7 Quick Tips Regarding Press Brakes Tooling

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Press Brakes Tooling Bending means that the metal sheet undergoes elastic deformation under the pressure of the upper or lower die of the bending machine, and then enters the plastic deformation. At the beginning of plastic bending, the sheet is free to bend. With the upper or lower die pairing when pressing the sheet, the sheet becomes closer to the inner surface of the V-groove of the lower mold, and at the same time, the radius of curvature and the bending arm gradually reduces.

Continue to press until the stroke ends, so that the upper and lower molds are in full contact with the sheet at three points. At this time, a V-shaped bend which completed, we commonly called it is bending.

What is the press brake tooling ?

It is a tool used by the bending machine to form and process sheet materials. This tool is composed of various parts, and different molds are composed of different parts. Bending machine molds are divided into upper and lower molds of the bending machine, which are used for sheet metal stamping forming and separating molds. The press brake tooling used for forming has a cavity, and the mold used for separation has a cutting edge.

Selection of press brake tooling material

There are many kinds of materials for the production of bending machine molds, including steel, cemented carbide, steel-bonded cemented carbide, zinc-based alloy, low melting point alloy, aluminum bronze, polymer materials and so on.Press Brakes Tooling

At present, most of the materials used to manufacture stamping and bending machine molds are steel. Commonly used materials for working parts of bending machine molds include: carbon tool steel, low-alloy tool steel, high-carbon high-chromium or medium-chromium tool steel, Medium-carbon alloy steel, high-speed steel, base steel, cemented carbide, steel-bonded cemented carbide, etc. Press Brakes Tooling

• Carbon tool steel

The most commonly used carbon tool steels in press brake tooling are T8A, T10A, etc. The advantages are good processing performance and low price. But the hardenability and red hardness are poor, the heat treatment deformation is large, and the bearing capacity is low. Press Brakes Tooling

• Low alloy tool steel

Alloy tool steel is based on carbon tool steel with a proper amount of alloying elements added. Compared with carbon tool steel, it reduces quenching deformation and cracking tendency, improves the hardenability of steel, and has better wear resistance. The low-alloy steels used to manufacture bending machine molds include CrWMn, 9Mn2V, 7CrSiMnMoV (code CH-1), 6CrNiSiMnMoV (code GD) and so on. Press Brakes Tooling

• High carbon and high chromium tool steel

Commonly used high carbon and high chromium tool steels are Cr12, Cr12MoV, Cr12Mo1V1 (code D2), they have good hardenability and wear resistance, heat treatment deformation is small, high wear resistance and micro deformation bending machine die steel. The bearing capacity is inferior to high-speed steel. However, the segregation of carbides is serious, and repeated upsetting (axial upsetting, radial upsetting) and forging must carry out to reduce the unevenness of carbides and improve the performance. Press Brakes Tooling

Types of Press Brakes Tooling

Bending molds include L-shaped, R-shaped, U-shaped, Z-shaped, etc. The upper mold mainly has different angles such as 90°, 88°, 45°, 30°, 20°, 15°, etc. Press Brakes Tooling

The lower dies have double grooves and single grooves with different groove widths of 4~18V, as well as R lower dies, acute angle lower dies, flattening dies, etc. Press Brakes Tooling

The upper and lower molds which divided into sections and the whole: the upper mold sections are generally 300mm, 200mm, 100mm, 100mm, 50mm, 40mm, 20mm, 15mm, 10mm, and the overall size is 835mm. The lower die generally divides into 400mm, 200mm, 100mm, 50mm, 40mm, 20mm, 15mm, 10mm, and the overall size is 835mm. Press Brakes Tooling

• Standard mold for torsion shaft bending machine Press Brakes Tooling

• CNC press brake machine standard mold

• Gooseneck punch

• U type mold

• Hemming tooling

How to choose press brake tooling

1. The bending mold which made of high-quality steel by special heat treatment. It has the characteristics of high hardness, not easy to wear, and high pressure. However, each set of molds has its ultimate pressure: ton/m, so you must be correct when using the mold to choose the length of the mold. That is, how much pressure needs to apply per meter, and must not exceed the pressure marked on the mold.
2. In order not to damage the mold, we stipulate that when aligning the origin, the upper and lower molds with a length of more than 300mm must be used for the origin. After the origin is aligned, the upper and lower molds of the same height can be used. It is strictly forbidden to use the split small mold to align the origin, and the origin must be based on the origin pressure inside the AMADA machine. Press Brakes Tooling
3. When using molds, due to the inconsistent heights of various molds, molds of the same height can only be used when selecting molds on a machine, and molds of different heights cannot be used.
4. When bending products with extremely hard hardness or too thick sheet, it is not allowed to use molds to bend steel bars or other cylindrical products.
5. When bending an acute angle or pressing a dead angle, you should choose 30 degrees, first bend the acute angle, and then press the dead edge. When bending R angle, R upper die and R lower die should be used. Press Brakes Tooling
6. When bending a long workpiece, it is best not to use segmented molds to reduce the indentation of the knife, and it is best to choose a single groove. Because the outer angle R of the V groove of the single groove lower mold is large, and it is not easy to produce bending pressure mark. Press Brakes Tooling
7. When using the mold, choose the appropriate upper and lower molds according to the material hardness, thickness and length of the metal sheet. Generally, use the lower mold according to the standard of 5~6T, and the length is longer than the sheet. For harder and thicker materials, lower molds with wider grooves should be used.
8. When selecting the upper mold, which kind of upper mold using, we should understand the parameters of all the molds. And then decide which upper mold to use according to the shape of the product that needs to form.
9. When using the mold, you should have a clear mind. After the machine aligned to the origin, the upper and lower molds need to lock. Don’t let the mold fall, hurt people or damage the mold. Pay attention to the pressure during the operation. Pressure, pay attention to the changes in the data displayed on the screen. Press Brakes Tooling
10. After using the mold, put it back on the mold rack in time and place it according to the label. Frequently clean the dust on the mold and apply anti-rust oil to avoid rust and reduce the accuracy of the mold.

