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Sheet metal productivity improvement through a new press brake design

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Sheet metal productivity improvement through a

new press brake design
a a a b
N Gwangwava , K Mpofu , N Tlale & Y Yu
a
Department of Industrial Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria,
South Africa
b
College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, North China University of Technology,
China
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To cite this article: N Gwangwava, K Mpofu, N Tlale & Y Yu (2014) Sheet metal productivity improvement through
a new press brake design, African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 6:2, 135-144, DOI:
10.1080/20421338.2014.924269

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 African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 2014
Vol. 6, No. 2, 135–144, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20421338.2014. 924269
© 2014 African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development

Sheet metal productivity improvement through a new press brake design

N Gwangwava1*, K Mpofu1, N Tlale1 and Y Yu2

1Department of Industrial Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
2College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, North China University of Technology, China
*Corresponding author, e-mail: eng.normie@gmail.com
Downloaded by [Tshwane University of Technology], [Khumbulani Mpofu] at 07:04 29 January 2015

A new press brake design proposed as a reconfigurable bending press machine (RBPM) is reported. The design is a
means of increasing sheet metal bending productivity. Conventional press brakes are dedicated machines with fixed
capacity, but the RBPM has characteristics of a reconfigurable machine tool, which enables the new press brake to be
scalable, customisable and flexible. The RBPM design has two major objectives, namely geometric transformation and
productivity adjustment. Geometric transformation is achieved through vertical and horizontal reconfigurability, while
productivity adjustment is enabled by plug and produce devices. Geometric transformation allows sheet metal benders
to adjust the press brake’s height and length, thus improving the capability of the RBPM. This allows small-scale
manufacturers of sheet metal products such as door frames to be able to adjust their machines to produce various sizes of
products at low cost. A scaled-down prototype was made to specifications of 1.2 m total length and total capacity 30 kN
(3 tons) for bending aluminium sheets of up to 0.51 mm thickness.

Keywords: function driven object-oriented, press brake, quality function deployment, reconfigurable bending press
machine, sheet metal bending

JEL classification: D20, D24, D29, O30

Introduction customer needs whilst providing cost-effective solutions.

Sheet metal processing enjoys increased popularity due
to the fact that it incorporates environmentally friendly
processes with a low waste material rate, new and
improved processes and working methods have been
developed, and improved tools for process simulation and
control have become available. There are various sheet
metal processing operations, for instance, laser cutting
and bending, punching, deep drawing and redrawing,
bending, incremental forming, shearing and blanking,
stretch forming, rubber hydroforming, spinning and
explosive forming (Groover 2010). Due to the inexhaus-
tiveness of the sheet metal forming processes, the scope
of the research is limited to press brake operations.
The sheet metal working industry is dominated by
small-scale entrepreneurs who manufacture products
such as door frames, household utensils and furniture.
Competition is now stiff in the sector, characterised by
unprecedented high-frequency market changes. In order
to retain large market share whilst offering low-cost
products, companies need to adopt strategies to reduce
time-to-market and low production costs. Noted market
changes include, but not least, high frequency launch
of new product, existing parts design changes, fluctua-
tions in product demand and mix, and changes in process
technology. On the baseline, both new and existing
companies need to survive. They also need to improve
continuously in order to keep pace with ever-growing
Key to achieving this is rapid and cost-effective reaction
to changes brought by market forces. According to
Koren and Shpitalni (2010), reconfigurability is a novel
engineering technology that facilitates cost-effective
and rapid responses to market and product changes.
Responsiveness refers to the speed at which a plant can
meet changing business goals and produce new product
models. It enables manufacturing systems to quickly
launch new products on existing systems, and react
rapidly and cost-effectively. This article presents a design
for a reconfigurable bending press machine (RBPM)
using reconfigurable manufacturing system princi-
ples. The RBPM is a new hydraulic press brake used
for sheet metal bending. Bending is used for shaping
sheet metal parts that are in turn joined together through
welding, fastening, or through self-locking mechanisms.
The new design improves sheet metal forming produc-
tivity by increasing the press brake capability so that
more processes can be finished on the press brake.
Through length reconfigurability the RBPM can be
reconfigured to suit longer parts, while height reconfig-
urability enables parts with longer flanges to be bent.
This increased capability cannot be fully achieved with
conventional press brake designs. Low capability and
lack of flexibility on previous press brake designs meant
that manufacturers need to make several small parts
that could subsequently be joined together to make the

