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@pressbraketools-blog
If you didn't catch the vacation with the seaside like us and stay in Lombardy, you can try lakes during weekend. Como, Garda, Maggiore... Italy has incredible mountain+lake nature and best places you can ever see. This is why millionaires prefer to pass vacations and to buy houses near. Probably not a lot of places for swim but you can find private beaches. And for sure italian restaurants magnificent views.
The monument for bended sheet metal located in Como, Italy. Nice industrial style, is it? We don't know the original name but looks very stylish. Come to see! It is one minute from Piazza Volta location.
Hot weather, august... Great time to have the vacation. Moreover mid of August or Ferragosto in Italy is similar to religion and there is no possibilities to stop lot of Italy to close their activities. State departments closed half of the day but lot of companies, bars, shops closed completely. And you can't imagine how everything overbooked. Ah, what about us? Well, we would like to rest but still have the time to look for your inquiries. So if you need press brake tools and you can't receive reply from other italian companies - you are welcome to contact us! Anything the sea at this time is great so please do not work too much. So mail and do not forget about our summer sales. Regards, to your business!
Street furniture made by several bends with sheetmetal. Simple, robust and very nice to use! This is the idea what you can do with the waste of your workshop.
TRUMPF-WILA PRESS BRAKE TOOLS
We can offer the good replacement for all press brake tools of Trumpf-WILA types. All main punches are manufactured with 42CrMo4 for long-time use nad high efficiency. Our tools could be replaced and equal 100% to sizes of original OW Trumpf punches and EV Trumpf dies. High tonnage radiused tools under request. As original tooling we can provide safety buttons for frontal loading. As usual for all our tools - possible of coating, modification of radius, special lengths, special horns and much more. Contact us for details.
PRESS BRAKE AUTOMATION
Normally it is reasonable to say that this subject is outside our range of job. We are writing about press brake tools because we supply them but automation of bending is the subject dedicated to the manufacturers of press brakes. Yes, mostly true and here is why we made idea for this article. There was the request where the customer want to bend steel with 25 mm thickness. Nothing special and it is possible to offer the quotation but also is necessary to justify could the machine will be able to provide the high tonnage at one area without any damage and deflection. And moreover it was standard Promecam system which is normally only for 100 t/m and the reason to change intermediates for thicker one. All of these things are not standard but not really complicated to deal with and moreover we checked the possibility to supply adapters to move to Trumpf-Wila because for this system and width 20 mm tools 200 t/m could be possible. Ok, but what is here about automation? Will explain. Customer wants to buy press brake tools to start new production. But what is the weight of part? Mainly it was quite small width but more than 35 kg. So how you will deal with it? It is possible to make the project and to calculate everything but how to handle the part of big weight if it will be real typical production with quantities each day? And funny story that customer didn't think about it too. And this means that all our stuff could be completely useless if the customer can't handle the part in production. No, he can organize the handling with two workers or workshop light crane but the constant manual handling doesn't lead to the normal production. So the first reason is not to think about the tools but to know about automation. For several bends and new press brake it could be the following frontal support which follow the part during the bending. But to make the full handling it is necessary to think about automatic or semiautomatic system to move the part or robotic solution. Yes, the first field of automation is not the repeatable massive job but the heavy parts where manual handling is quite hard or impossible. Moreover the market offers also the solutions for existing press brakes to equip them with automatic system. The other story is massive production. Work of press brake operator is not the easy one. He need all the hours to stay at the front of the machine and to make the moving of pieces one by one. If the job really repeatable, robot could be really great solutions to increase the productivity and moreover to enter the mode of 24 hours working shift. Moreover there are different developments to change the jobs, change the press brake tools, change the pallet for loading and unloading of parts etc. It is useful to know that the robot is also very flexible investment if you made the right choice - tomorrow you can move it to other applications and install welding system for example. Robotic sheet metal bending not so massive product like welding cells for example but there are a lot of reasons to run with robots. And it is also the side of the investment to new digital technologies, modern factory and the latest innovations at the field. It is interesting also to see that some manufacturers develops also robotic innovations to change the press brake tools with second robot on fly. With one robot it is quite problematic because the necessary to change the gripper. But if you are looking for really fast production and change of working cycles there are possible to supply also special tool racks together with robot or other manipulator to prepare on the press brake new tools for the new job. It is interesting to know that automatic solution could be also not the stand-alone bending cell but the connection to other systems, for example transfer the parts from punching or to and from other areas. There are a lot of fantasies and projects which should be true - several robots for long parts, gantry systems or rails for robots to move it out of press brake area if necessary to work by operator again, small work of punching station, fastening operations etc. In addition automatic cell is the part for digital factory or Industry 4.0 which is today the first name to develop the modern workshop.
