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The Benefits of Portable
Press Brake Tooling
Technology
by David Bishop
Business Development Manager
Wila USA
Wila New Standard Tooling, Clamping, and Crowning System installed on a new press brake. |
Finn-Power press brakes are without question, among the
most technologically advanced press brakes produced anywhere
in the world. People that purchase Finn-Power press brakes
purchase them for a variety of reasons but, in the end, it
all comes down to productivity. To discerning buyers like
these, nothing less than maximum productivity will do.
Among the many features that make Finn-Power
press brakes so productive are the state of the art Wila
New Standard Tooling, Clamping, and Crowning Systems that
are available with these machines. For example, all Wila
New Standard punches and dies are offered in short modular
lengths of 20.275" (515
mm) and segmented versions totaling 21.653" (550 mm) in length.
All punches weighing less than 28 pounds come standard with
patented safety clicks making it possible for press brake
operators to load and unload them vertically in a matter
of seconds. This eliminates the need to slide punches in
and out the end of the press brake when making tool changes.
With the push of a single button, the hydraulic system on
the Wila New Standard Clamping System is activated and all
punches are automatically clamped, seated, centered, and
aligned. This eliminates the need for the cumbersome and
time-consuming wrenches and levers that are common to older
mechanical clamping systems. When the clamping system is
released, individual punch segments can be removed vertically
with absolutely no effect on adjacent punch segments.
The localized adjustment is made in a Wila Crowning System to compensate for individual machine deflection characteristics as well as machine and tooling wear. |
To provide maximum accuracy, all Wila
New Standard tooling is precision ground to a tolerance
of +/-.0004" (.01 mm),
making it the most accurate line of press brake tooling available.
It is also CNC-Deephardened on the working surfaces to Rockwell
60C to a depth of .118" (3.0 mm) and provides up to eight
times the life of standard planed North American style press
brake tooling. This provides the end user with the most durable
working surfaces available. Due to the increased wear resistance,
punch tip and die shoulder radii retain their dimensional
integrity far longer. Subsequently, part quality from job
to job remains more consistent while the need to alter existing
part programs as jobs repeat
is greatly reduced.
Wila crowning systems utilize patented opposing wave technology
and totally eliminate the need for die shimming which greatly
reduces set-up time. They provide a centralized adjustment
feature for quick easy set-up, and localized adjustments
to compensate for individual machine deflection characteristics
in addition to machine and tooling wear. They are available
in manually operated versions or with motorized central adjustment
for automatic crowning via the machines control. They are
also available with both manual and hydraulic clamping. With
the hydraulic clamping feature, all dies are clamped, seated,
centered, and aligned with the push of a single button using
the same power pack as that which is used to provide the
clamping pressure for the upper clamping unit.
Wila New Standard Punch with Safety-Clicks for vertical
loading and unloading and a Wila New Standard IV Die. |
One of the most important features of the Wila New Standard
Clamping, and Crowning Systems is that they are available
in a wide variety of configurations that are specifically
designed for virtually every make and model of press brake
produced in the world. This makes it possible to utilize
Wila New Standard Tooling technology in virtually every type
of press brake. While mounting these products to older, lower
technology press brakes will not make them equal to a Finn-Power
press brake in terms of technology and productivity, it will
most definitely improve their productivity and the quality
of the parts that they produce. Obviously, all press brakes
can benefit from reduced set-up time, increased accuracy,
reduced tooling wear, and the elimination of die shimming.
Other benefits of retrofitting Wila New Standard Tooling,
Clamping, and Crowning System technology to existing press
brakes in a facility where a Finn-Power press brake is installed
include the fact that it will enable multiple press brakes
to share the same tooling, utilize the same blank sizes,
and, due to Wila's lightweight modular approach to tooling,
make tool handling much safer. Especially when compared to
handling the long heavy punches and dies that are common
to North American style press brake tooling.
The benefits make it clear that when investing in a high
technology press brake like those offered by Finn-Power,
it is always prudent to make sure that the tooling system
that will be used in your new press brake is portable and
can be utilized in your existing press brakes.
For more information, please contact:
Wila
USA
9135 Guilford Road
Columbia, MD 21046
Tel: 888-696-9452
Fax: 301-490-3991
www.wilausa.com
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710
Remington Road 
Volume
13 Issue 2 -
December 2003