Applications
Press brakes are essential machines for the controlled deformation of metal, and ideal for carrying out complex and high-precision bending on sheets of all shapes, sizes and thicknesses.
With its versatility and integration with state-of-the-art control technologies, a press brake enables fast, accurate and repeatable production, reducing time, costs and error margins. It is the perfect solution for production-intensive sectors such as the automotive, construction, furniture and industrial metalworking sectors.
Modern press brakes offer an ideal balance of power, precision and automation, ensuring maximum operational efficiency and superior manufacturing quality.
Requirements:
Measurement of pressure in the hydraulic circuit
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Monitoring the flatness of the bending blade
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Compensation for vertical bending force
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Compensating for horizontal bending force
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Requirement:
Measurement of pressure in the hydraulic circuit
Measuring the pressure in the hydraulic circuit of a press brake is essential for its safe and accurate operation. Careful control ensures the correct force is applied onto the sheet metal, preventing overloads that could damage the machine and the finished product. Continuous monitoring allows operators to quickly detect leaks or malfunctions, avoiding machine failures and downtime. Hydraulic press brakes often operate at pressures above 350 bar, which can vary rapidly; the sensors must therefore be robust, precise and responsive. Correct positioning on pumps, cylinders or valves and resistance to oil, vibrations and high temperatures guarantee reliability and precision over time.
Solution:
The KS series pressure sensors are the ideal solution for measuring the pressure in the hydraulic circuits that manage the movement of the press during all processing phases.
With their advanced technology, the latest generation of thick film sensitive element and the compact stainless steel design, these sensors offer maximum robustness and reliability.
Key features:
- SIL2 certification;
- Speed of pressure reading (< 1 ms);
- Measurement ranges up to 1000 bar;
- IO-Link communication.
Requirement:
Monitoring the flatness of the bending blade
Monitoring the flatness of the blade in a press brake is critical to ensure that the force is applied evenly throughout the length of the item. During the working cycle, any bending or deformation of the structure is automatically detected and compensated, keeping the blade perfectly aligned. This process ensures constant and defect-free bending, improves the quality of the finished product and reduces the wear of tools and mechanical components. Integrated with automatic control systems, monitoring allows rapid adjustments, reduces tooling times and increases process repeatability, ensuring high performance in metal bending.
Solution:
The non-contact linear position sensors (WPA series) are ideal for ensuring the flatness of the blade in the bending bench. The absence of contact between sensor and cursor eliminates wear problems, ensuring long life. These sensors offer high precision through linearity, repeatability and low hysteresis, and are resistant to vibrations, mechanical shocks and wide thermal excursions.
Protection from external agents and immunity to electromagnetic disturbances (EMC) make them suitable for harsh industrial environments. Available with strokes from 50 to 4000 mm, sliding or floating cursors and outputs in voltage or current, they guarantee continuous and reliable measurements, contributing to maintaining the blade flat and to the quality and repeatability of the bending process.
Requirement:
Compensation for vertical bending force
The bending process requires precise control of the force applied by the blade onto the sheet, adapting to the material, thickness and length of the product. In monobloc presses, the rigidity of the structure prevents mechanical corrections, making it essential to compensate for flexing to maintain the flatness of the blade. Accurate monitoring allows for uniform bending, precise angles over the entire length, and reduced waste. It also ensures the protection of the machine from overloads, limits tool wear and increases operational safety. Integration with the control system ensures a stable, efficient and repeatable process even in demanding production contexts.
Solution:
Integrating a strain link sensor into a press brake improves accuracy, quality and process control. The SL-VAA series is extremely sensitive in detecting surface bending between two mounting points, mechanically amplifying even the smallest variations. The signal is processed instantly by a high-performance analog amplifier, ensuring rapid response, stability and reliability. The sturdy steel structure makes the sensor suitable for heavy industrial environments, quickly detecting deformations even in the presence of variable loads. The installation is simplified by the glued strain gauge, while real-time monitoring (<20 µs) ensures a stable, safe and repeatable process, even in the most challenging conditions.
Requirement:
Compensating for horizontal bending force
In press brakes, the force applied onto short pieces can be distributed unevenly, generating asymmetrical horizontal deformations in the structure. This, in turn, causes misalignments, inaccurate bending and abnormal stress on the blade and machine, increasing the risk of mechanical damage, machine downtime and operating costs. Real-time monitoring of lateral thrusts or micro-movements allows these deformations to be automatically compensated during the work cycle. In this way, a precise fold is obtained even on short pieces, maintaining the alignment of the blade, reducing waste and guaranteeing greater durability and reliability of the machine.
Solution:
In press brakes, bench bending can be monitored using two solutions: the SL-VAA strain link sensors or the PY/PZ potentiometers. Installing three measuring devices is recommended, one in the centre and two at the ends, in order to accurately detect any deformations along the entire length.
The SL-VAA sensors send a stable and fast signal through the analog amplifier; the steel frame guarantees resistance and the glued strain gauge facilitates assembly. Potentiometers, on the other hand, should be combined with PCIR (DIN bar amplifier-conditioner) for proper power supply. Both solutions ensure fast response, real-time detection and accurate control of bench flatness.
Operating principle
A press brake is a machine tool designed to bend sheet metal by applying controlled force with maximum precision. The process begins when the movable punch descends on a die positioned on the bench, deforming the sheet metal according to the desired angle. By using interchangeable moulds, it is possible to create complex and customised folds. The most modern versions, equipped with digital controllers, allow the automated management of the work cycle, guaranteeing repeatability, speed and manufacturing quality. Brake presses belong to three distinct groups depending on their type of drive: hydraulic, electric or manual. Hydraulic presses are the most popular because of their ability to apply high forces in a precise and controlled way, ideal for demanding machining. Electric presses, on the other hand, stand out for their execution speed, energy efficiency and lower maintenance requirements compared to traditional models.
Requirements and Technology:
The integration of advanced sensors has transformed press brakes into smart systems that can guarantee superior performance and total control. These sensors monitor key parameters, such as blade position, applied force, bench flexure and effective bend angle, in real time, allowing the control system to automatically adapt movements and pressure to compensate for any variation.
This integration guarantees a precise and uniform fold, regardless of the thickness, material or length of the piece. With this approach it is possible to reduce waste, improve the quality of the finished product and optimise processing times.
Modern press brakes, equipped with sensors, represent a high-performance and reliable solution, in which versatility, precision and safety are combined.