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DEFECTS AND BREAK OF TOOLING
Ok, a lot of articles how to choose and what to keep in mind to purchase press brake tools. Now this is the time to tell how it could be easily broke or defected.
First thing to know from the customer side - normally press brake tools are investments for years. Nobody can tell you the real duration of life to use but it really could be years depends of all circumstances you have during the bending process. Normally it is also possible to provide the guarantee, why not, but it is just not typical in tooling practice because everybody knows that tooling is the subject of wear and tear. Anyway it could be really long period of use, thousand of bends and even normal condition after it if the caring about the recommended conditions will be performed.
Why important to follow all recommendations? It is very easy - damage of the tool is the reason to replace the tool completely and to purchase the new one. But even small damages and scratches are the problem because they will effect result of bending in terms of precision and quality of surface. Even small defect will be the reason to see the problem on the final part. It means - for example, operator didn't realize the small damage of tools and continued to work several days and, finally, as the result production has hundred of defected parts. The second importance. The purchased tools, for example, were made with special geometry and the cost was twice or triple than standard. The defect for this type of tool means more expensive for production to replace.
Now, from small to big...
To care about the adherence if to work with aluminum or zinc plated sheets. This will effect for the fast and accelerated die wear and the real remedy is only to order the tools with special coating. The temporary solution - to have near the air blast or air gun to clean the tools during and after the work.
Burrs, even small mean that first you bend the burr and after - the bend you need. Burrs are the good subject for high wear of tools and the main solution - manual or automated deburring of sheet metal parts before bending. Lot of companies do not think that small burrs are really important but even small burrs are the problem for high volume production.
Storage as the last and simple. Keep your press brake tools clean and properly stored. Yes, you can store them as the pile, do not care about the conditions and corrosions to finally have marked and scratched scrap of metal to bend just something not precision and simple. If the customer cares about his production he should to be care about his tools as well. Unfortunately we met a lot of situations when the tools are stored as the pieces of metal.
Customer bends other things... This is really story from life when the customer several weeks after receipt of new tools started to bend bars. To bend something outside of flat sheet metal parts is the subject for additional study and for sure nobody will give you any guarantee for the process and efficiency of tooling. Moreover the customer bended bars with coining process and after several bends he damaged the bottom of die opening. You should know - the bottom of die opening is outside of working zone for standard air bending process so this area is not hardened also. Moreover during bar bending the force is provided from the top of bar and not distributed like sheet metal bending. Anyway, if such special applications are presented the main reasonable way - to ask the tool supplier and the supplier of press brake about possibilities to make without any risks. Otherwise there are different possibilities to damage. And we should say that in our example the customer was lucky just to damage the cheap die.
Tonnage and limitations. Usually sheet metal bending is connected with small thickness parts. For these applications 100 ton, 3 meter machines, so 33 tons per meter and no any problem with the tooling or the machine. And everything changes when the customer wants to make thick material, use the force of press brake in one area without length distribution, work with hard resistance materials or ignores the way of air bending and tries to make small radius started with coining.
The results could be dramatically - damaged dies, bended punches with the deflection of the center line, problems with the machine. Any big force activity is subject for study - reason to change the tooling from standard ones to special with more high limits, subject to speak with the manufacturer of the machine and to think double time about all possible problems. There are lot of possibilities to reduce the tonnage like increase of V-die opening so the customer should follow the limits and moreover do not make overloading more than 80% to leave 20% for all possible risks.
