More bending without lengthy installation

The Modular Tool Changer makes time-consuming and burdensome manual setup a thing of the past. The automatic tool changer for the high-end press brake Xpert Pro makes the bending process faster and more precise. In addition, this automation solution spares man and material.

Working on a press brake is no easy task. Not only are the metal sheets heavy but so are the tools. Operators must first retrieve the bending tools from the magazine and then hoist them onto the machine. Especially installing the upper cheek is quite a job. This involves hanging the tools at chest height in the clamping system.

In addition to strength, changing tools also takes time. Installation takes up to 70 percent of the bending process. And installation is becoming increasingly common, as there is a trend toward smaller batches. Today, an operator often equips the machine with totally different tools after only a few units to produce a whole new workpiece. And moments later, he has to change it again. Especially for contract manufacturers, setup time is therefore increasingly becoming the critical factor in the bending process.

Up to 30 percent more productive

An automatic tool changer significantly speeds up installation time while relieving the burden on personnel. Bystronic recognized this early on and launched its first automation solution back in 2016. The Modular Tool Changer now follows the latest model for the press brake Xpert Pro. The additional module can be installed without any problem on all versions of the high-end series.

The Modular Tool Changer makes the bending process up to 30 percent more productive. And thanks to the latest sensor technology, it also increases accuracy. At the end of a long shift, operators sometimes don't attach tools as accurately as they should. That won't happen to the six-axis robot. For each bending job, it automatically retrieves the appropriate tool set from the integrated magazine and places it into the clamping system of the upper and lower cheek with millimeter precision.

Longer deployment of tools

For operators, however, the automation solution does not mean more programming. This is because the Modular Tool Changer is linked to the ByVision Bending process software. Based on the bending program, the robot automatically recognizes which tools are needed to produce a part. This eliminates the search for the right tool. The automation thus relieves personnel and creates space for other work.

Even the bending table now no longer needs to be cleaned. A cleaning nozzle on compressed air prevents contaminants from preventing the precise positioning of the tools or perhaps even damaging bending parts. In addition, the automation solution spares the tools. While tools are quickly scratched when installed or changed manually and thus lose accuracy, they remain usable for longer with the Modular Tool Changer. The robot handles them carefully and stores them neatly in the warehouse after each use. As a result, tools are neither damaged nor the wrong tool accidentally installed.

Smart thinking sensors

Sheet metal workers typically continually expand their arsenal of tools in order to machine more and more different parts. With the Modular Tool Changer, this has never been easier. The smart sensor technology automatically recognizes new tools and integrates them independently into the warehouse. And there is more than enough space on the two integrated tool racks. A third tool rack is optionally available.

The Modular Tool Changer is suitable for tools weighing up to 25 kilograms and offers maximum application possibilities. It can accommodate bottom tools up to size V120 and top tools with a height of up to 350 millimeters, which is a decisive advantage especially in the production of containers. The fact that the maneuverable robot can rotate the top tools 180 degrees further increases its flexibility.

Regardless of the parts to be bent, the Tool Changer makes the bending process easier, more efficient and more precise. This allows the full potential of the high-end press brake Xpert Pro to be utilized.