Punching, bending, profiling

When one of Scotland's leading subcontract sheet metal specialists, Prestige Fabrications, sought a new CNC punching machine, the company took a pre-owned Trumpf machine on loan for three months while the management team continued to progress a pending grant. Impressed by the refurbished TC2000R, the East Kilbride company acquired the model on a permanent basis, with the saved capital used to buy a new Trumpf TruBend Series 5000 CNC press brake. This sequence of events was kicked off following the arrival of a 3.2 kW Trumpf TruLaser 3030 CNC laser profiling centre. Delighted with its performance, Trumpf was top of list when it came to sourcing a new CNC punch. Because the company was awaiting sign-off on a grant application, it decided to take a refurbished TC2000R on loan as a stop-gap. "Although the machine is pre-owned, it's been absolutely brilliant and we've had no problems whatsoever," reports managing director, Scott McKelvie. With a working range in the X-Y direction of 1,270 by 1,270 mm, the secondhand TC2000R offers Prestige features such as: a rotating tool adaptor; automatic repositioning device with presser foot; automatic toolchanger with nine stations; chute for parts up to 200 by 200 mm, with sorting into two containers; brush tables; forming and marking capability; tool lubrication; and safety light barrier. It was also supplied with Trumpf's graphical programming software package, ToPs 2000. DAY-TO-DAY PRODUCTION On a day-to-day basis, the machine processes materials that include mild steel, stainless steel, Zintec and aluminium, generally between 1 and 6 mm thick. Batch sizes vary, but, like most subcontractors in this area, runs are getting shorter; around 10-12 off is typical currently. Says Mr McKelvie: "As a result [of the reduced investment], we decided to invest in a new Trumpf TruBend Series 5000 CNC press brake. It's an 85 tonne model with a 2.5 m bed, and adds to our existing bending capacity. All in all, purchasing the pre-owned punching machine turned out to be a fantastic decision." Agricultural equipment manufacturer K-Two Sales has been able to bring large panel forming in-house, giving it control over its production schedules and increasing flexibility, following the installation of LVD press brake technology. The machine, an LVD 400 tonne, 8.1 m PPEB press brake, with Easy-Form adaptive bending system and CADMAN-B 3Doffline-programming software, features automatic crowning, multi-axis back-gauge and programmable sheet supports. Based at Haddenham, near Aylesbury, family-run K-Two designs and manufactures a range of agricultural machines, including muck spreaders, trailers and grassland conditioners – with production running at around 250 to 300 units a year. Most of the formed parts for bodies are fabricated from hot-rolled constructional steel in thicknesses from 3 to 6 mm. Before it bought the new LVD press brake, it was forming smaller panels on an older machine that had problems in maintaining bend accuracy, but it had to subcontract out the forming of larger panels for body parts, such as floors and sides. DIFFICULT PREDICTIONS Because it was uneconomic to order batches of fewer than 20-off from the subcontractor, and because it was sometimes difficult to predict future orders, K-Two was often holding stock of parts. K-Two's Mark Kelloway explains: "I might be left with parts for one or two machines in stock, but get an enquiry for three different ones – and there was probably a lead time of three or four weeks to get new panels in." He says the LVD machine has given him responsiveness to be able to produce smaller batches economically and improve lead times for customers. It also means he can do development work in-house. The Easy-Form system was key in the machine's selection. According to Mr Kelloway, when forming 6 m panels it isn't easy to put them right, if they aren't formed to the right angle, but with the Easy-Form "it comes out to within ¼ to ½ a degree every time". Mechanical crowning was also an important feature. "Our old machine had a hydraulic crowning system and the accuracy had never really been there." K-Two uses LVD's CADMAN-B 3D offline programming software, which develops the blank from the 3D CAD data, and automatically calculates all the correct bend allowances for the combination of tooling and material being used. It also then calculates the correct bending sequence. "In the past, it was very often a case of guessing the radiuses and bend allowances. Now, the