It is also very important to know. For all main tool manufacturers even high forces bending is the main theory so it is possible to review the possible tonnage to guarantee based on the thinnest area of tool and used tool material. For example for Promecam 100 t/m is the limit because tang width 13 mm only. Ok, it is possible to install heavy duty intermediates. But... there are also bolted clamps, will they be ok for 200 t/m force? Hard to say. So this is the reason to be very accurate with high tonnage applications. And if possible to leave them for big tonnage press brakes and heavy duty tooling from the begin.
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TESTING OF TOOLING
Press brake bending is the theory for all press brake tools manufacturers. When the customer asks for tonnage, springback, tolerance, angle - all what is possible to provide is the main theory. Yes, it is based on some experience, formulas, ideas and calculations but when the tool was not tested with your steel - there are only theoretical parameters. Moreover everybody who works in production is informed that even the same trademark of material from different batches could lead to different results in deformation. How theory becomes practice. There is no magic - nobody of press brake tools manufacturers has in workshop press brake even for 100 tons to test all parts. So normally any test goes to the small length of part to test with compact press brake. Moreover if customer asks strict tolerances probably everybody ask for bigger gap - it is hard to take all costs for mistakes and to guarantee something extremely precise and special. And there is other black spot - even if you can test tool for 100 mm it doesn't guarantee that results will be the same in two meters - there are longitudinal relations as well. But anyway if the tooling should be shipped and the shape is special, it is impossible to ship the theoretical shape and non-tested production result because the manufacturer should have some obligations about the tool he developed. That is why the question in-shop testing is necessary and should be solved before shipment. How to test if possible to test? There are two main available small costs practices: laser cutting sections with welding or plastic based dimensional printing. Plastic based printing is completely new solution with incredible advantage - just necessary to have 3d printer to make the prototype. But there is also one big disadvantage - plastic is not the metal and this means strength of plastic is enough to test special tools for thin material applications. But anyway plastic prototypes have the good future for development - 3d metal printing is the nearly future. Moreover to add more strength to the tool it is made not only with plastic 3d printing but with some internal metal inserts around the working zone to prevent some big deformation. Anyway it is not the working solution but the tool for tests. Laser cutting together with the welding - traditional testing process to make small section of special tool. Disadvantage of the process is the access to laser cutting machine but the advantage that you will have real metal not hardened tool with the necessary shape to make the test bend. Is there the future for development? Hard to say but replacing of laser cutting to waterjet can give the possibility to cut solid sections about 50 mm or more with greatest precision. It is also important that the costs for preparation of such shape are very low to make just several cuts in one sheet. What is the final for the test? Normally the bend quality and geometry which is acceptable by the customer to start the manufacture of normal bending tool with proper material and hardening. Or the feedback that allows to make modification. The reason of testing and testing tool prototypes is very important - nobody wants to deal with the modification of prepared and hardened tooling after the sale. And any possibilities should be used to reduce to the minimum of any risks. So the test prototype is the way to control the deformation to remake the theory into the real bend. Anyway every repeatable process has the solution to realize but based on the limits for part and the tool. It is the question of experience and the field knowledge. The main point is usually only one - customer has the real and reasonable requirements and accept the calculations of special tools. All other should be the subject of study. And there is no the black point, even with thick material is possible to make the modulation of forces and stress to have the theory realistic. It is not usual procedure but helps to terminate the black spots.
