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In the bending industry, one of the most frequently asked questions is: how can we assess the quality of tools? In other words: which characteristics do tools need to have in order to satisfy all the bending requirements?
Choosing the most suitable press brake tool is, indeed, not always simple. Catalogues usually offer a wide range of solutions, often very similar to each other: this great variety of tools available on the market might be confusing for the users.
The purpose of this article is to describe some aspects of the tools, to help our readers in their choices. The characteristics to be analyzed when assessing the quality of press brake tools can be summed up in the following 3 parameters.
1. TOUGHNESS/DURABILITY.
According to this parameter, the tools have to:
- withstand crushing forces: they have to bear the heavy loads applied in sheet metal bending (both punches and dies);
- withstand fatigue: they have to resist the repetitive cycles of metal processing (mainly for punches);
- have good surface hardness: resist the abrasion wear caused by sheet metal sliding (mainly for dies).
What do these properties depend on? Mainly on three factors:
- the type of steel used to fabricate the tool (strength resistance)
- heat treatments carried out on the tool (strength resistance but especially abrasive wear protection)
- the profile of the tool, both in terms of shape and of dimensions.
2. EFFICIENCY.
In order to be considered efficient, a tool has to:
- comply and combine with the features of the press brake it will be installed on, to meet the requirements of most users
- provide the greatest variety of profiles possible, on a wide range of different materials and thicknesses
- require the least investment, according to the intended use, and choosing the most suitable type of steel based on shape, angle and radius.
Designing a high quality tool, indeed, implies predicting which its intended use will be and which materials and thicknesses it will work on. It is also necessary to consider which shape will meet the requirements of most users. For this, during the design and development phase, it is vital to pay particular attention to the shape, the dimensions, the characteristics and the cost.
3. ACCURACY.
Press brake tools must be fabricated with extremely accurate dimensional tolerances, so the design and fabrication phases have to be carried out with the maximum precision.
Absolute accuracy of tools is essential to:
- avoid bending errors
- ensure they are aligned during installation
- make sure they are interchangeable, should single segments of tools be partially replaced.
These characteristics depend on:
- how technologically advanced the production system is
- how efficient the "quality system" is, that is, how many and which dimensional tests have been carried out and what instruments have been used.
Press brake tools: trust our experience.
Do you need advice on choosing the most suitable tool for you? Since 1970 Eurostamp has been designing and manufacturing top quality press brake tooling, punches and dies.
Trust our experience. Contact Eurostamp.