Medium and heavy plates are widely used as load-bearing components in various fields, such as construction machinery and locomotives, including bulldozers, excavators, loaders, and railway passenger cars. Generally, medium and heavy plates refer to metal sheets with a thickness between 4.5 and 25mm. Currently, the main forming methods for medium and heavy plates include bending, rolling, and press die forming. Among them, bending is the most widely used and versatile forming method for medium and heavy plates. The challenges in bending medium and heavy plates include long workpieces, high pressure, difficulty in forming, low efficiency, and hard-to-control precision. The final result of bending is a comprehensive reflection of material parameters, process parameters, and die parameters. Reasonable design of these parameters is the key to improving the bending performance of medium and heavy plates.
This article will provide a detailed introduction to WILA's efficient solutions in the bending process of medium and heavy plates, including heavy-duty hydraulic fixtures, heavy-duty mechanical compensation workbenches, heavy-duty bending dies, and efficient die stations.
Bending Tonnage
The first issue to address in bending medium and heavy plates is the selection of the bending machine's tonnage and whether the fixtures and dies can withstand the load. The bending machine applies force F to drive the mutual movement between the upper and lower dies, thereby bending the sheet metal. For bending 90° of carbon steel plates, WILA provides empirical values for the load on the sheet metal, as shown in Table 1. When the carbon steel thickness is 20mm, a lower die with V=160mm can be selected, resulting in a bending machine load of 150t/m.
F = unit length force (t/m); S = material thickness (mm); ri = inner bending radius (mm); V = lower die opening size (mm); B = shortest flange edge (mm); aluminum: F × 50%; aluminum alloy: F × 100%; stainless steel: F × 150%; stamping bending: F × (3~5);
Heavy-Duty Top Hydraulic Fixture
For bending medium and heavy plates, WILA's new standard high-performance heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture, model NSCL-HD-II-HC/UPB, can easily handle the task.
The WILA heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture can be loaded from the top or the shoulder, with maximum loads of 250t/m and 800t/m, respectively. According to the bending tonnage table for medium and heavy plates, this heavy-duty fixture fully meets the tonnage requirements for bending such plates. The load-bearing surface of the fixture adopts CNC deep quenching and hardening technology, with a Rockwell hardness of 56-60HRC and a hardening depth of up to 4mm, providing high hardness and wear resistance. The surface precision of this heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture can reach ±0.01mm, ensuring precise bending even for medium and heavy plates. It uses hydraulic quick clamping, where the expansion of hydraulic hoses drives the movement of the clamping pins, automatically seating the die and aligning the bending line. For a bending die with a total length of 6 meters, it only takes about 5 seconds to fully clamp it using hydraulic clamping, resulting in a 3-6 times improvement in overall efficiency compared to a regular manual clamping system.
(a) Top Hydraulic Fixture
(b) Bottom Hydraulic Fixture
Heavy-Duty Mechanical Compensation Workbench
For bending medium and heavy plates, WILA's new standard high-performance heavy-duty mechanical compensation workbench not only meets the load requirements but also compensates for the deflection deformation of the bending machine. Its model is NSCR-HD-II-HC-150/250-CNC/UPB.
The load-bearing method of WILA's heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture is only shoulder-bearing, with a maximum shoulder load of 800t/m, making it suitable for applications involving heavy loads in bending medium and heavy plates. Even for heavy-duty bending of medium and heavy plates, WILA's mechanical compensation curve is designed to correspond to the parameters of the bending machine, compensating for the entire deflection deformation and possessing uniqueness. This mechanical compensation workbench adopts hydraulic clamping, with a surface precision of ±0.01mm, Rockwell hardness of 56-60HRC, and a hardening depth of up to 4mm. The mechanical compensation workbench uses WILA's universal UPB mounting interface, which allows for easy installation with higher accuracy. It also has adjustments in the Tx and Ty directions, ensuring parallelism between the workbench and the backgauge in the front and rear directions, as well as the ability to correct local angular deviations.
