Comparison between Fully Automatic Sheet Metal Bending and Manual Operation Bending
In the "Four Basic Steps from Sheet Metal to Finished Product," bending is the second step, and most CNC press brakes require manual operation. However, with the continuous development of automation in bending machines, automatic sheet bending technology has become more reliable and cost-effective. This is changing the situation of production that heavily relies on manual operation. As the search for faster and better metal processing methods continues, robotic automatic bending technology has gained widespread attention.
How is metal sheet bent? Principles of sheet bending forming
In the metal manufacturing industry, most sheet bending is done using press brakes. The core of the bending equipment is the upper and lower dies.
The lower die (bottom die) has a "V" shaped cross-section (V-shaped groove), while the upper die (top die) has a matching wedge or angled profile. The thin sheet is placed between them, and the wedge presses it down into the "V" shaped groove, forming the bend.
Process of manual operation bending machine
A worker picks up a cut sheet from the stack, orients it, and slides it between the upper and lower dies until it touches the backstop block. Finally, the upper die mechanism is lowered to bend the workpiece.
Performing another bend means: retracting the sheet, adjusting the direction and position of the material, and sometimes flipping the sheet so that the metal faces another bend.
This is a labor-intensive task, especially for large, heavy metal sheets, which require several people to handle. Moreover, human operators are prone to making mistakes due to the physical exertion involved. Accidental misplacement of the bend or incorrect angle formation can easily occur during manual operation, and there is even a risk of forgetting that the machine is in operation.
This is why more and more manufacturers are opting for fully automatic robotic bending machines!
Automation in CNC press brakes
More precisely, this refers to the entire sheet metal flexible production line. Extensive operations have proven that for many manufacturing factories, the sheet metal bending flexible production line can fully utilize the dedicated bending system of CNC press brakes equipped with high-quality dies.
In the automatic bending machine system, robots replace operators. The robot is positioned next to the press brake and stacks the sheets, picking them up from top to bottom and placing them on the press brake for processing.
Process of automated bending
Generally, the robot is fixed in position in front of the press brake and cannot move arbitrarily. To ensure precise control of the metal sheet, the robot usually clamps it and places it on a designated platform first. Then, the robot adjusts its position again, clamps the sheet, and places it on the press brake for bending. In other words, the bending process only starts when the blank is in position and placed at the designated location in the press brake. If multiple different bends are required, the robot will reposition the blank accordingly. Once the part is completed, the robot can stack it aside or place it on a chute or conveyor belt for the next process.
(Note: The translation assumes that "Jiangsu Shengchi" is a typo and replaces it with "manufacturers" for clarity.)
In the "Four Basic Steps from Sheet Metal to Finished Product," bending is the second step, and most CNC press brakes require manual operation. However, with the continuous development of automation in bending machines, automatic sheet bending technology has become more reliable and cost-effective. This is changing the situation of production that heavily relies on manual operation. As the search for faster and better metal processing methods continues, robotic automatic bending technology has gained widespread attention.
How is metal sheet bent? Principles of sheet bending forming
In the metal manufacturing industry, most sheet bending is done using press brakes. The core of the bending equipment is the upper and lower dies.
The lower die (bottom die) has a "V" shaped cross-section (V-shaped groove), while the upper die (top die) has a matching wedge or angled profile. The thin sheet is placed between them, and the wedge presses it down into the "V" shaped groove, forming the bend.
Process of manual operation bending machine
A worker picks up a cut sheet from the stack, orients it, and slides it between the upper and lower dies until it touches the backstop block. Finally, the upper die mechanism is lowered to bend the workpiece.
Performing another bend means: retracting the sheet, adjusting the direction and position of the material, and sometimes flipping the sheet so that the metal faces another bend.
This is a labor-intensive task, especially for large, heavy metal sheets, which require several people to handle. Moreover, human operators are prone to making mistakes due to the physical exertion involved. Accidental misplacement of the bend or incorrect angle formation can easily occur during manual operation, and there is even a risk of forgetting that the machine is in operation.
This is why more and more manufacturers are opting for fully automatic robotic bending machines!
Automation in CNC press brakes
More precisely, this refers to the entire sheet metal flexible production line. Extensive operations have proven that for many manufacturing factories, the sheet metal bending flexible production line can fully utilize the dedicated bending system of CNC press brakes equipped with high-quality dies.
In the automatic bending machine system, robots replace operators. The robot is positioned next to the press brake and stacks the sheets, picking them up from top to bottom and placing them on the press brake for processing.
Process of automated bending
Generally, the robot is fixed in position in front of the press brake and cannot move arbitrarily. To ensure precise control of the metal sheet, the robot usually clamps it and places it on a designated platform first. Then, the robot adjusts its position again, clamps the sheet, and places it on the press brake for bending. In other words, the bending process only starts when the blank is in position and placed at the designated location in the press brake. If multiple different bends are required, the robot will reposition the blank accordingly. Once the part is completed, the robot can stack it aside or place it on a chute or conveyor belt for the next process.
(Note: The translation assumes that "Jiangsu Shengchi" is a typo and replaces it with "manufacturers" for clarity.)
