Bending a metal sheet is a pretty difficult task and as a fabricator, you might know just how challenging it is. But there are press brakes now. They have definitely made this task a little less difficult.

Being a proud owner of press brake, you might know the details of its evolution.

No? 

Don’t worry, because we are going to talk about just that in this article. The evolution of press brake machines.

Technology advancements have brought immense growth and expansion for every industry. Be it automotive, travel, education, metal fabrication, you name it; technology is there.

Digitalizing the automotive industry has helped companies to increase competitiveness among themselves. Additionally, it is even enhancing customer satisfaction and provides them with an excellent quality of service.

Similarly, in education, digitalization helps in making sure that education reaches everyone. Not only this but online learning also benefits people a lot as it makes knowledge easily accessible.

But we are here to talk about digitalization of the metal fabrication industry.

So, let’s look at how the evolution of technology provides ease to a fabricator.

Fabrication technology plays a vital role in changing the metal forming and welding. One tool which has changed a lot is Press Brake. Do you remember the time when you would bend sheets using manual press brake and how difficult it would be? Now there are hydraulic or electric press brakes that increase productivity and decrease costs.

So, let’s see how they evolved and where we stand with press brakes today.

This evolution of press brakes took place in three parts:

• Drive Systems
• Automation
• Coordinated Flow

In this article, we will explore the evolution of drive systems and automation which led to invention portal press brakes.

1. Drive Systems

In the early 1960s, there was mechanical press brake. The system had a motor with clutch, flywheel, eccentric crank and brake and can generate only 30 strokes per minute.

The mechanical press was popular for sheet metal industry’s mass production for a long time but then the needs were changing which, in turn, led to changes in press brakes.

By the time production became the new craze in metal fabrication, fabricators demanded their machines to be flexible in function and to have better capabilities to create custom products for consumers in a short time.

The change in consumer production led to the development of hydraulic press brake. It had controls for ram speeds, stroke lengths, applied force, and angle controls. Despite the slow pace, these brakes were useful until electric press brakes replaced them.

The introduction of the electric press brake was needed because of high demands, needs and constant change from customers’ behavior. It helped in increasing production speed for fabricators.

The electric press brake and the hybrid hydraulic electric drives have the approach speeds of 700 inches per minute (IPM) and bending speed as low as 5 inches per minute (IPM).

The different capabilities of these machines permit better functioning, efficiency, and precision in every bend.

2. Automation

The Industrial Revolution went on for over 150 years and played a vital role in the way we see manufacturing.

Before, press brake operators spent a large amount of time in programming, test bending, inspecting and adjusting the products and machines.

Current press brakes can perform accurate measurements and solve angular errors if any. It offers precise bending and better customization without you having to pay a lot of attention. All thanks to technology and parts like Mitsubishi laser parts and Mazak laser parts.

This revolution has improved the storage and the use of computer programs has made it easy to design and setup machines. It also helps in speeding up the designing process making the fabrication process faster and precise.

3. Ease of Use

Portable press brake comes with improved speed and makes the fabrication process easy. These machines are smaller and occupy little space in shops. Their size makes it easy to transport and use it.

Regardless of the fabrication project, the usage of press brake allows work to finish with less production time and ease. Once the sheets are ready, they are cut into sizable sheets using laser cutting with parts like Mitsubishi laser parts and Mazak laser parts.

Wrapping it up:

Digitalization has always helped mankind. Be it in automobiles, education, fabrication industry, etc. It brings ease to human life. The technology revolution which happened in the fabrication industry made the bending of materials and lives of fabricators easier. Apart from technology, quality parts like Mitsubishi laser parts and Mazak laser parts have also played a vital role in the improvement of press brakes.

Automation has been a common factor in all the industries now. And the metal fabrication industry is just one of them. The common goals of a fabrication company include increased production speed and boosted capacity to meet the growing demand.

Can automation help you meet these requirements? Let’s find out.

Is Automation Right for Your Business?

It solely depends on your short-term and long-term needs. By applying laser automation, you get:

Speed: With automation in place, material loading speed accelerates up to 35%. 

Capacity: You can achieve the highest production results with your machine.

Consistency: With automated laser cutters, you can perform precisely and get everything (time between cycles, load and unload times) down.

Finding the Right Type

Loading/Unloading System: When you add such type of system with the existing machines, it enables them to function unattended for a longer period of time. You might see an increase in productivity by 2.8 times. It includes a single load and separates unload tables. It restricts you to one material type/thickness at a time, making it an ideal choice for batch productions where you require fewer changes.

Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS):

Such a system makes it possible to run a variety of material types and thicknesses without any assistance from an operator. FMS has multiple storage shelves that let you load materials into one or more laser cutting machines. These systems typically deliver a beam on-time of roughly 92% and 14.7 hours of cutting per day. They can be an ideal choice for small-batch productions and frequent material changes.

Your Initial Stage Configurations

The Types of Materials

With simple systems like the load/unload system, it uses a single table. With FMS systems, you can load a range of materials into different shelves.

The Number of Machines

A compact system can work well with the machines you already have. In the future, when you want to expand your business to a certain extent, a modular solution will be a more logical option. 

The key here is designing your system to handle a bit overcapacity. And you would not want to go overboard, as it might tie up too much operating capital.

The Considerations

Most systems have a maximum capacity of 1” sheet of the mild steel. You can design systems to run single sheets without using any transceiver which will give more flexibility. In case if you need parts automatically sorted, you can build some systems to cut parts from a skeleton, depositing them on a specific offload table or you can deposit them in a bin.

How would you like to control your automation system?

Load/Unload systems are typically simpler. They use a basic cell controller to load the program sequence-wise on your machine. An FMS will need a more sophisticated system which prioritizes tasks, manage inventories, provide data about the cuts, when, and more.

What type of material unloading system will you need?

There are so many options available which you can consider. It could be any of the following: fixed tables, scissor-lift tables, multiple offload tables, rail systems, and conveyors. Also, make sure you are using either Prima spare parts or Mitsubishi laser spare parts when converting to automated lasers.

The Challenges

Here are some of the challenges to keep an eye on:

• Labor: You will need highly skilled operators to monitor production if you want superior quality results.

• Morale: When your team supports the transition of production from manual to automation, it will help you become a greater success in the long run.

• Effects on Other Machines: If laser cutting is a bottleneck, it is important to make sure that operators and machines downstream are prepared to handle the increased production time, when your automated laser cutter is fully functional.

• Laser Parts: There are some medium quality parts available in the market which could seem like an economical choice but will hurt you in the long run. So, whenever doing the transition from manual to automation, make sure you are using Prima spare parts or Mitsubishi laser spare parts.

If you as a fabricator wish to accelerate the overall flow from automated laser cutting, it is important to choose the right laser machine with the right partner by your side to make this implementation a success for your business.

For any type of business, identity is a mandatory thing. It makes a business unique and more visible to its users. Just like your logo, packaging, uniforms, you need a unique stamp for the manual work which represents your business. 

What’s wrong with regular stamps?

If you are using regular stamps, there is always a threat of other people replicating the stamps and your identity. So, having a unique stamp always goes a long way. When it comes to creating personalized stamps for your business, laser engraving machines can do wonders. The laser engraving machine creates a high-resolution stamp and makes it hard to replicate your identity. You can have a micro-sized inner signature to make copying even harder for others. Plus, it will look good and leaves a good impression on your colleagues.

Why Laser Technology for Stamps?

Stamps are for the public identity. Hence, they must be high resolution. With laser cutting technology, you can cut rubber with a precise resolution and finish. Even if you are okay with low-resolution stamps, it might take a long time and effort to finish the job. Plus the lasers containing Mitsubishi machine parts or Amada spare parts will last longer and save a lot of your money.

The Benefits You Get with Laser Cutting Machine

A Neat and Clean Impression

If you are pitching your business to potential partners, they always look for the details that make your business look like its one step ahead of you. When you use laser technology, it helps you leave a great impression. These small things would make a big difference. Having a laser which has Mitsubishi machine parts or Amada spare parts can give help you neater finish to the logo.

Increase Efficiency

When you have a laser cutting machine in place, it becomes easy to try different things. You can always revise your work in no time and manufacture more products according to your convenience & requirement. This way it helps you increase your efficiency.

Competitive Advantages

When it comes to laser cutting, it has set a benchmark in the industry for some time now. It is cost-effective as if you are producing products on your own time & have no other costs to bear. When you have other cutting methods, you will have to calculate every single millimeter offset in the large design stage for the better cutting stages. It might lead you to messy and frustrating situations. But laser technology is not only better in cutting, but it is cost-effective, easiest and adjustable.