Heavy-Duty Bending Dies
Due to the thickness of medium and heavy plates, larger opening sizes (V24~V300) for bottom dies and higher load-bearing capacity for dies are generally selected for bending. The dimensions of the dies are usually large, and the weight exceeds the normal handling capacity of operators. With the help of roller bearings, WILA's patented E2M (EasytoMove) technology allows operators to move heavy-duty bending dies conveniently, safely, and quickly, greatly saving time for die replacement and machine adjustment. WILA can provide bending dies with various blade shapes and different opening sizes for customer requirements, such as straight blades, gooseneck blades, round corner dies, and Multi-V dies. Through precise grinding of key parts, the dimensional accuracy of the dies reaches ±0.01mm. With the treatment of CNC deep quenching and hardening technology, the hardness of the dies can reach 56-60HRC, and the hardening layer depth can reach 4mm. Strict tolerance requirements and hardening treatment ensure high-precision bending and an extended service life. The BIU-038 can handle a maximum load of 225t/m and can be equipped with the E2M function. The OZU-HD-376 can handle a maximum load of 350t/m and can be equipped with the E2M function.
For bending medium and heavy plates with different thicknesses, WILA also provides Multi-V dies in two forms: automatic adjustable V opening and manual adjustable V opening. Through CNC motors or adjustment blocks, the V opening size of the bottom die can be adjusted according to the characteristics of the sheet metal, making it particularly suitable for bending medium and heavy plates with high springback and high strength. At the same time, the Multi-V dies come with hardened and low-friction coefficient rollers, which greatly reduce external creases on the bent parts and reduce bending forces by 10% to 30% compared to traditional bottom dies.
Efficient Die Station
The specially designed efficient die station for bending machines provides a safe storage space for heavy-duty bending dies. Equipped with the corresponding E2M roller bearing system, it allows for quick and efficient replacement of top and bottom dies. The efficient die station consists of a die station and a load-bearing arm. The load-bearing arm can move forward and backward along the die station, allowing all heavy-duty dies to slide from the die station onto the load-bearing arm and then be installed on the bending machine. This ensures the safety and convenience of die storage and usage from start to finish.
Efficient Solutions for Bending Medium and Heavy Plates
WILA's comprehensive and efficient solutions for bending medium and heavy plates consist of a heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture, a heavy-duty mechanical compensation workbench, heavy-duty bending dies, and an efficient die station. The detailed functions of each component are as follows.
WILA's Efficient Solutions for Heavy-Duty Bending
(1) A: The new standard high-performance gooseneck blade with additional roller bearings allows for safe and convenient die replacement.
(2) B: Heavy-duty dies (with E2M) can be easily, safely, and quickly moved by operators using roller bearings, greatly saving time for die changeovers and machine adjustments.
(3) C: E2M protective end caps with a locking structure ensure that the dies will not slide out from the left or right sides of the fixtures when the fixtures are loosened and the safety buttons on the dies are not pressed.
(4) D: Heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture NSCL-HD-II-HC/UPB, using the universal UPB mounting form, allows for safe and quick installation and clamping of the dies.
(5) E: The heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture can be combined with all new standard high-performance top dies from WILA.
(6) F: The efficient die station provides a safe storage and replacement solution for heavy-duty bending dies.
(7) G: Pillars can be used to support wider and heavier bottom dies, increasing the stability of the dies during the bending process.
(8) H: The Tx adjustment function of the mechanical compensation workbench ensures a high level of parallelism between the bending centerline and the backgauge.
(9) J: Heavy-duty mechanical compensation workbench NSCR-HD-II-HC-CNCE2M-250/UPB, using the universal UPB mounting form, allows for safe and quick installation and adjustment. It can be combined with all new standard high-performance bottom dies from WILA.
(10) K: Protective end caps for the mechanical compensation workbench prevent collisions between the dies and the fixtures when loading the dies horizontally.
