Top 10 Benefits of Press Brakes

Author: Doreen Gao

Dec. 16, 2024

Top 10 Benefits of Press Brakes

Press brakes are essential pieces of equipment that help fabricators to create formed parts including brackets, channels, structural forms, enclosures, ductwork, and custom projects. Press brakes are found in every fabrication job shop and many machine shops as well. Their versatility allows them to be used for many applications including forming. They help fabricators and operators to bend sheet metals and create items of different shapes and forms, but before we delve into the pros of press brakes, let's start by defining what they are. 

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What are Press Brakes?

Press brakes are fabrication tools that are used to bend a sheet or plate metal. In an earlier document entitled Introduction to Press Brakes we covered them in detail. The short version is that typically, press brakes bend a sheet metal by placing it on top of a die and lowering the punch onto it. Then through a force defined by tonnage forcing the material into the die thus bending a flange up until the desired form of shape/angle is achieved. The press brake controller or operator must account also for springback in the material in order to achieve the correct angle once the pressure is removed and the ram retracts. There are several types of press brakes, and they are classified depending on the type of generation of the bending force. They include:

  • Pneumatic Press Brakes - Light duty for only the thinnest gage of materials

  • Mechanical Press Brakes - Force is applied via a flywheel driven crankshaft

  • Hydraulic Press Brakes - Hydraulics move the ram or bed up/down applying pressure.

  • Electric Press Brakes - Ball Screw or Belt Driven mechanisms move the ram also applying force.

10 Benefits of Press Brakes

  • In-House Forming Capabilities

If you have been sourcing your formed parts from outside your facility you have likely Press brakes are designed to deliver ultimate accuracy, something that leads to the production of high-quality products. This reduces rejection rates and customer returns.

  • Reduced material wastage

Unlike other machines that have to use lots of material to curve the desired items, press brakes boost high-end precision and accuracy, which leads to less waste of materials. 

  • Punching

If you have an application for punching a systematic row of holes in a part a press brake can easily be fitted with individual punch sets or a complete die set to punch these holes out accurately and all in one stroke. Press brakes can utilize up to 70% of their overall bending tonnage for punching applications and offsetting the punch heights lets you get more punches in line then may have originally been considered

  • Hemming

One of the necessary operations in almost every fabricating shop is the process of hemming. Hemming is folding a small portion of the sheet over and then closing it back on itself thereby creating a thicker, more rigid and durable edge whilst also making a rounded edge for safer material handling.  Hemming is used in the manufacture of all types of boxes, covers and panels and is an essential part of the manufacturing process. The operation can be completed with a custom tool set or by way of a simple flat hemming die.

  • Complex Forming

Press brakes are designed to offer unmatched flexibility.  Combined with segmented punch and die sets, acute tooling  and sophisticated controls, a press brake can form complicated muli angle parts with ease. 

  • Production Bending

Utilizing a CNC control is the best way on a press brake to repeat the actions over and over again. When a production forming process irs presented the operator can make short work of it with a press brake whether the flanges are similar or vary in angle and length. 

  • Prototype Forming

One of the great benefits of press brakes is that the setup and tooling is fairly simple so switching between applications is fairly straightforward making prototype bedding and forming applications a simple process. Whether your proving a part or process out a press brake can be a vital tool in allowing the parts to be completed without expensive or complex tooling or difficult setups. 

  • Automation

Modern Press brakes can be automated to increase productivity, improve accuracy, and reduce overall labor costs. Manufacturers will be glad to know that the press brakes being released into the market have various specialized data ports and other innovative accessories to facilitate automation. Adding material handling robotics or even sheet followers to assist the operator in lifting heavier parts can increase productivity and allow for the same result each and every bend. 

  • Flexibility

Unlike other forming processes such as Folders , a press brake can bend an extremely wide variety of materials and thicknesses allowing a shop to have a wide window of capabilities. With the right tooling in place a machine can bend anything from 28 Gage steel to 1&#; plate steel and do it accurately each and every time. 

  •  Job Costing Analysis

Many of the newer CNC controlled press brakes offer a vast wealth of information within their controllers. Because programming is simple and straightforward it is easy for a shop owner or foreman to program a job and run a full 2D or even 3D simulation of that bend with the control providing exacting information on cycle time and material blank sizes.

At Southern Fabricating Machinery Sales, Inc. we are experts on press brakes and metal forming. Call us today at 1-813-444- to ask how we can help you solve your forming challenges or simply visit our website to learn more.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website High Precision Hydraulic Press Brake.

6 Benefits of a Press Brake in Metal Fabrication

What are the benefits of a press brake in metal fabrication?