African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development is co-published by Taylor & Francis and NISC (Pty) Ltd
 136 Gwangwava et al — African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development 2014, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 135–144
finished products. A prototype version of the RBPM was
designed for bending aluminium sheets of maximum
thickness 0.51 mm. Properties of the sheet material are
based on alloy 5052, temper H36 with tensile strength
255–305 MPa. The maximum length for the RBPM is
estimated to be 1.2 m and the prototype was built from
two split rams of size 400 mm width, 830 mm height
and 40 mm thickness. This gives an initial length of
800 mm for the RBPM. Only one modular ram insert of
size 400 mm width, 830 mm height and 40 mm thickness
was used to test length reconfiguration. This brings the
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total length of the RBPM at full-length reconfigura-
tion to 1.2 m. Height reconfiguration was tested on step
increments of 50 mm in three stages, thus bringing total
height adjustment to 150 mm. The total height of the
RBPM prototype is 1 800 mm. Commercial press brakes
are normally designed with minimum bed width of 1 m
and height of 1.5 m.
Sheet metal bending with press brakes
Bending is a metal forming process in which a force is
applied to a piece of sheet metal causing bending of it
to an angle and forming the desired shape (Eltantawie
2013). The process is typically performed on a machine
called a press brake, which can be manually or automat-
ically operated. To bend sheet metal, a bottom tool
(die) is mounted on a lower, stationary beam (bed) and
a top tool (punch) is mounted on a moving upper beam
(ram) (Simons 2006). The opposite configuration is also
possible. A typical press brake is illustrated in Figure 1.
Some of the most common applications of sheet metal
parts are automobile and aircraft panels, housings and
cabinets. According to Gupta (2002), customisation of
sheet metal parts to produce parts of varying configura-
tions and sizes is a very common occurrence in a sheet
metal fabrication scenario. The primary parameters that
characterise the press brake are the pressure (tonnage),
the working length, the distance to the back gauge, the
work height and the stroke (Tlusty 2000).
Productivity improvement trends in bending press tools
Modern press brakes are equipped with multiple-axis
computer-controlled back gauges. In order to make
Hydraulic ram
Back gauge
Sheet metal Punch
Die
Bed
Figure 1: Conventional press brake concept
adjustments during the bending process, mechanical and
optical sensors have recently gained popularity. These
sensors measure the bending angle during the bend
cycle and transmit this data real-time to the machine
controls, which can in turn adjust the process parameters.
A back gauge is a device that can be used to accurately
position a piece of metal so that the brake puts the bend
in the correct place. Furthermore, the back gauge can be
programmed to move between bends to repeatedly make
complex parts. Gupta et al. (1998) identified the trend
followed in machine tool design where, in order to offer
flexibility, higher accuracy, better quality control, higher
degree of automation, and improved productivity, machine
tool manufacturers are combining material processing,
material handling and part positioning systems into single
integrated manufacturing cells, turning the cells more
dedicated to present needs. In small batch manufacturing,
one of the biggest problems is the frequent set-up change
that reduces the overall throughput of the manufacturing
facility. Gupta (2002) conducted research on forming
part families for generating a shared press brake set up.
He developed a greedy algorithm to generate part families
using a bottom-up approach. A system called bending
followers is also used to support and follow long sheet
metal plates during the bending (Guimarães et al. 2009).
Automated bending cells composed of robotic sheet
feeders are now popular in sheet metal bending factories.
The robots with grippers replace skilled human operators
because of the cost effectiveness and the decreasing
number of skilled human operators in the recent labour
market (Aomura et al. 1999).
Another noticeable trend is the use of an automatic
tool change system, automatic gripper change system,
bend sequence simulation and offline programming.
Wila (2011) introduced the ATC-G6 Gripper, which
now makes it possible for robotic press brakes to bend
small batches of various products in random order fully
automatically. However, there still remains no solution
to meet new demand when parts to be bent are longer
than the original press brakes. A technique called ‘press
brakes in tandem’, where two press brakes of the same
length and tonnage are mounted side-by-side, is currently
being used to bend long parts. This technique is costly,
especially to small-scale enterprises because it requires
them to have many machines of similar specifications.
Reconfigurable bending press machine design
A 5 m full-scale RBPM was initially designed for
bending mild steel sheets of maximum thickness 5 mm
and total capacity of 1 450 kN (145 tons). The total height
for the RBPM is 2.3 m. The start-up length at first config-
uration is 2 m, and the press length can be increased by
1 m at every reconfiguration step by adding a ram and
bed modular inserts. A hydraulic cylinder-holding pillar
module is used for every extension. The pillar holds the
cylinder in position whilst the piston actuates the ram
 Sheet metal productivity improvement through a new press brake design 137