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RADIUS BENDING
Radius bending is one of the wide used application with the press brakes and as usual requires a lot of details. So we would like to speak more about it. Normally and the first the radius bending is the subject for consideration and precision calculation of possible springback. We already wrote it in other article so here we would like to ignore the main theory but one point still important - based on springback probably you need the tooling with the radius smaller than you want to obtain. This is very delicate question and can't be ignored but usually nobody has the perfect solution for it - we can't guarantee the real radius without tests and the customer can't understand how to achieve what he want. So mainly if the application is the first one in the customer workshop i.e. he doesn't have any practice for such bending - supply of tooling is the subject of compromises. We can supply tools for desired radius but if after bending because of springback he will get bigger value - it is his question to rebend. Next and more interesting point is the tool limitation. All the main producers today provide the solution with standard press brake tools for radius bending up to R50. There are different reasons why it goes this way - in practice it means that there are not so many orders for other and repeated radius types so to make stock of such tools if the wasting of money. Moreover to provide the good price nobody makes the one tool and to make ten when you by two of them - manufacturer has the problem to sell other eight. Other reasons are the connection with holders (tool should be not very heavy), possible tonnage etc. So we have the question - what is happen if you need to make R75. Or 95. Or 200. The bending theory of radius bending has 2 solutions. One means the full radius for one bend. And if you are making the standard radius, for example R25, there is no other solution, moreover it is the most economical one. There are differences - or you will buy the holder with radius insert or you will buy better and special solid radiused punch but anyway you will work with one stroke. Second solution called bumping and means the use of step bending to make one bigger radius with several smaller one. And there are also the different parameters, for example you can make R200 with punch R50 with 5 bends or 10 bends. To understand how many steps you need you should divide the complete length of the bend for several parts and probably make the tests according to the requirements how to obtain the smooth radius. Normally we would like to say that if customer requests the bend from R50 to R100 there could be the ideas and we can offer the special punch (but customer should understand that it costs more than standard) but if the request if to bend more than R100 - only bumping process is possible. This is not very hard in practice and the same work like a step bending but before running automatic programs the operator should find the optimal solutions. Radius bending is the question to the die choice as well. For example a lot of people like to use polyurethane dies specially for radius bending which also provides the mark free operation. We can't recommend soft materials in terms of repeatability because after number of bends the return of structural possibilities of soft material could be completely changed, meanwhile if you can accept this solution why not to use it. Normally big radiuses require big dies - according to the possibilities and also for reduction of forces. As we mentioned in springback article the choosing of angle of die also is important - more sharp angle could prevent for material return. Also with big opening dies the customer need to think about the question of handling - the weight is very big so the operator should be able to have the access for lifting devices to remove and install dies on the machine. The radius bending of big thickness material makes additional requests to the construction of tooling - if it is made as support and insert - it should be quite important that the connection side is very rigid to prevent any displacement because of high forces. For this reasons even for medium thickness materials we are offering nitrided version of radius inserts - the forces could make the wear of insert very fast and any protection should be helpful.
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ALL ABOUT MULTI-V BENDING DIES
There are no clear picture for Multi V bending dies so we prepared the article to speak about all. Standard for all main Italian press brake toolsproducers are max. 4V dies for Promecam system. These are not the effective or best solution but very loved by all press brake suppliers to use the set of 1 punch and 1 x 4V die which could be used for different thicknesses. For customer it means the universality and flexibility - he can bend different thicknesses with only one die. So how it goes it most ways - customer buys 105 mm punch and 4V die with press brake and after the starting of the daily work customer tries to realize what he needs more. What is not good with Multi-V dies? Differences in openings are too big so if you cares about specific radius and other parameters of bending with nearly thicknesses of materials it is recommended that you will buy standard single-V die specially for your job. But the solution with Multi V should be more interested if there is the story about 8 or 10 openings on one die - this is usually used for Chinese and Taiwanese machines, Spanish and South America manufacturers etc. But it is important that the clamping for bottom tools can be used to clamp width like 90-95 mm, 110-115 mm etc. Moreover even if the customer wants it it is better to think twice if he really needs this die or just couple of standard single V types. Why we also don't really like them? Because if the first one came from Asia with the cheapest quality and material, customer really doesn't want to pay more than 1000 eur/meter for new one. And attention, also to wait more than 4 weeks in case that standard T die could be shipped in 2-3 days. Why any T-shape single die is more preferred for small openings than Multi-V. Just the configuration - if you have any return bends (both directions) you can also easily catch the collision with your Multi-V and will be limited with bends configuration. Could be other question to use Multi-V for high tonnage and thicknesses, for example big openings and body of die 200*200 or more. This type of die for example on tandem of 12 meters with the possibility of fast rotation with lifting equipment can save a lot of money against several single V types. So in such cases there are big reasons to use configuration of Multi-V if possible with probably no any objections contrary. Important to say that in Trumpf-Wila or Beyeler any Multi-V dies are never used. It is not projected to install according to the holder for tang and there is no technical or economical reason to look for the solution. So the reason of use obn other system came from the wish of the customer but it is necessary to justify the efficiency.