(11) L: WILA's patented E2M technology, with roller bearings at the bottom of the dies, allows for easy, safe, and quick movement of heavy-duty dies by operators.
In conclusion, in the highly competitive sheet metal industry, WILA provides customers with a more comprehensive and efficient bending solution for the bending operations of medium and heavy plates.
This article will provide a detailed introduction to WILA's efficient solutions in the bending process of medium and heavy plates, including heavy-duty hydraulic fixtures, heavy-duty mechanical compensation workbenches, heavy-duty bending dies, and efficient die stations.
Bending Tonnage
The first issue to address in bending medium and heavy plates is the selection of the bending machine's tonnage and whether the fixtures and dies can withstand the load. The bending machine applies force F to drive the mutual movement between the upper and lower dies, thereby bending the sheet metal. For bending 90° of carbon steel plates, WILA provides empirical values for the load on the sheet metal, as shown in Table 1. When the carbon steel thickness is 20mm, a lower die with V=160mm can be selected, resulting in a bending machine load of 150t/m.
F = unit length force (t/m); S = material thickness (mm); ri = inner bending radius (mm); V = lower die opening size (mm); B = shortest flange edge (mm); aluminum: F × 50%; aluminum alloy: F × 100%; stainless steel: F × 150%; stamping bending: F × (3~5);
Heavy-Duty Top Hydraulic Fixture
For bending medium and heavy plates, WILA's new standard high-performance heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture, model NSCL-HD-II-HC/UPB, can easily handle the task.
The WILA heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture can be loaded from the top or the shoulder, with maximum loads of 250t/m and 800t/m, respectively. According to the bending tonnage table for medium and heavy plates, this heavy-duty fixture fully meets the tonnage requirements for bending such plates. The load-bearing surface of the fixture adopts CNC deep quenching and hardening technology, with a Rockwell hardness of 56-60HRC and a hardening depth of up to 4mm, providing high hardness and wear resistance. The surface precision of this heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture can reach ±0.01mm, ensuring precise bending even for medium and heavy plates. It uses hydraulic quick clamping, where the expansion of hydraulic hoses drives the movement of the clamping pins, automatically seating the die and aligning the bending line. For a bending die with a total length of 6 meters, it only takes about 5 seconds to fully clamp it using hydraulic clamping, resulting in a 3-6 times improvement in overall efficiency compared to a regular manual clamping system.
(a) Top Hydraulic Fixture
(b) Bottom Hydraulic Fixture
Heavy-Duty Mechanical Compensation Workbench
For bending medium and heavy plates, WILA's new standard high-performance heavy-duty mechanical compensation workbench not only meets the load requirements but also compensates for the deflection deformation of the bending machine. Its model is NSCR-HD-II-HC-150/250-CNC/UPB.
The load-bearing method of WILA's heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture is only shoulder-bearing, with a maximum shoulder load of 800t/m, making it suitable for applications involving heavy loads in bending medium and heavy plates. Even for heavy-duty bending of medium and heavy plates, WILA's mechanical compensation curve is designed to correspond to the parameters of the bending machine, compensating for the entire deflection deformation and possessing uniqueness. This mechanical compensation workbench adopts hydraulic clamping, with a surface precision of ±0.01mm, Rockwell hardness of 56-60HRC, and a hardening depth of up to 4mm. The mechanical compensation workbench uses WILA's universal UPB mounting interface, which allows for easy installation with higher accuracy. It also has adjustments in the Tx and Ty directions, ensuring parallelism between the workbench and the backgauge in the front and rear directions, as well as the ability to correct local angular deviations.
