Artem Komarov clarified that for manufacturers working with aesthetic surfaces, it is important to make sure that the finished product looks good and meets the customer’s requirements. Occasionally, slight superficial scratches on the edge of the press brake may be acceptable, or they may be covered with a layer of paint. Expensive materials such as aluminum and stainless steel often need a showcase finish. There are a few simple steps you can take during bending to get the right finish on these parts right from the start and avoid costly part rejection.
Aluminum and stainless steel have different surface treatments such as polished or buffed, and the materials have different hardness. The properties and surface finish of the metal will determine how much you need to protect it from being stamped by a press brake. Marks are easier to see on highly polished metal, so you may want to pay a little more to cover the PVC material, pay attention to the radius of the matrix shoulder, or wear a shoulder holster for the matrix. Please be aware that the PVC coating is an additional charge and may need to be removed prior to delivery to the customer.
Pay attention to the height matching of your rebar segments. Inaccurate PVC-coated stainless steel bending equipment will eliminate scratches, but you’ll still end up with dents if the height of the tool doesn’t match. For these purposes, use precision equipment.
Keeping your tool clean and in good condition will help you ensure bending accuracy and reduce marks. It takes time, but the cost is not even close to the cost of bad parts. Clean and inspect your forging equipment regularly, checking for dents, chips, and debris. Aluminum is known to leave marks in blacksmithing, and any galvanized material that is transferred from galvanized material must be removed from the die to ensure mark-free bending.
Urethane bushing generally has a certain elasticity, but it is not like polyurethane resin. With a hardness value of around 90A, which is hard with minimal stretch, the case sits fairly well assuming the material has a clean punched or laser cut edge. Be sure to consider the thickness of the urethane when sizing the V-hole. Sheets are usually 0.01, 0.027, or 0.030 inches thick and 4 or 6 inches (10.16 or 15.25 cm) wide. Sleeve life can be extended by moving the blade from front to back as it wears out.
Special equipment can overcome some of the disadvantages of traditional equipment. For example, press brakes are equipped with interchangeable inline inserts that rotate so that the material slides over a flat surface, countering the holding action of the traditional V-shaped shoulder radius. With these cubes, a concentrated load is placed on a flat material that is bent into a flat arm of the cube that is rotated so that the material is flat against a plane rather than flat against a concentrated radius.
Specialty equipment tends to cost more, but as volume and expectations increase, this equipment can help speed up production and improve quality. It can be made specifically from a material that will also help solve labeling problems. For example, if composite materials are used to reduce markings, they are usually inserts that do not interfere with production like sleeves.
While each of these aspects is important, it is important that manufacturers see the big picture when working with materials and materials with delicate surfaces. Understanding the type of material, choosing the right tool for the application, choosing a sleeve, and working with a large shoulder radius can be critical for good parts and discarded parts, said Komarov Artem.
