How Does a Hydraulic Press Brake Stay Synchronized?

Metals are malleable, making them suitable for shaping into various forms. Press brakes use hydraulic cylinders to regulate force on their ram and bend thick sheet metal into place according to die specifications.

These machines come in various tonnages and bending lengths depending on the application and thickness of metal being processed, and can be powered either hydraulically, electrically, or via servo motor.

The Ram

Traditional press brakes use hydraulic cylinders at each end of the ram member to vertically move it toward and away from the workpiece to bend sheet metal into desired shapes. It is critical that these cylinders precisely track each other so that when the lower edge of the ram contacts its target workpiece it does so accurately and predictably.

To accurately determine the vertical position of each end of ram member 7, a conventional digital position encoder 12 generates digital pulses on output line 13 every time an associated end of ram member 7 traverses an additional distance of 0.0001 inches. A pulse comparison accumulator 24 compares these digital pulses against those produced by reference pulse generator 22 to produce a pulse difference signal which is added onto line 28 via summing amplifier 28 and added as part of run/speed command signals by means of summation amplifier 28.

The Backgauge

Press brakes use the tonnage of their ram to bend sheet metal into various shapes and structures, using its tonnage as its force of bending tooling. A synchronized backgauge assists the operator with maintaining accuracy so as to avoid costly mistakes or time-consuming rework.

Backgauges help cut setup times by eliminating external jigs and fixtures that were once required, while their programmable system enables operators to enter numeric stop positions directly into their machine program, speeding up changeovers.

Chain drives connect hydraulic cylinders so they remain synchronized during operation, helping bending tooling remain parallel and consistent with the bending table. Industrial-grade hydraulic components from Nachi(r) and Vickers/Eaton(r) keep this large press brake running reliably and smoothly; safety light curtains swing open during tooling changes for added protection against accidents. Plus, this heavy-duty press brake comes fully assembled so setting up shop quickly can happen easily!

The Die

Press brakes are machines used for bending sheet metal, and their operation depends on tons of force that are accurately controlled. They also feature maximum bending length, which determines which size sheet metal they can work with.

The movement of a hydraulic press brake ram is controlled by an adjustable hydraulic system featuring a flow control that feeds oil into cylinders via flow controls, in turn moving pistons up and down and up-and-down the ram. While older machines used limit switches to determine optimal settings for work being completed, modern press brakes use computer programs to find optimal settings based on material being worked and its dimensions.

Punches and dies work together to shape metal into desired arcs or angles. Die sizes vary depending on shape requirements; punch shapes also impact tonnage needs; optical sensors in the machine provide real-time data about bend angle changes in order to adjust process parameters accordingly.

The Clamping System

Press brakes are machines which use two dies with matching upper and lower dies to form flat metal sheets into workpieces of various shapes, angles, and dimensions. A power device known as the ram drives into each die to bend sheet metal according to an agreed-upon bending angle.

A processor 100 calculates the point at which ram 7 reverses direction and begins upward movement based on geometry and springback, as well as controlling its hydraulic systems to keep both in close sync with one another. One embodiment of the system expands to control multiple cylinders on multiple press brakes simultaneously, which provides particular convenience when bending long work pieces across several machines. Synchronization helps eliminate inaccuracies caused by switching machines. Furthermore, this system enables quick and effortless tool changeover. Each cylinder is controlled by the same digital reference source to ensure they all track together accurately.