for down-up strokes. The modular inserts, base and ram
have a male tapered end on the left edge and a female
groove on the right edge. This allows module inserts to
perfectly fit during reconfiguration. The joined inserts
are firmly fastened together in order to achieve a rigid
structure. In order to test the functionality of the RBPM
concept, a scaled-down prototype was made to specifi-
cations of 1.2 m total length and total capacity 30 kN
(3 tons) for bending aluminium sheets of up to 0.51 mm
thickness. Height reconfiguration on the prototype is
achieved through standard height increments of 50 mm
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reconfigurable bending press tool hybrids, module type,
constraints of the module, reconfiguration mechanisms,
components and module dependences (Gwangwava et
al. 2012). QFD is a customer-driven planning process
to guide the design, manufacturing and marketing of
goods (Koufteros et al. 2005). The technique reduces
the time for new product development as it allows
companies to simulate the effects of new design ideas
and concepts, thus gaining competitive advantage. A
first house of quality (HOQ1) matrix was completed
for the reconfigurability needs of the RBPM, followed

per extension up to a maximum of 150 mm (three steps),
giving a maximum open height of 550 mm (400 mm
starting height  150 mm). Full specifications for the
full-scale and prototype RBPM are shown in Table 1.
The prototype model is denoted by RBPM 1.2*3 and the
full-scale model is denoted by RBPM 5*145.
Reconfigurable bending press machine design
methodology
This section details the steps for developing reconfigura-
tion concepts of RBPM modules using a combination of
quality function deployment (QFD) and function driven
object-oriented (FUDOO) methodologies. The FUDOO
approach enables bending press tool designers to define
by constructing a function tree for the RBPM. Table 2
shows the RBPM reconfigurability needs. The reconfig-
urability needs can be classified into two major catego-
ries that define the RBPM design objectives, namely
geometric transformation and productivity adjustment.
Geometric transformation can be further categorised
into horizontal reconfigurability and vertical reconfigur-
ability. Geometric transformation helps to adapt machine
functionality by changing its geometry to fit the produc-
tion of a new member of a family of parts, whereas
productivity adjustment increases the production rate for
the machine by adding machining devices. The article
reports work done on geometric transformation because
most aspects on productivity adjustment are already in

Table 1: Specifications for the prototype and full-scale reconfigurable bending press machine (RBPM)

Working Motor Oil tank Side frame Machine

Capacity Speed (mm s−1) Open height Stroke Table width Throat gap
Model length output volume width height
(kN) (K; mm) (L; mm) (M; mm) (N; mm)
(mm) (kW) (l) Approach Working Return (C; mm) (H; mm)
RBPM- 1.2×3 30 1 200 1.1 13 100 10 80 1000 1 800 400–550 200 40 400
RBPM-5 ×145 1 450 5 000 37 304 160 10 130 1500 3 000 480–780 260 90 480