Heavy-Duty Bending Dies
Due to the thickness of medium and heavy plates, larger opening sizes (V24~V300) for bottom dies and higher load-bearing capacity for dies are generally selected for bending. The dimensions of the dies are usually large, and the weight exceeds the normal handling capacity of operators. With the help of roller bearings, WILA's patented E2M (EasytoMove) technology allows operators to move heavy-duty bending dies conveniently, safely, and quickly, greatly saving time for die replacement and machine adjustment. WILA can provide bending dies with various blade shapes and different opening sizes for customer requirements, such as straight blades, gooseneck blades, round corner dies, and Multi-V dies. Through precise grinding of key parts, the dimensional accuracy of the dies reaches ±0.01mm. With the treatment of CNC deep quenching and hardening technology, the hardness of the dies can reach 56-60HRC, and the hardening layer depth can reach 4mm. Strict tolerance requirements and hardening treatment ensure high-precision bending and an extended service life. The BIU-038 can handle a maximum load of 225t/m and can be equipped with the E2M function. The OZU-HD-376 can handle a maximum load of 350t/m and can be equipped with the E2M function.
For bending medium and heavy plates with different thicknesses, WILA also provides Multi-V dies in two forms: automatic adjustable V opening and manual adjustable V opening. Through CNC motors or adjustment blocks, the V opening size of the bottom die can be adjusted according to the characteristics of the sheet metal, making it particularly suitable for bending medium and heavy plates with high springback and high strength. At the same time, the Multi-V dies come with hardened and low-friction coefficient rollers, which greatly reduce external creases on the bent parts and reduce bending forces by 10% to 30% compared to traditional bottom dies.
Efficient Die Station
The specially designed efficient die station for bending machines provides a safe storage space for heavy-duty bending dies. Equipped with the corresponding E2M roller bearing system, it allows for quick and efficient replacement of top and bottom dies. The efficient die station consists of a die station and a load-bearing arm. The load-bearing arm can move forward and backward along the die station, allowing all heavy-duty dies to slide from the die station onto the load-bearing arm and then be installed on the bending machine. This ensures the safety and convenience of die storage and usage from start to finish.
Efficient Solutions for Bending Medium and Heavy Plates
WILA's comprehensive and efficient solutions for bending medium and heavy plates consist of a heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture, a heavy-duty mechanical compensation workbench, heavy-duty bending dies, and an efficient die station. The detailed functions of each component are as follows.
WILA's Efficient Solutions for Heavy-Duty Bending
(1) A: The new standard high-performance gooseneck blade with additional roller bearings allows for safe and convenient die replacement.
(2) B: Heavy-duty dies (with E2M) can be easily, safely, and quickly moved by operators using roller bearings, greatly saving time for die changeovers and machine adjustments.
(3) C: E2M protective end caps with a locking structure ensure that the dies will not slide out from the left or right sides of the fixtures when the fixtures are loosened and the safety buttons on the dies are not pressed.
(4) D: Heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture NSCL-HD-II-HC/UPB, using the universal UPB mounting form, allows for safe and quick installation and clamping of the dies.
(5) E: The heavy-duty top hydraulic fixture can be combined with all new standard high-performance top dies from WILA.
(6) F: The efficient die station provides a safe storage and replacement solution for heavy-duty bending dies.
(7) G: Pillars can be used to support wider and heavier bottom dies, increasing the stability of the dies during the bending process.
(8) H: The Tx adjustment function of the mechanical compensation workbench ensures a high level of parallelism between the bending centerline and the backgauge.
(9) J: Heavy-duty mechanical compensation workbench NSCR-HD-II-HC-CNCE2M-250/UPB, using the universal UPB mounting form, allows for safe and quick installation and adjustment. It can be combined with all new standard high-performance bottom dies from WILA.
(10) K: Protective end caps for the mechanical compensation workbench prevent collisions between the dies and the fixtures when loading the dies horizontally.
(11) L: WILA's patented E2M technology, with roller bearings at the bottom of the dies, allows for easy, safe, and quick movement of heavy-duty dies by operators.
In conclusion, in the highly competitive sheet metal industry, WILA provides customers with a more comprehensive and efficient bending solution for the bending operations of medium and heavy plates.
