkey is noted for its advanced manufacturing capabilities, producing a range of specialized machinery, including CNC press brakes and guillotine shears.
LVD Press Brake machines are manufactured in Belguim and has established itself as a leading enterprise in laser, punching, and bending technology,
Pearson Press Brakes are primarily manufactured in England but were also manufactured under license in other countries including South Africa
Amada Press Brakes are known for their high-end CNC hydraulic press brakes with advanced features and excellent precision. Amada offers a wide range of models suitable for various industries and applications.
Adira Press Brakes are manufactured in Portugal. The company specializes in producing hydraulic, press brakes, as well as shears, and has stablished itself as a leading manufacturer in the sheet metal working machinery sector
Maintaining Your Used Hydraulic Press Brak
eTo ensure longevity and optimal performance of your hydraulic press brake, consider the following maintenance tips:
Investing in a hydraulic press brake is a significant decision that can greatly impact your production capabilities. By considering factors such as bending capacity, accuracy requirements, production volume, and available budget, you can select a machine that best fits your needs.
Finally, think about your future needs. While it's important to choose a machine that meets your current requirements, consider how your production might evolve over the next 5-10 years. Opting for a machine with some room for growth can be a wise long-term strategy
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