Ultrafast Automated Bending Cell

The TruBend Cell 7000 automated bending cell from TRUMPF Inc. (Farmington, CT) is comprised of a TruBend 7036 Cell Edition press brake, a BendMaster bending robot, a LoadMaster Bend material handling unit, and a pallet system and tracks, all within an enclosure that requires only 69 sq ft of floor space. The highly dynamic TruBend 7036 Cell Edition features a press force of 40 tons and an electric torque motor for high speed acceleration. Intelligent back gauges built from lightweight materials enable parts to be positioned quickly to achieve a maximum pressing speed of 2 in/sec. The innovative ram is divided into two 20 in sections to provide clearance for the grippers on the BendMaster. With extreme precision and repeatability, these grippers can position components with a sheet thickness up to 0.3 in.

The LoadMaster Bend’s multi-vacuum gripper prepares the bending part parallel to the current bending operation. A high speed vision system identifies the exact orientation of the blanks. The flexible loading arrangement allows up to 24 different blanks or 4,800 parts to be accurately delivered to the machine. The standard system configuration includes unloading of finished parts to boxes or bins. Alternatively, the system can be equipped so that scratch-prone parts are individually unloaded to a conveyor belt. The press brake, bending robot and material handling unit are expertly coordinated to achieve a cycle time of 4 seconds per bend using TruTops Bend programming software. Offline programming supports and optimizes the tool selection, bending sequences and precise gripping position. Algorithms determine the shortest traverse paths to reduce the time per bend.

As an option, the ToolMaster Bend can be implemented to change bending tools as part of the automated process, which is particularly useful for small batches because the cell can process different orders without an operator. The BendMaster uses the ToolMaster Bend to select the appropriate tools without having to change grippers. Reading an ID chip inside the tool, the integrated Tool Identification System automatically identifies the tool type and position and communicates the data to the controller in the tool clamp and in the support tracks of the ToolMaster Bend. The TruBend Cell 7000 is ideal for processing small blanks in either short or long production runs, such as those by appliance or electronics manufacturers, HVAC and electrical equipment builders, as well as food service and agricultural OEMs. Contract manufacturers can also benefit from its ability to process diverse small parts with high productivity and unmanned operation.

TRUMPF Inc., 111 Hyde Road, Farmington Industrial Park, Farmington, CT 06032, 860-255-6039, www.us.trumpf.com.