Saves Time

With this machine in your ownership, it becomes easier for you to create art. The rubber-stamp process is as easy as printing a picture from your regular office printer. These machines save a lot of time in cutting and engraving rubber stamps.

Reduces Production Times

You can automate laser cutting technology for producing a large number of stamps. It helps you get your job done much faster. As with the laser machine, you will never need to work for an extra hour.

Steps to Create Your Own Stamp with Laser Engraving

Step 1: Gather the Materials

• Laser rubber sheet
• Wood for mounting
• Glue
• Laser engraver

Step 2: Design

Draw a rough idea for an idea about how your stamp would look. If you scan it, make sure that it is a high resolution; around 600DPI.

Step 3: Engraving Preparations

• Export your art into Corel draw.
• Once you have an image, draw a “hairline” box around the art.
• Choose your engraving type “stamp’ and enter dimensions.
• Select the engraving effects. Majorly there are two options: Mirror and Fence.
• Use a sharp blade with a straight edge.

Step 4: Start Engraving

• Position your rubber in the laser cutter.
• Focus the machine and turn on the fab.
• Wash your rubber with soap and water.

And ready!

Conclusion

Laser engraving technology is the fastest growing technology. If you are running a design company/agency, you will definitely need this technology as the world is changing and nobody would want to pay high rates for small productions to the production companies.

Laser engraving is a sister practice of laser etching and laser marking. It is done in a slightly different way where there is no use of inks or tools that contact the surface material. There are CO2 laser engraving machines which primarily release low-powered laser beams. And then there are high-powered lasers which facilitate the high-volume laser marking and engraving applications.

Here is how it works:

Basically, laser cutting machines have three common components: the laser itself, the  control system, and the marking surface. You, as an operator, can set the software program to modify settings on the laser cutter. You can change these settings whenever needed. When it comes to laser engraving, you need to choose standard parts like Mitsubishi laser parts or trumpf laser parts to ensure the smooth working of the system. Images chosen for the engraving onto a given material should be from graphics editing software like Illustrator, Inkscape, AutoCAD. In short, you need vector files. Because images in the vector files maintain the clarity and proportions when adjusted to any size. 

Further, you have to upload the image into the cutting software. The machine will then translate it into numeric data. The software would capture that data and use it to program the laser machine’s controller apparatus to produce the provided image. 

Laser Engraving Applications:

• There are aerial vehicles by major contractors in the construction industry which incorporate thousands of parts. They travel through a complex global supply chain from their point of origin to the manufacturing units. In order to promote quality and accountability throughout the supply chain, vendors leverage laser engraving machines to mark products with barcodes and serial numbers which shows their traceability.

• Apart from the aerospace industry, it is popular in the jewelry manufacturing industry. It can be useful to create various artwork.

• As an added advantage of its depth, this technology is popular for making stamps, dies, and moulds. Hence, it is popular in industries like automotive, electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, etc.

• Apart from that, retail vendors can leverage engraving to make several customized products like wooden key chains, coasters, kitchen products, and so on.

Benefits of Using Laser Engraving

Cost-Effective:

Laser engraving machines consume zero inputs besides the power it takes to run. That means it only has low and predictable costs for manufacturers. Whereas, there are companies which use a chemical etching as a substitute for engraving. But, they need adequate wastewater treatment or a certified third-party company to dispose of the chemical water. Plus, each image requires a brand new stencil. Now, that won’t give you any cost benefits for your projects.

Less Damaging

As the laser beam won’t be touching the material, there are lesser chances of causing damage. It is majorly relying on the heat to produce expected results. The only portion that laser will be targeting is the targeted spot. The surrounding area would be left untouched.

Permanent Markings

The aim of the engraving process is to remove a portion of the material. As laser systems offer so much control, a range of depths used by the machines ensures permanent markings.  For example in the defense industry, it is important for the manufacturers to establish parts throughout the supply chain with unique identification numbers. These markings should be permanent even in extreme conditions or other environmental hazards.

Highly Efficient

It is efficient as it can easily switch between materials and a range of depths. It offers longer service life and with high-quality parts like Mitsubishi laser parts or trumpf laser parts, it will have lower maintenance costs compared to other traditional methods.

Supports a range of Materials

It is capable of working with different materials which include metal, ceramic, plastic, and glass. Most industries utilize more than one material in manufacturing. If you have a facility that deals with multiple materials then it could be a nifty solution.

Do you use laser engraving for your project? If yes, then share your experience with us in the comment section.