HYDRAPOWER INTERNATIONAL INC.

North America’s first CNC Press Brake was built in 1977 and exhibited in IMTS 1978. It was sold to Milwaukee Metal Products and it is still in use with the original owner. It originally used a Hurco control but later an Automec CNC 1000 was installed.

Hydrapower International Inc. was originally founded in Australia in 1969 by Robin Wissing who is still the current CEO and Board Chairman. In 1973 the company was set up as a US corporation with registered headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1997 the company established its World Headquarters in Marco Island, Florida.

Rob Wissing is a Mechanical and Hydraulic Engineer who graduated from the Gordon Institute of Technology in Australia in the top 1 percent of the national grade level. During the past 30 plus years he has designed and developed the world’s largest product line of metal forming machinery which is now manufactured under license in several countries. Hydrapower Shears and Press Brakes begin at 4 feet by 12 gauge sheet metal capacity and continue to lengths of 100 feet x 6000 tons for Press Brakes capable of bending steel plates 100 feet long x 1″ thick.

Now Hydrapower Licensees collectively produce about 1000 machines per year. The company has introduced many innovations to the industry, developing North America’s first CNC Press Brake and developing the world’s only Hydraulic Swing Beam Shear with 4 edge knives.

Many of the machines are used by Aerospace companies and in some very secure Government facilities. Boeing has a 28 feet x 1000 ton Press Brake which was installed in 1980 in the Tulsa plant, then it was moved to Seattle, then to the new plant in Wichita. A few years ago it was moved again to a newer plant in Wichita. After 28 years it was sold to a ship building company in Louisiana.

Rob has been a member of SME for 39 years, now an honorary Life Member and is qualified for and received R&D grants from the Australian Government Department of Science and Technology. In 1981 he received a grant for further development of his Boring, Skiving, Roller Burnishing and Honing machine.

The machine was the only type in the world. He received the “Outstanding Design Achievement “award in 1982 issued by the Australian Department of Science and Technology.

For more information please call 239-642-5379, fax 239-642-4032, email [email protected], or visit us on the web at www.hydrapower-intl.com.