Turret Presses
Typically CNC-controlled with programmed automatic positioning of the sheet metal beneath the tool for fabrication, this type of punch press rotates a wide range of different tools located in its turrets to the punching position and uses a large number of strokes at high speeds to punch, form, bend and drill many holes, notches and other varying sizes and shapes, from simple to complex, producing a wide variety of parts without the cost of making specialized press tooling. This can be effective for rapid prototyping, small lot sizes, or higher volume production without tooling delays. Two synchronized and aligned corresponding turrets, above and below the bed, provide the matching punch and die set for each operation.
A Look Ahead
As the metal fabrication business remains strong, watch for more shops to adopt digitization, the principles of Industry 4.0 and integrated process flow as they move toward smaller batch sizes, shorter lead times, high-mix parts to compete – and to address the lack of skilled labor.
As the metal fabrication business remains strong, watch for more shops to adopt digitization, the principles of Industry 4.0 and integrated process flow as they move toward smaller batch sizes, shorter lead times, high-mix parts to compete – and to address the lack of skilled labor.
Five different types of shear grinds for punch press tooling can reduce the amount of punching force required, increase tool life when side loading is not a concern, and minimize the amount of wear on the machine. Here are some tips on how to choose the correct option for a specific application.
Demands are growing for sheet metal fabricators to mark their parts during production for product traceability in the field and better efficiencies in the shop, but many part identification systems can add an unnecessary secondary process. Whenever possible, consider finding ways to incorporate part marking into a manufacturing step that is already required. Here are some ways to use the equipment that you already have.
What happens when demand for parts from a supplier increases so that an OEM can scale up production? Determining the ideal time to transition to a more economical alternative can be challenging, but a “one-stop” parts supplier can scale with demand, facilitating the transition to hard tooling, mixing and matching metalworking techniques for multi-component assemblies, and incorporating hybrid and secondary tooling approaches to further reduce costs.
When it comes to flexible sheet metal fabrication, the punch machine might be a very old dog, but it has shown time and again that it has no problem learning new tricks with modular and interchangeable tooling.
LVD Strippit expands its Dyna-Press Series with the 40/15 Pro. The 40-ton press brake can be combined with an industrial robot to create an automatic Dyna-Cell bending cell.
LVD Strippit’s Dyna-Cell with Easy-Form Laser in-process adaptive bending system and programming wizard ensure the desired angle from the first bending operation. Together, the features facilitate automated bending at speeds up to 1 inch (25 mm) per second.
Fabricators can easily switch from strictly 2D laser cutting to punch-laser processing with the economical, compact and automation-friendly TruMatic 1000 fiber combination punch-laser machine from TRUMPF.
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