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HEAVY DUTY TOOLS
Heavy duty tools and applications - special thing when customer should be informed about. And we will try to explain to you - why and when. Let's speak about standard Promecam press brake tools. The standard max. tonnage for these type of tools is 100 t/m maximum. And this doesn't because of the tool geometry and material. This is because intermediate has only 13 mm width for the main part so this width is completely not enough for high tonnage. So if you have even 220 tons 3 meters press brake it doesn't mean that you can use these 220 tons for small length of heavy and thick material. You have a force distribution to the length but you are quite limited for the pointed force applications. Everything more than 8-10 mm requires higher tonnage and the question what is possible to do with standard clamping system is still open. Heavy duty tools and heavy duty clamping system - the system to achieve high tonnage applications to bend thick material. Heavy duty is standard system to install on high tonnage long presses or tandems but even for press brake till 300-400 tons the question how to work with heavy duty could be risen. Construction of heavy duty tangs is different but normally has 30-40 mm of width to have the best strength of the clamping system against high pressing force and stress. For standard Promecam tooling system it is impossible to change the full clamp but the use of heavy duty intermediates with middle part with higher width can raise the possibility to work with high tonnage. There is one more difference between Promecam and, for example Trumpf-Wila system - the active force distribution at the part of the clamp. The construction of Promecam allows only lateral force from the side of clamping tang where in Trumpf-Wila both sides from tang should be active. In practice it means that Trumpf-Wila could be used for, for example, 160 t/m without any modification of clamp. For sure the question to think about high tonnage applications should be presented at the begin of purchasing of the press brake. But many companies come to thick material later and ask how it could be realized with existing press brake with minimum additional investments. If the problem of high tonnage is very complicated, probably it is possible yo reduce the tonnage with bigger opening of bending die. Everything together with straight part requirements and min. radius will be bigger but if it could work and fits the technical possibilities of your press brake why not to try. Moreover for upper clamps and any modifications the beam construction of the press brake is very important when everybody has at minimum 90 mm width of lower table to install even big opening of bending dies. At final, heavy duty press brake tools could be solid investment because every time they are special with construction and application. And the customer really needs to understand about the needs. There are no more ways and not the subject for economy if you purchase new 1,5 million of euro tandem press brake with total 12 meters. But if you have couple of parts for thick material at single order you should think twice to study any tooling for it.
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HARDNESS AND QUALITY
Fine story if one manufacturer tries to inform all that he is in TOP-3 in Italy and other companies are not good. The discussion about quality is everlasting and if to "play with ethic rules" the most reasonable way is to close these discussions at all. Moreover press brake tools are very specified products with duration of life for years so it is hard to say how fast they will worn and for sure it is impossible to compare with competitors in the same conditions. The other story is special products from the manufacture like special geometry for affordable prices when everybody else offers it much more expensive and very special. The main story to know in Italy that hardening is one for all which means that conditions in hardening will be the same if the material will be used nearly the same. As result more or less quality for everybody is near the same if the tools are “Made in Italy” and do not just marked after arrival from China. There could be other tricks like supply of standard geometry with 42CrMo4 material which is better but for sure these will be not the same conditions. So if the tooling will be made with requested tolerances without faults it will be good from any manufacturer. If something happened in production it is special case but not the question of quality for all goods. The other story of quality is following of project. There is impossible to have big and flexible press brake machine so when you buy special tools from most of suppliers you will get “theoretical solutions” which means that the tool will work but without 100% guarantee because was not tested. We would like also to say that not ISO or any other good looking document will not guarantee for you the perfect tool. If you need it better to request top-level from the beginning, do not calculate money but to get best of best. The principle of saving of quality is only one – to work with the good conditions to prevent defects of tooling before time. Burrs, overloads, same die for several thicknesses, coining instead of air-bending – these all factors which can dramatically reduce the life of your tools. Important to know that hardness is used only for working surfaces so you need to take care to work only with them. For example we had one customer who started to bend bars, real round bars with coining at the first week of tooling receipt and claimed that found the defects in the internal die groove. There are lot of stories like this with only one moral – follow the requirements or please provide to the manufacturer all the things you want to do. Last year’s there are a lot of talking about German quality tool but we would like to say that most of German companies have a close cooperation with Italy which means that the customer is just risky for overpayment for country of origin and finally will receive the same Italian tooling. But Germany is strong enough with special solution and special tooling or attacks.
