Before you place an order for a custom press brake there is one simple question that you should ask:
What is it about that standard machine that it doesn’t do?
Changing the machine just because customization is possible without adding any constraint to the production process such as bending materials that a standard machine can, holding required tolerances, etc. is simply expensive.
The custom solutions for press brakes begin elsewhere.
They begin with a part that doesn’t fit, a bend that’s hard to achieve, an operator-handling issue, a production goal that’s impossible to meet or a need for automation that a traditional setup can’t handle.
APEX’s design process for a custom press brake machine also starts with materials, thickness, length of the bend, the amount of force needed and the volume of the production before getting into the machine architecture.
In order to improve an existing process, determine its limitations.
“Need a bigger press brake” doesn’t yet make for a useful specification.
Why bigger?
If the working length is too long for a long enclosure, then it may not require any extra tonnage. The throat or open height of a deep box can be just as important as its width and height, allowing the machine to fit across the bed, but colliding with the box. A heavy plate might require more forming force and a complex thin sheet component might require better positioning, but not necessarily more power.
However, prior to customization, identify the points of failure in the existing process:
part is not physically fit;
There is not enough available tonnage;
Flange that has been formed interferes with machine or tooling;
The backgauge is not able to obtain a necessary reference;
Long parts tend to be hard to support;
Manual re-positioning is time consuming and slows the production;
No machine communication or layout changes are necessary for future robotic handling.
This converts “custom machine” from an ambiguous “request” into an engineering issue.
| Current Production Limitation | First Engineering Area to Review | Do Not Assume First |
| Part is too long | Working length / tandem layout | More tonnage |
| Deep part hits machine | Throat / daylight / tooling clearance | Larger bed |
| Short flange is difficult | Tooling / die geometry | More CNC axes |
| Positioning takes too long | Backgauge configuration | Higher forming speed |
| Long plate is hard to handle | Support / follower / automation | Larger controller |
| Complex bends interfere | Tooling + bend sequence | New machine frame |
| Robot integration planned | Layout / I/O / safety interface | Robot can be added later |
Some Customization Changes Capacity, Some changes process
Not all custom projects need the machine to be redesigned.
The first level could just involve adjusting the production envelope, working length, tonnage, daylight, stroke or throat depth.
The next level varies the control of the work piece.
The tonnage, working length, CNC control and multi-axis needs can be determined to set up a customized hydraulic press brake for the specific production needs. APEX also refers to unique hydraulic setups and repeat-job data saved for each job.
For a challenging multi-bend component, thus, an extra backgauge axis or another tooling configuration could resolve as opposed to simply another 100 tons.
The machine specification should be based on the physical cause of the difficulty of the job.
There’s a lot of times when the deep parts tend to show up issues that are not evident from the flat drawings.
Something that is drawn on a screen can appear absolutely fine.
Then, the third bend is performed and an existing flange comes into contact with the ram, punch holder or machine frame.
That is one of the reasons why the dimensions of the flat blank should not be the only basis for checking custom press brake projects.
Important dimensions include:
maximum finished-part depth;
tallest formed flange;
return-flange direction;
minimum internal clearance;
required tool height;
loading and removal stroke and daylight were required.
In some instances the interference can be cleared up with the use of special punches.
Sometimes additional open height or throat depth is required.
Sometimes even the bending sequence should be changed before the change of machine.
A helpful custom solution will take note of the most cost effective and reliable solution first.
Backgauge customisation should be based off the Reference Edge.
If all of the bends can be referenced to a simple straight edge, a standard X axis backgauge works fine.
This isn’t always the case with custom parts.
Independent fingers, vertical movement and even additional positioning axes may have to be added for tapered pieces, asymmetric panels and parts with a number of flange depths. CNC controlled positioning is now an integral component of repeatable sheet metal bending with APEX’s current CNC Press Brake solutions.
However, before asking for additional axes, draw all of the bends and specify the true plane of reference.
If the movement X, R or Z has been used to solve an actual positioning problem, indicate this.
Additional axes may just be unused if the part is always using the same straight rear edge.
Customization should not be to increase the cost of the specification sheet, it should be to eliminate operator work.
Special Tooling can be more important than a special machine!
Some jobs may mimic a problem with the machine but are actually a tooling problem.
Large radius profile, return bend or deep channel or narrow flange may require different punch profile, segmented tooling or a special die set up.
