Thread: This is not your daddy's press brake

Originally Posted by dkmc

I kinda like you chevb, no matter what diggerthedug says about you. Heck at one time light years ago I owned 4 '54's simultaneously.
You know, the '57's ugly older sister. I've even got a couple 454's around still. And a super T10. See what I did there?
If only my ADD was more tolerable, it'd make it easier to watch the video. I'd love to be able to work.....heck...volunteer in a shop for a month with a similar machine and a seasoned operator, just to soak up what info I could. I do think I'd pick up things much faster if I had a pair of those black pants with the red stripes like those dudes are wearing in the video.

I had a built 454 in a 1970 Chevelle SS during that odd even gas rationing crap. It was set-up for top end so if I was pretty mellow in the rural area I lived in I could get 7 MPG out of it. Fortunately for me I had a friend who worked at a junk yard that kept me stocked up on extra plates of the proper era with current tags. Where I lived at the time the plates got junked with the car. Of course that car was a cop magnet so I pretty much changed my plates right around the corner from the gas stations.

my chevy

Originally Posted by digger doug

CNC back gages, and CNC ram control are great tools to help enable multiple bends in 1 part,
but the addition of a CNC bottom die change would finish the job.

Like this dumb 50 year old press brake:
chicago speedy bender die change
FF to 00:14

Move the dies with CNC either front/back, or rotate them under like a roto die.

Can you repost the video link please?

Originally Posted by 1953chevB

my chevy

So awesome to make it look as original as possible other than custom paint. During the pre recession boom people like Boyd Coddington customizing classic cars made my skin crawl. Trying to put something back to look original is where the effort is, not making a butchered monstrosity out of it.

Originally Posted by Scruffy887

Trumpf makes such a machine. 5000 series. My guess they start at 250k or more. I have no idea why you would need that.

I just said why....

simply add (1) more axis to the machine posted above, would make it really "something great"

Originally Posted by digger doug

I just said why....

simply add (1) more axis to the machine posted above, would make it really "something great"

I've seen the rotary dies that I think you're talking about (assuming the D&K version is similar to the rotodie brand machine). I see the appeal for certain things like ductwork, but for a modern multi axis press brake, I can't see how it would help.

It doesn't address the need for sectional die.

It would likely add bulk to the die. The die rail and the die itself gets in the way of a part profile enough as it is - the improvement would be to eliminate volume down there, not increase it.

You would still need to load dies. There's no possible way to keep the full die rack in the machine at once - most shops have dozens or more different dies, so you'd still need to load your various options for that job.


It sounds like it would work in the 1970s - in a shop that runs only full length bottom dies, and just needs a standard 90 degree die in about 3 different die openings.


That said, I've seen folding machines at Fabtech that do more or less what you're talking about - and it seems that is one of the appeals for the folder. But, it adds well more than 1 more axis, and there's a reason it's on a folding machine, not a press brake. Folding machines and press brakes are designed to serve different purposes.

Here ya go. Moving lower die. Scroll down and click on the video. About the 2 minute mark. Moving lower die here is used to bend acute angle required before hemming. Cool looking, but I have 2 different types of tooling that do hemming without a moving lower die. One set uses a special punch and die. Other set requires standard acute angle punch and a special lower die that is spring loaded. Make standard bends with it, or the acute bend for a hem. Step 2 is to insert the part into the hem slot and the punch comes down into the die and pushes the hem slot closed forming the hem.


TruBend Series 7000 | TRUMPF

Saw this a few years ago, and thought it was pretty cool as well.
The Moses Control, by Accurpress - YouTube

Originally Posted by JP Machining

Saw this a few years ago, and thought it was pretty cool as well.
The Moses Control, by Accurpress - YouTube

well this app just eliminated my job lol, but it is very cool, AI technology, makes it simple.
since I had to lay these stuff out on a drafting board, the AutoCAD started up I thought that was the cat's meow.
but this is ten fold, I bet this makes business owners LOL

Thanks to all for posting links. I started my apprenticeship on a Verson mechanical. I can remember the date of manufacture: 1947. It was a piece of junk, all worn out but we made operator cabs and crew cabs in batches of one to up to five. A door panel with a channel for window winder took me through 15 hits and 8 die changes.
These innovations are leaps and bounds beyond. My "program" was a vest pocket notebook with all the die settings so at least I didn't start out in the dark.
There was always someone in the shop that thought it was OK to bend round bar in the dies. The dies all had dimples in their surfaces.

Originally Posted by Scruffy887

Here ya go. Moving lower die. Scroll down and click on the video. About the 2 minute mark. Moving lower die here is used to bend acute angle required before hemming. Cool looking, but I have 2 different types of tooling that do hemming without a moving lower die. One set uses a special punch and die. Other set requires standard acute angle punch and a special lower die that is spring loaded. Make standard bends with it, or the acute bend for a hem. Step 2 is to insert the part into the hem slot and the punch comes down into the die and pushes the hem slot closed forming the hem.


TruBend Series 7000 | TRUMPF

Originally Posted by hobbyman

Thanks to all for posting links. I started my apprenticeship on a Verson mechanical. I can remember the date of manufacture: 1947. It was a piece of junk, all worn out but we made operator cabs and crew cabs in batches of one to up to five. A door panel with a channel for window winder took me through 15 hits and 8 die changes.

Eggzachary…..you still need "Special dies"

Why pay for all the CNC, when you still need "Special Dies" ?

Do more with standard tooling.

I recall seeing the Cincinnati press brake tooling catalog, and the number of special dies was very high.

Originally Posted by digger doug

Eggzachary…..you still need "Special dies"

Why pay for all the CNC, when you still need "Special Dies" ?

Do more with standard tooling.

I recall seeing the Cincinnati press brake tooling catalog, and the number of special dies was very high.

Just WTF are all these bends you are doing with planer stick tooling? Do you do all bottom bend stuff?

Blue flame 6? They run like a watch

Originally Posted by 1953chevB

my chevy

This Amada just came up for sale. $369,900.00 and Amada will also throw in $30,000.00 tooling credit. Built in 2016 and installed in 2017. Guessing Amada financed the deal, hence the tooling credit. Why is it for sale? Because the operator is standing around scratching his butt during the tool change. Reality is that for lots of short runs two of these machines are required in a one man cell. Calls up a job on machine 1 while he makes a few parts on machine 2. Once tools are loaded on 1 he calls up the next job on 2 and starts making a few parts on 1. All the while pissing away $. I really do not know how a tool changer on a press could possibly pay for itself. The tooling is special ATC type and prob cost a lot more than standard.
Amada HG1003ATC Press Brake Machine 11785 Video 1 - YouTube

Originally Posted by Scruffy887

Just WTF are all these bends you are doing with planer stick tooling? Do you do all bottom bend stuff?

As I said, it's a good idea for the 1970s...

And, it still doesn't address the need for sectional dies. I guess he considers sectional pieces of a pretty basic single v die to be 'special dies'?