  1. Less material waste
  2. Increased productivity
  3. In-house manufacturing capabilities
  4. Versatile programming
  5. Automation
  6. Complex designs

 

A metal fabrication company that aims to consistently meet customer demand can do so with press brake machinery. The many benefits of press brake metal fabrication have offered manufacturing firms better tolerances, capacity for complex operations, automation, and an overall improvement in efficiency.

The press brake is a type of equipment capable of performing a number of functions, such as punching, bending, cutting, stamping, blanking, and many more. Several industries have taken advantage of this machine to come up with customized, aftermarket, and OEM-designed parts from simple sheet metal.

From its origins as a simple mechanical press brake in the early 20th century, modern reiterations continue to uphold the press brake&#;s early legacy as some of the most useful machines for manufacturing. Read on to learn more.

 

Less Material Waste

Compared to other fabrication methods, the press brake is known to produce less material waste. The main driver behind this is that it is capable of curving, cutting, or bending sheet metal into accurate pieces. Since it is often computer numerically controlled (CNC), press brake processes are typically automated. All of its components &#; the dies, punches, rolling carts &#; can all follow a well-set-up procedure that simply works.

With this in mind, the minimal waste produced allows operators and firms to complete press brake operations at the fastest time possible. This greatly shortens the manufacturing lead time, lowers the cost burden on the customers, and minimizes the need for secondary/post-processing on the fabricated metal part.

 

Increased Productivity

Defects are part and parcel of every type of manufacturing. The goal has not been to eliminate them, but to reduce their occurrences, such that they do not affect the normal flow of operations and productivity. After all, defects can significantly impact the production process through increased downtimes and slower deployment for assembly or distribution.

Machinery like the press brake is wholly capable of this, which is why they&#;ve been used for improving productivity outcomes. As long as any fabricator or equipment operator has undergone proper training, they can operate various types of press brake machines with ease.

More advanced models of the press brake, in particular, can perform several hundreds of bends all at once, facilitating high-volume production. Easy to set up and minimally-intensive, the press brake is a productivity solution that many industries can benefit from.

In-House Manufacturing Capabilities

Owning a press brake machine allows companies to partially or completely divert their manufacturing in-house. Especially where sheet metal bending or fabrication is concerned, in-house production eliminates the need for offshoring which can not only be expensive but also unable to sustain demand.

Instead of hiring third-party companies for metal fabrication, companies can simply invest in advanced press brake machines. This is cost-effective in the long run due to the low investment needed for training, as well as, a renewed focus on in-house development.

 

Versatile Programming

Simple production techniques continue to be useful, but they&#;re best complemented by press brakes, which are capable of versatile programming. Operators can define the machine&#;s parameters in order to perform the intended coning, material thickness, flange dimensions, angle bends, inside radius, blank size, and many more.

With the number of functions that can be done on a press brake, it&#;s flexible enough to be used with different types of raw materials and sheet metals. Further, companies can consistently come up with a wide variety of tooling designs and prototypes as needed.

 

Automation

Press brakes can be manually operated, semi-automated, or fully automated, depending on the requirements. Nevertheless, all of these machines are critical in improving the accuracy of parts and reducing overall labor costs.

Automation allows for faster completion of tasks that were previously done manually. Press brakes are instrumental to this, as they can speed up fabrication, shorten lead times, and even improve overall workplace safety. Companies looking to meet client demand can rely on this type of equipment to boost production rates, productivity, and daily processes.

 

Complex Designs

Sheet metal fabrication has been a fixture for almost all industries. Construction companies, for example, rely on fabrication to build beams, rafters, and other structural materials to bring high-rise developments to life. For the food & beverage industry, on the other hand, metal fabricated parts are needed in creating foodservice equipment like mixers, conveyor belts, metal weighing scales, and many more.

From the beginnings of a press brake as a simple tool for bending sheet metals into shape, it has since paved the way for modern machinery capable of complex designs. Most press brakes to date come with customizable parts and components, enabling various manipulations, like bends, coining, burring, and many more.

 

Key Takeaway

At first glance, the press brake seems to be simple manufacturing equipment that bends sheet metal into different shapes. However, its impact on the manufacturing sector cannot be underestimated.

The benefits of the press brake in metal fabrication have led to better outcomes by speeding up manufacturing, enabling complex designs, reducing waste, and enabling in-house production. Industries will continue relying on this machine to satisfy fabrication requirements intended for assembly or final distribution.

6 Benefits of a Press Brake in Metal Fabrication

Are you interested in learning more about Heavy Duty Hydraulic Press Brake? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

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