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ONE MORE TIME ABOUT SPECIAL TOOLS
Normally every press brake tooling supplier has a lot of requests for special press brake tools with very few real orders. Why it is happen? In general customer can't imagine the price for special tool and makes improper calculation - like it will be something double as standard and that's it. So we will try to explain you better what are special tools for us and any other press brake tooling manufacturer. Let's imagine about standard punches. Everybody have them in stock and to give the best delivery normally punches are made in batch with production program like 100 pieces. Now, you need special punch. Maybe you need something other like standard but 10 years ago somebody bought this punch configuration and you just want repeat the same geometry because you know exactly how it works. And after receipt of the offer of 3000-4000 EUR for full length you are quite surprised because it is the third part of your press brake value. And there are a lot of situation like this with press brake of dead (bankrupt) companies, old non-grinded tools, special clamps, special angles etc. To have all cleared you need to see the question from the view of production. Any modification of punch outside of nearly standard parameters (for example small radius modification) requires completely new program to run. So basic main production will be cancelled for 1-2 pieces of special tools. So the main question of the special price is in general the tooling cycle i.e. special fabrication outside of main production program. This picture is the same for all producers, moreover we know the stories that even for expensive order the manufacturer doesn't want to stop production and to re-setup the machine for couple of days. And every customer should know that press brake tools is not just piece of metal even if it is in simple geometry but the piece of metal which should be fabricated under special program. Second story is the technical study. There is the true - nobody likes customers who will get the solution from one hands and after that will go to everybody looking for the best prices. Or with thoughts that solution is good but the price should be twice less and it is possible to find it from other suppliers. This is chances to all to understand budgets at the beginning. Unfortunately, as we told customer usually knows nothing and in such way it is really doubt that he will buy special tools from somewhere. Under our experience there is one more story with all special deformations. Usually press brake bending is connected with previous punching. Please be informed - if your punch press is not so old first step is to verify with all deformations - is the possibility to make them on punching press. For example we can offer tools for louvers to make with press brake but it will be double than punching tool. Same story with hinges. Same story with ribs and possible waveable deformation if it is 1-2 routes. So if you have punch press and the part could be done with it just even not try to study the press brake deformation because it will be waste of money and loss of time to study your project. But when the customer will be really customer for special press brake tools? When he needs the part, the part require special configuration tooling for the bending and he has real production quantity to make investments in tools. Because if customer has 10000 parts for standard tools, 10 for specials we never can sell special to him because there is no value to return money of investments. Next story usually are big forces press brakes and tandems, especially to make really deep parts with requirements of >300 mm height tools. Moreover sometimes tools are requested in long sections to remove any risk of loosing for tolerances - for example 6000+6000 mm could be more precision than 15... sections of 835 mm. But the story is completely other because the main value of equipment is very high - the machines for 12 meters could cost more than million of EUR. 10% of investments for tooling is really reasonable investment. And this is completely opposite story than replacement of tools for machine which is 30 years old and normal grinded tools could cost the same or higher.
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CLOSED BOX BENDING
The story with boxes bending is one of the main theories to study the principles of bending, work of press brake tools and imagine the positions and steps in your head. Don't know exactly the number but bending of boxes also is the main task for press brake - all electrical cases mainly are boxes. The second story could be doors with the same concept like closed boxes but with other dimensions. What is the story about box bending? At first "box" is the application which require sectioned tooling. Because of 4 sides it means that you can't use the tool of any length like any opened bend or profile. You will have lateral sides and it means that you need the length of bending punch exactly the same as the length of bending, not more (because you can't of lateral sides) and not less (because you will have not completed deformation at the missed areas). Sectioned press brake tools mainly not are for boxes only but if your box length is outside of standard length of the solid punch it means 100% that you need sectioned tool. And if you have the length which is not corresponded to the sections summary probably you need also the punch with special cuts. The second story - if you have closed box even sectioned press brake tools are not enough but you need to have horns. Horn help is required to bend if upper shelf of box will make the collision with the punch. Horns are only solution and equal to the possible width of shelf you can obtain. The bigger shelf require special horns development. Horns could be also really unique if the bending will be of box or panel different than 90 degrees angles. So mainly bending of box request 2 questions - how to bend (sectioned tools + horns for last internal bends) and how to extract. Extraction means that after the bending you can't just make the return move - it is not enough to remove the horns. Normally parts usually are extracted with diagonal repositioning and even this reposition is not enough - it is possible to obtain movable horns.
