Consider these three factors before investing in a press brake

There are countless options out there if you want to invest in a press brake. New models, designs, and technologies are changing our production plants by the day.

The following tips will make press brake purchasing easier for you.

After analysing different aspects of the operations you conduct, you will understand what you really need and what will work best. Of course, the journey doesn’t end here.

After making your purchase, you need to train and work hard to make your new press brake an integral part of your plant. We at RS Machinery are experts at that. When a client makes an order, we make sure to help at every step of the way, conducting a thoughtful aftersales process that will make the new purchase feel less transition than possible.

But before we get there, let’s give you a hand with the tips below:

The Material

The type of steel, the texture, thickness, and length of the material play a major part in how the production process will go. These determine the build of the machine that you need to buy and the tonnage or bend forces. Let’s analyse them one by one.

The type of material you’re using is a must to know before starting to work on the press brake. Some materials need low tonnage, and some others need a higher concentration of force. When you apply a bending force that doesn’t fulfil the requirements, you will end up with a product that is not completely accurate or is damaged with stretching, warping, or other distortions.

The texture is another important factor for settling on the right machine tonnage. For example, you cannot use the same bending force for stainless steel and aluminium. Since aluminium sheet metal is more fragile and soft, you have to decrease the bending force by half before forming the material.

Thickness
also helps to detect the same factor, bending force. The thicker the material, the higher the bending concentration. Also, detecting the thickness of materials you usually work with helps you select the right die, the right number of upper punches, etc.

We all know that the bigger the machine, the bigger the price tag, but plants must understand that price is not the incentive here. If you’re working with lengthy sheet metals, you need to invest in a press brake with a useful bed length and not aim at short worktables.

Press brake operations

Now that you know and understand the material you’re working with and what it needs to create accurate and high-quality products, you have to analyse the operations you’re conducting; what are you making out of these materials. According to the operations that you need to do with the press brake, you will settle on the right:

- bending radius

First thing, you should take the bending angle radius of the sheet metal into consideration. As we have also explained in the sheet metal folder’s bending, when you bend a workpiece, the external part takes the desired shape and an internal neutral part that is sturdy and has more resistance to the force applied. So this means that when working with press brakes, the bigger the pressing force, the bigger the transformation of the material. You have to be aware of the bending radius to not compromise the quality of the material with more force than needed.

- bending method

The most common bending methods are; air bending, coining, and bottom bending. Each of these bending techniques has different features and can achieve different results. Make sure to choose the right one according to the task at hand.

- accuracy standard

The accuracy degree varies from the task you are conducting and how many degrees of imperfection can you tolerate. This actor will help you understand if you need an NC or CNC press brake, helping you a lot in settling your price range.

- angle

The angle of the punch will also help to give the desired finish of the workpiece. Different punch tips give different force and resilience to the bending process and vary from the workpiece shape.

Press brake Tooling

If you already have a press brake, you may purchase a new machine but keep the previous tooling. From experience, we can tell you that this is a common mistake that many shops make.

Using your old press brake tooling means limiting and reducing the capabilities that your new machine has. Wanting to keep your old tooling can hinder the process in two ways. Firstly, it can make you use worn-out tools because you think they are fine and cost less.

Secondly, if you plan on keeping the tooling, you will limit your search and seek a type of machine that adapts to what you already have. This can ultimately stop you from other great opportunities out there.

For example, hydraulic clamping makes for faster tool changing. The clamping length affects accuracy, so make sure to consider every option before making your decision.

Conclusion

Before deciding to invest in a press brake, always remember to determine the tonnage of the press brake, the width of the press brake, the complexity of your operations and the tooling you’ll need.

When searching for new machinery, your goal must be to find the best option that accomplishes what you’re set to do, giving the best performance possible. After all, you want better performance, less downtime, and an easy to use machine that is not very far away from your budget. While this may seem impossible, you can get there with a professional’s help.

If you need guidance towards the best choice, make sure to find a reliable company that will help you every step of the way and support you long-term.

To learn more about what we can do for you, contact the RS Machinery team for additional information.