ing: This needs to be done the first time a job is run and then the information captured for review on subsequent runs. Basics are: Material thickness and type, any flange dimensions and tolerances, angles required and the inside radius, plus blank size. On many drawings the inside radius is not specified but this is very important for determining the type of tooling required and in some cases which press brake.
2) Select the tooling depending if bottom bending, coining, air bending or some other application is called for.
3) Determine tonnage requirements depending upon the bending method Certain advancements have helped some metal fabrication companies to be more efficient. However, many still experience a hold up somewhere; most often in the press brake setup process.

Press Brake setup needs to be both efficient and accurate in order to eliminate rework and waste in both time and materials. The most expensive part of any operation is in the setup as from a production point of view, no parts are being made. To achieve both accuracy and speed, proper training and operating procedures for repetitive jobs through a standard setup process can help deliver superior results.

Training The press brake can be one of the most difficult machines to run in a precision metal fabrication shop. Despite all the technology improvements, the operator needs the know how and skills to think through the steps to create the part and anticipate problems ahead of time. This is especially true today as raw material costs have escalated and excessive waste from bad tolerances is not an option.

Modern press brakes have many features to take the guesswork and art out of bending with thickness compensators, automatic spring-back adjustments, and so forth. While these features are invaluable, the feature richness just adds to the knowledge needed by the operator to understand the setup possibilities.

Options abound and proper training is needed on how to properly leverage the right options the press brake offers both for efficiency of operation and accuracy of reproducing the desired part.

Standard Operating Procedures Metal fabrication shops today face the demands of many small runs and tighter tolerance demands by their customers. Implementing standard operating procedures and proper training in process execution go a long way towards achieving consistency in producing high quality parts with minimal waste. This is especially true when comparing part variations produced by multiple operators with different skill levels.

For recurring jobs, setup sheets can help achieve consistency and efficiency as they capture previous knowledge of best practices, help eliminate errors of omission, and help efficiency as one doesn't need to figure everything out from scratch each time. The setup lists can include tools required, setup sequences, settings and other specific information about the job.

A setup procedure might contain these 7 steps:
1) Review the drawing: This needs to be done the first time a job is run and then the information captured for review on subsequent runs. Basics are: Material thickness and type, any flange dimensions and tolerances, angles required and the inside radius, plus blank size. On many drawings the inside radius is not specified but this is very important for determining the type of tooling required and in some cases which press brake.
2) Select the tooling depending if bottom bending, coining, air bending or some other application is called for.
3) Determine tonnage requirements depending upon the bending method s

aining The press brake can be one of the most difficult machines to run in a precision metal fabrication shop. Despite all the technology improvements, the operator needs the know how and skills to think through the steps to create the part and anticipate problems ahead of time. This is especially true today as raw material costs have escalated and excessive waste from bad tolerances is not an option.

Modern press brakes have many features to take the guesswork and art out of bending with thickness compensators, automatic spring-back adjustments, and so forth. While these features are invaluable, the feature richness just adds to the knowledge needed by the operator to understand the setup possibilities.

Options abound and proper training is needed on how to properly leverage the right options the press brake offers both for efficiency of operation and accuracy of reproducing the desired part.

Standard Operating Procedures Metal fabrication shops today face the demands of many small runs and tighter tolerance demands by their customers. Implementing standard operating procedures and proper training in process execution go a long way towards achieving consistency in producing high quality parts with minimal waste. This is especially true when comparing part variations produced by multiple operators with different skill levels.

For recurring jobs, setup sheets can help achieve consistency and efficiency as they capture previous knowledge of best practices, help eliminate errors of omission, and help efficiency as one doesn't need to figure everything out from scratch each time. The setup lists can include tools required, setup sequences, settings and other specific information about the job.

A setup procedure might contain these 7 steps:
1) Review the drawing: This needs to be done the first time a job is run and then the information captured for review on subsequent runs. Basics are: Material thickness and type, any flange dimensions and tolerances, angles required and the inside radius, plus blank size. On many drawings the inside radius is not specified but this is very important for determining the type of tooling required and in some cases which press brake.
2) Select the tooling depending if bottom bending, coining, air bending or some other application is called for.
3) Determine tonnage requirements depending upon the bending method

le, the feature richness just adds to the knowledge needed by the operator to understand the setup possibilities.

Options abound and proper training is needed on how to properly leverage the right options the press brake offers both for efficiency of operation and accuracy of reproducing the desired part.

Standard Operating Procedures Metal fabrication shops today face the demands of many small runs and tighter tolerance demands by their customers. Implementing standard operating procedures and proper training in process execution go a long way towards achieving consistency in producing high quality parts with minimal waste. This is especially true when comparing part variations produced by multiple operators with different skill levels.

For recurring jobs, setup sheets can help achieve consistency and efficiency as they capture previous knowledge of best practices, help eliminate errors of omission, and help efficiency as one doesn't need to figure everything out from scratch each time. The setup lists can include tools required, setup sequences, settings and other specific information about the job.

A setup procedure might contain these 7 steps:
1) Review the drawing: This needs to be done the first time a job is run and then the information captured for review on subsequent runs. Basics are: Material thickness and type, any flange dimensions and tolerances, angles required and the inside radius, plus blank size. On many drawings the inside radius is not specified but this is very important for determining the type of tooling required and in some cases which press brake.
2) Select the tooling depending if bottom bending, coining, air bending or some other application is called for.
3) Determine tonnage requirements depending upon the bending method

high quality parts with minimal waste. This is especially true when comparing part variations produced by multiple operators with different skill levels.

For recurring jobs, setup sheets can help achieve consistency and efficiency as they capture previous knowledge of best practices, help eliminate errors of omission, and help efficiency as one doesn't need to figure everything out from scratch each time. The setup lists can include tools required, setup sequences, settings and other specific information about the job.

A setup procedure might contain these 7 steps:
1) Review the drawing: This needs to be done the first time a job is run and then the information captured for review on subsequent runs. Basics are: Material thickness and type, any flange dimensions and tolerances, angles required and the inside radius, plus blank size. On many drawings the inside radius is not specified but this is very important for determining the type of tooling required and in some cases which press brake.
2) Select the tooling depending if bottom bending, coining, air bending or some other application is called for.
3) Determine tonnage requirements depending upon the bending method

ing: This needs to be done the first time a job is run and then the information captured for review on subsequent runs. Basics are: Material thickness and type, any flange dimensions and tolerances, angles required and the inside radius, plus blank size. On many drawings the inside radius is not specified but this is very important for determining the type of tooling required and in some cases which press brake.
2) Select the tooling depending if bottom bending, coining, air bending or some other application is called for.
3) Determine tonnage requirements depending upon the bending method selected in the previous step.
4) Position tooling either centered or off-center as appropriate and make any adjustments. This step is typically the most time consuming but care is required for accuracy.
5) Set the program parameters for the press brake control system. This area is another efficiency training opportunity as this step can be time consuming but little time is dedicated to training, especially on the more sophisticated features available today.
6) Perform a test bend and make any adjustments. Use scrap whenever possible to save on material costs. A properly trained operator can make adjustments quickly and efficiently. Once a good part is formed, don't allow any further adjustments in the settings.
7) Start the run but set a sampling interval to make sure the part continues to be produced with the proper tolerances.

The use of consistent training methods can help operators become more efficient when working with equipment and the general process. This simple tactic enables fabrication shops to alleviate the rising cost of materials while still producing a consistently high quality product. Utilizing the specialty control features of the modern press brake, human knowledge, and consistent production process will result in reduced scrap and increased productivity.