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ORIGINAL AND NON-ORIGINAL PRESS BRAKE TOOLS
One day we have read the article from one of very big press brake machines manufacturer about the advantages of original tools. In two words all the advertisement follows two main ideas - quality of tooling and complete package from one hands. And we would like to comment some words about it. In the world there are hundreds of press brake manufacturers with all type of quality, technical possibilities and prices. Normally if you will buy press brake from any manufacturer you can request the offer for tooling and supplied press brake tools probably will be marked with the name of the manufacturer. But the story is that less than 10 manufacturers in the world have really tooling production inside without external purchases. All other use standard cooperation possibilities to buy tooling mainly in Italy, receive it, mark it and sell to the customer. Yes, really probably it could be even economically reasonable because press brake producers usually have best discounts for tools but from other side tools will go for examply from Italy to Turkey and after that will be sold together with the machine to the customer to be returned back in EU. So finally - there is no any additional quality because normally manufacturers supply the same tools. Yes, could be other special cases but they are exceptions to the rules. Yes, customer normally prefer to get all from one hands. In one side it is more safely and from other side manufacturer will be responsible for the project at all. And mainly if the manufacturer made the obligations to bend the complicated part we will recommend to buy the bending tooling from him as the guarantee for everything. But if the customer will purchase press brake as just the machine and standard tooling without any study of parts just as general set for everything it is better to save money and to look out for other offers. What does this all mean? Normally only one thing - European press brake tools are usually with high quality and the subject "non-original" means nothing if the manufacturer really doesn't have the dedicated tooling production. The manufacturer could be holder of "know how" or moreover has his own experience with complicated repeated applications. But the choosing of other supplier for tools doesn't mean the loss of quality but could be the reason for cost savings. At the end... Original is not original everytime. You can pay for the other logo but the metal is the same.
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DO YOU NEED SPECIAL TOOLS FOR STANDARD BENDS?
Every manufacturer of press brake tools has the catalog of standard positions of tooling. This means the availability to supply standard tool with the identified geometry, material and radiuses in the shortest possible time. For example, for us is possible to offer deliveries from 24 hours, but we need more time to prepare sectional (cutted) positions. If the radius will be changed, geometry will be changed or even the material will be changed the tool should become as special which means the longer delivery time and high costs. This is normal story on the market and there is no manufacturer ho is making customized requests without the addition of money and time. Now the example. Customer has several parts to produce and we can offer several standard press brake tools configuration. The main rule to offer press brake tools is unification which means the availability to produce max. possible different customer's parts with the same tooling. If it is not possible it is necessary to offer several positions. Or, for example, if the geometry of parts allows the development of one special tool it could be also offered. The main point is that even several standard press brake tools can cost much less than one special. And probably, the supplier is not bad if he will offer to you one general special tool for all the parts. They key of this offer is the reduction of necessary setup time. It means that if you have several configuration of tooling and you need the full length of press brake for one part this means that to produce other part you need to change tools. This is the main reason and necessity to understand the customer - does he need cheap price of minimum quantity of setup? Unfortunately not all the customers care about the details. They are looking for prices and after trying to solve the problems with the press brake tooling which arrived. Because if customer doesn't require single parts bending there could be variants. And for purchase office it is highly recommended not just compare the prices but compare the advantages and details of the offers. Big company usually have separate purchase departments where people just looking for the final amount but it doesn't mean that the offer is optimized. The moral is only one - 2 set of different tooling can do the same parts for example. But one set is cheaper and requires several re-setup. Price advantages? Yes, it will be cheaper. But for countries with big labor cost every re-setup is serious disadvantage and the reduction of production program. So, probably it is better not to care about the tooling price but the production and efficiency. And that is why we usually require from potential customers as much details as possible. Moreover, not only geometry matters but the percentage. Imagine that you have 1000 simple parts to produce and 10 specials. You require press brake tooling to produce all. But probably it is much more easily to order 10 special parts outside than to invest in special tools. So that is why even the percentage of configurations in your production plan becomes important. Special clamping attack for the punch is other story. Customer ignores the possibility to purchase adapters to change the clamping system and wants the punch with special attack and configuration which is exactly the same as the one he has supplied 10 years ago. This ignorance usually leads for completely new special and expensive tool and finally customer is surprised with the offer and the price on it. We are trying everytime to provide to the customer all our explanations but unfortunately it is not enough every time.