APEX’s custom-machine engineering process involves selection of punch-and-die and quick clamping and tooling setups based on part geometry.
The distinction is important to a business.
Tool changes typically are less troublesome than frame design changes. When the capacity and control of the machine is adequate, keeping the project simple may be achievable by solving the geometry at the tooling level.
If you want to customize the structure, make sure that the problem cannot be solved with the help of tools.
Architectures can change for Very Long Workpieces!
At some stage you will realize that just one conventional press brake is not going to be enough.
When extra-long truck chassis parts, structural panels or other work pieces are to be bent, it may be worth considering multiple machines operating as a single bending line in sync.
APEX calls its tandem press brake machine a multi-press brake system, with these multiple machines being master-slave controlled to be able to bend long workpieces down across a combined working length.
No longer is it just an ordinary option change.
The system design involves synchronization, shared positioning, tooling continuity, support and load distribution of the workpieces.
This is a good rule of thumb:
standard-machine customization means that the machine itself is modified, while architectural customization means how the bending system is constructed is altered.
Designing for automation first, before the machine, should be considered.
If the press brake was originally designed without taking into consideration the robot reach, part orientation, safety zones, or machine communication, adding robotic loading becomes challenging.
If you plan to automate your factory in the future, make it known when designing your machine.
In the recommendations to an industrial custom press brake manufacturer that APEX provides, Offline Programming is included as one of the points for consideration regarding connected production, as are Production-Data connectivity and interfaces for Robotic Arms and Conveyors.
Machine layout, controller capability & I/O requirements can be determined ahead of time even if the robot is not purchased at that time.
Future ready is less expensive if planned versus retrofitted.
Don’t assume customization causes loss of maintainability.
There is a downside to one off engineering that you’re unlikely to see in a company’s sales brochure.
All of the unusual parts are potential future spares, training needs or service queries.
A good custom project should thus differentiate between what has to be proprietary and what is to be kept standardised.
Where possible, controllers and hydraulic parts, tooling interfaces, motors, seals and electrical parts should be made from widely supported components. It should also be clearly documented in documentation what is different from the standard machine.
It is not the object to create the most unusual press brake possible.
It is to develop the simplest machine to solve the unusual production problem.
Use the Hard Part to test the Solution
To approve the final configuration, go back to the part that began the project.
Can it be loaded?
Are all the bends accessible?
Does the tooling remove previously formed flanges?
Does backgauge find each of these references?
Is there support to move and remove the finished product by the operator or automation?
And is the desired result stored repeatedly in the machine?
Such questions are a more appropriate ending to the specification than a lengthy options list.
Customization is not the best place to start with the best custom press brake solutions.
First, they are aware of the reason why a standard machine is no longer sufficient.
| Project Input | Information to Provide |
| Material | Grade / tensile strength |
| Thickness | Minimum / typical / maximum |
| Workpiece | Flat size + finished 3D dimensions |
| Bend Requirement | Length / angle / radius |
| Difficult Geometry | Deep box / return flange / interference |
| Production | Batch size / annual volume |
| Quality | Critical dimensional tolerances |
| Handling | Part weight / operator or robot |
| Existing Problem | What the current machine cannot do |
| Future Plan | Automation / new materials / larger parts |
FAQ
Q1. So when is the time when a custom press brake is actually needed?
When a standard machine cannot be used to satisfy a defined requirement (working length, tonnage, clearance, positioning, tooling, automation or part handling), then customization makes sense. The restriction should be determined prior to engineering.
Q2. Which specifications of press brake can be customized?
These can include working length, tonnage, stroke, daylight, CNC axes, backgauge, tooling, safety and automation interfaces etc. The combination may vary depending on the specific parts.
Q3. Is it possible to “tool” a machine to solve a problem without having to “customize” the entire machine?
Often, yes. With the standard machine having sufficient capacity, clearance, radius and part-geometry problems can be solved with special punches, dies or segmented tooling.
Q4. When would it be a good idea to employ a tandem press brake?
When workpieces are longer than it is feasible to have on a single machine and need to be bent in synchronism over a considerably longer span, a tandem set-up becomes relevant.
Q5. What should I send a manufacturer in order to get a quotation for a custom press brake?
Include part drawings, materials, thickness range, bend length(s), necessary bend radius, tolerances, volume per year and any existing production issues. Interference and clearance checks are particularly useful with finished-part 3D geometry.