designer draws it in Solidworks and then gives me a SAT file. I develop the blank from that and select the tooling, the software does the programming and I send it to the machine. The operator then picks it up, using the touch screen on the machine control." On the old machine, the operator used to program parts directly on the control – which was very time-consuming. Now he simply selects a part program on the touch screen and downloads it. Numerous other benefits include multiple stations set-up along the bed eliminate the previous multiple set-ups and the machine's programmable supports that reduce manual labour requirement. Summing up, Mr Kelloway says: "Our USP for customers is that we offer a very well-made machine and aim to stay at the higher end of the market. And farmers being farmers, price is always of the essence, too – and they also want speed of delivery. The LVD press brake provides us with the flexibility to respond. I can make small batches and one-offs more easily, and at a better price than if I was paying a subcontractor to do the forming." Box item 1 of 2 First FICEP Gemini in the UK Structural steelworker Rowecord is the first company in the UK to purchase the heavy duty FICEP Gemini HD36 machine (01924 223530), complete with the latest plasma bevelling head, for the production of complex parts from flat plate. The Gemini can cut, drill, mill, tap, machine, bevel and scribe – which negates the need for subcontracting or in-house secondary machining operations. Currently, the Gemini supports production of long parts up to 9 m in length, while it also offers high speed production of standard fittings for structural applications, such as base plates, rafter end plates and gussets. Rowecord will most likely increase the size of the machine's gantry bed to 15 m or more. Box item 2 of 2 Sheetmetalworking product news in brief []LVD's Electra FL is a high speed fibre laser cutting system, intended for fast, accurate thin sheet processing of traditional sheet metal materials, such as mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium, with the added versatility to efficiently process metals such as copper and brass (video). http://is.gd/XqIloi [] Mate RapidSet adjustable thick turret canisters are capable of punching material up to 6.35 mm thick and are for use with Mate Original Style and AMX punch press tooling. Designed to provide quick tool changes and make punch length adjustment faster, the A and B station canisters are also compatible with Amada Standard, Amada ABS and Wilson Standard tooling styles. http://is.gd/GDed6X [] A multi-axis industrial robot with a compact and versatile CNC all-electric tube-bender, called Twister, offers metal fabricators the ability to produce complex pre-assembled tubular parts. http://is.gd/JYGw4r []LVD's ToolCell press brake, with integrated tool changer unit, reduces press brake set-up time, maximising throughput and efficiency for small to medium batch production (video). http://is.gd/3X6YPo []The Schwarze-Robitec CNC 220 HD MW is a tube and profile cold bending machine with a total weight of 32 tonnes. It is aimed at the shipbuilding and chemical industries, or for power plant construction. http://is.gd/3JhzXE [] In addition to advances to its Hypertherm HPRXD systems, like the HDI (HyDefinition inox) technology for stainless sheet under 6 mm thick seen at the recent EuroBLECH exhibition, the plasma and laser cutting systems manufacturer has improved its pierce performance on thick stainless steel. http://is.gd/QpGVLP [] Flow's latest Mach 2c water jet series features the company's dynamic water jet taper control technology. It also boasts the Paser 4 abrasive cutting system, the latest HyPlex Prime pump pairing option and the FlowMaster control and FlowNest software, which are found on the company's high end Mach 3 and 4 water jet series. http://is.gd/4Enb1T [] Columbus III is ESAB Cutting Systems' latest software designed to make it easy to program cutting, labelling and marking processes. http://is.gd/wCUJHT [] BLM's LT5 laser tube cutting machine is designed to cut bars up to 6 mm thick, stainless steel up to 4 mm thick, aluminium and brass up to 3 mm thick and copper up to 2 mm thick. It is the smallest in the Lasertube range (video). http://is.gd/v0XpoS [] Kerf Developments' Maxi 5000GP is a high speed profile cutting machine, intended for large oxy-fuel and plasma applications. It is available in bespoke bed sizes. http://is.gd/kHCzFs First published in Machinery, February 2013