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PRESS BRAKE TOOLING SYSTEM - MAIN DETAILS AND DIFFERENCES
Let's speak few words about press brake tooling system i.e. upper part of the punch and lower part of the die at the area of clamping. Mainly they could be called as tangs.
There are different systems available on the market if we will talk about the coverage there are 3 main ones - Promecam or EURO or European Style (main system in Europe and Asia), Trumpf-WILA (main clamping system of Trumpf company (Germany) for Trumpf machines, also manufactured by large tooling manufacturer WILA (Holland) and American style (main system for USA and Canada).
Tang is very important point which means that you can't clamp on your press brake the tooling from other system. Moreover clamping systems itself, like Promecam have some internal modifications which means that the main geometry is the same but some sides could be angeled or with additional grooves.
Why this happen and there are different clamping systems on the market instead of universal one? This is good question without any final answer. We think there are several reasons:
looking of developments to make precise clamping with the minimum tolerances and gaps.
reasons to make more rigid system to follow high tonnages of the machine.
differences of force distribution according to push of the head of tang or shoulders in the clamping area.
necessities to work with long body tooling.
protection of developments and market with the way that customer will be tied with the manufacturer because uses unique clamping system.
development of pneumatic, hydraulic and other force control clamps.
usage of double sides.
historical absence of quality information and the necessity of in-house developments instead of following of present inventions.
necessity for frontal loading of tooling, like Trumpf and LVD-W.
Together with the clamping part (tang) manufacturers offer their line of press brake tools which are not equal to other system. There are different main reasons to do it:
manufacturer basically fabricates the machine with big opening and offers long tools in the base.
other machine details require other configuration of tools.
special or unique geometry is impossible to copy with the tooling of other clamping system which means the effective customer protection.
usage of different materials, technology process, surface coating etc. i.e. usage of the possible technology which could be different in other country.
ignorance to copy the geometry of tools for unification because of rationality. For example why to develop tools with other angles instead of 85 and 88 degrees which are mainly used.
There is small example. We had the customer which wants to copy the bending technology from the nearest friendly factory and fabricate the same products. He wants to purchase the same tonnage and main specifications press brake and the same geometry of tooling. Now he received the offers for Promecam tools but has a lot of doubts. Mainly we can ensure him with the normal work of tools with the checking of all parts and possibilities of bending. But in the same way probably some customers prefer to have exactly same geometry which means that or they need to install adaptors + tools like original ones or they need to go to the original manufacturer.
Now, press brake tool manufacturers and also our company offer adaptors to use to attach the Promecam (EURO) tooling to other clamping systems. This offer also eliminates the problem to find the company who produce very special tools or the press brake is really old and it is impossible to find the tools similar to original ones.
We suppose it is the best way to erase the clamping system differences but some disadvantages are still present as:
to install adaptors you need to consider additional height for top and bottom which could be not enough if you do not have big opening press brake.
additional investments for adaptors which could be not small if we will talk about not standard products (for example lover adapter for COLLY).
In general we can't tell that there are huge developments and changes in the market. But anyway every manufacturer tries to modify the product line and offer additional advantages. There could be varius solutions: lightweight tooling with holes in the body, surface coating, laser hardening for radius modification requests, click-systems etc.
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