The Inner Workings of a Hydraulic Press Brake

by MICHAEL HEADINGTEN

The function of a press brake is to make bends in thick, heavy sheets and complicated bends in thin materials. Press brakes are made in two forms, mechanical press brakes and hydraulic press brakes. Hydraulic presses are usually more appropriate because a lot of power is needed to bend the sheets or plates. On the market are hydraulic presses fully capable of handling more than 50,000 metric tones. When steady pressure is needed, these are the most desired.

So that you can actually comprehend the workings of a hydraulic press brake, you should first understand how it functions. It can be hard to remember all of the components of the hydraulic press brake since there are so many, but that is why we��ve listed here the most important parts for you to understand.

1. Hydraulic fluid �C Hydraulic fluid runs through different parts of the hydraulics. High pressure is applied by the hydraulic pump, which energizes the fluid. This fluid moves into the cylinders, or actuators, where an abundance of energy is provided to the piston. This controls the bending tools. Once this is accomplished, the de-energized hydraulic fluid recycles back into the pump to build up its energy once again. Most often this fluid is petroleum oil and includes additives.

The hydraulic fluid greases the other components of the hydraulic press brake and takes out the contaminants and metal fittings. The fluid can operate in more than a few hundred degrees Celsius. It is heated when it gets its energy in the hydraulic pump.

2. Hydraulic pump �C The hydraulic pump is the powerhouse for the hydraulic fluid. The pump is responsible for sending the hydraulic fluid to other parts of the machine to allow for pressing operations.

The pump can maintain the flow or apply pressure equal to its psi rating. Simply put, if it is rated as 5000 psi, it can handle up to that much pressure. The hydraulic motor is ten times more powerful than an electric motor. The operations of the hydraulic pump are controlled by an electric motor or an engine connected by gears, belts, or flexible couplings. This could be a gear pump, vane pump, axial piston pump, or radial piston pump. If you look at the generator side of the entire hydraulic press brake system, then you will be seeing the hydraulic pump as it has been described.

3. Actuator �C The actuator performs the task of pressing once the hydraulic fluid has been delivered to it. This actuator in the hydraulic press brake is the hydraulic cylinder. There are other forms, and various actuators provide the hydraulic cylinder��s reciprocating piston and cylinder barrel.

Large amounts of energy are in the hydraulic fluid and are carried to the piston so that the linear work of pressing the metal sheets can be allowed. The stroke length should be different when working with different metals and angles. The stroke length is adaptable and can be programmed to fit appropriately. The cylinder length determines the total stroke length of the piston. It is possible to control the forces and pressure of the piston. Full pressure is available in the whole stroke. The velocity can be programmed to adjust or stay constant for the duration of the operation of the presses. The hydraulic cylinder is the ��motor�� part of the hydraulic press brake system.

4. Control valves �C The control valves regulate the hydraulic fluid and send it to the preferred actuators. These control how much fluid and energy is sent to the actuator. If there is more than one actuator, control valves will pass fluid on in even amounts.

These are the four main parts of a hydraulic press brake. Hopefully, you now have acquired a much better understanding of the inner workings of a press brake system.

Michael Headington shops exclusively at hellerson.com when he needs new machines for his shop. That��s because he knows that Heller metal fabricating machinery and angle rolls are the best in the business. With their high quality construction and easy controls, Michael knows that they will perform well and last forever.