How to judge whether the press brake tooling meets the standard or not

• The degree of conformity between the upper arc of the die circle of the bending machine and the outer diameter of the pipe needs to bend.
• Whether the upper arc low warp of the die circle of the bending machine is consistent with the arc required by the drawing of the pipe need to bend.
• Whether the square hole in the mold of the bending machine matches the square axis of the pipe bending machine.
• The roughness of the arc on the die circle of the bending machine. Whether the size of the arc meets the requirements of the drawing.
• The parallelism between the upper arc and the upper and lower sides of the die circle of the bending machine.
• Whether the hardness of each part of the bending machine mold is required by the drawings.

Problems that should paid attention to when installing the mold of the bending machine

When installing the bending machine mold, be sure to check the status of the equipment. And then install and debug according to the steps, and pay attention to personal safety when debugging.

1. Adjustment of bending machine
2. Adjustment of the slider stroke of the bending machine
3. Bending machine stroke module adjustment
4. Adjustment of die gap of bending machine
5. Bending machine mold angle adjustment

Daily use specification of press brake tooling

• Turn on the power of the bending machine, turn the key switch, press the oil pump to start. And the bending machine oil pump starts to rotate. At this time, the machine has not yet started to work.
• The stroke adjustment requires a test run when starting the bending machine mold. When the upper die of the bending machine descends to the bottom, there must be a gap of plate thickness. Otherwise it will cause damage to the mold and the machine. The stroke adjustment also has electric quick adjustment and manual fine adjustment.
• To choose the notch of the die of the bending machine, generally choose a notch of 8 times the width of the plate thickness. If you bend a 4mm sheet, you need to choose a slot of about 32.
• Check the overlap and firmness of the upper and lower molds of the bending machine; check whether the positioning devices meet the requirements of being processed. Frequently check the overlap of the upper and lower molds; whether the instructions of the pressure gauge meet the regulations.
• When bending the sheet, it has to compact to prevent the sheet from lifting up and hurting the operator during bending.
• The power supply needs to cut off when adjusting the sheet metal die, and the operation should stop.
• When changing the opening of the lower die of the variable bending machine, no material allows to contact the lower die.
• It can not use bending machine molds to fold over-thick iron plates or quenched steel plates, high-grade alloy steels, square steels, and sheets that exceed the performance of the sheet metal bending machine to avoid damage to the machine tool.
• Turn off the bending machine, and place wooden blocks on the lower molds under the cylinders on both sides to lower the upper slide plate onto the wooden blocks. Exit the control system program first, then cut off the power supply.
• Press brake tooling refers to the various components and accessories used in a press brake machine to shape and form sheet metal or other materials into desired shapes. Press brakes are commonly used in metal fabrication and manufacturing processes to bend, fold, or shape materials. The tooling used in press brakes includes:
• Punch: The punch is the upper tool that presses down on the material to create the desired bend or shape. It comes in various shapes and sizes to accommodate different bending requirements.
• Die: The die is the lower tool that provides the counterforce against the punch, allowing the material to be bent or formed. Dies also come in various shapes and sizes to match the punch and produce the desired outcome.
• V-Die: A V-die is a specific type of die with a V-shaped groove. It is commonly used for creating sharp bends and angles in sheet metal.
• Hemming Tools: Hemming tools are used for folding and tucking the edges of sheet metal to create a hem, which provides added strength and safety. Hemming dies and punches are designed for this purpose.
• Radius Tooling: Radius tools are used to create rounded bends or curves in sheet metal. These tools come in various radii to achieve different curvature requirements.
• Gooseneck Punch: A gooseneck punch is a specialized punch with a curved or extended shape, allowing it to reach deep into the material for specific bending tasks.
• Offset Tooling: Offset tooling is used to create bends or folds that are not aligned with the material’s original edge. It allows for complex shaping and forming of sheet metal.
• Custom Tooling: In some cases, custom tooling is designed and fabricated to meet specific bending and forming requirements for unique projects.
• Tool Holders and Clamps: These components secure the punch and die in place on the press brake machine and ensure precise alignment during the bending process.
• Safety Features: Press brake tooling may also include safety features such as light curtains, guards, and interlocks to protect operators from potential hazards.
• Press brake tooling should be selected based on the specific material, thickness, and bending requirements of the project. Proper maintenance and setup of the tooling are essential to achieve accurate and consistent results in metal fabrication processes.