Table 2: Reconfiguration needs for the reconfigurable bending press machine (RBPM)

RBPM design objective/Reconfiguration category Reconfigurability need

Geometric transformation
Horizontal reconfigurability Extension of bending length
Bed extension
Ram extension
Movable end
Vertical reconfigurability Lower bed adjustment (up, down, tilt)
Upper beam/ram adjustment (up, down, tilt)
Open height adjustment
Cylinder stroke height adjustment

Productivity adjustment (increase or reduce rate and also impact on quality of bending)
Plug and produce Detachable hydraulic cylinders
Bend capacity (tonnage) adjustment
Multi-point hydraulic cylinder attachment interfaces (at extended bed length)
Bend followers (for long sheets)
Back gages (for long sheets)
Ram balancing (at extended bed length)
Sheet thickness measurement (heavy-duty bending)
Bend angle measurement
Programmable unit (CNC)
Sheet feed and handling (e.g. robotic unit)
 138 Gwangwava et al — African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development 2014, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 135–144
existence. The reconfigurability needs and engineering
characteristics are then used to model the RBPM by first
deducing the function tree, followed by the module tree
as articulated in the FUDOO methodology. The function
tree should address the needs of the RBPM.
Figure 2 shows the function tree generated
according to the rules of FUDOO methodology. The
RBPM should satisfy functional requirements for sheet
metal parts to be bent. The primary function of the RBPM
is to bend sheet metal into different products that suit the
customer’s needs. The major function can be decomposed
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into level one functions, which include the following: (a)
hold the sheet in position, (b) precision determination–
metrological precision measurements and control, and (c)
apply the bending force. The next lower level involves
Figure 2: Reconfigurable Bending Press Machine function tree
Figure 3: Reconfigurable Bending Press Machine module tree
further decomposition of the previous functions until
terminal functions are reached.
Terminal functions from the function tree shown
in Figure 2 are transposed into the module tree matrix.
Generating a module tree requires specification for a
hybrid structure. Structures available for the current
modelling process include three dominant types of
frames, namely C-frame or gap-frame, O-frame or
closed-frame and pillar support. Further classification
can be single column or double column. With respect to
the horizontal, there are horizontal, vertical, inclined and
inclinable frame-presses. A C-frame hybrid structure is
chosen for further development. Modules that implement
the functions of the RBPM are illustrated by means of a
module tree in Figure 3.
 Sheet metal productivity improvement through a new press brake design 139
Some of the modules in the module tree are
explained as follows. The hydraulic power module is for
provision of the required power to meet the reconfigu-
ration capacity requirements. Metrological modules
(software and hardware) enable the RBPM to meet the
metrological requirements such as bend angle measure-
ment, bend force calculator and thickness measurement.
Productivity adjustment is met through pluggable devices
that would require hardware configuration and device
detection for full functionality. These include back gages,
bend followers and front arms.
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The next step consists of module classification so
that fully classified modules can be stored in the machine
database for further use.
Design calculations
This section shows calculations based on the RBPM
prototype of maximum length 1.2 m. Only one modular
insert will be used.
Bending force calculations
The maximum bending force (F) to be delivered by the
machine at maximum reconfiguration is calculated as
follows (Timings 2008):
F = Kbf (TS)wt2/D (1)
where Kbf (a constant that accounts for differences
encountered in an actual bending process) = 1.33, TS
(tensile strength of sheet metal) = 305 MPa (based on Al
5052 and H36), w (width of part in the direction of the
bend axis) = 1.2 m, t (stock thickness) = 0.51 mm, and D
(die opening dimension) = t*8 = 0.51*8 = 4.08 mm.
When D = t*8 is substituted into Equation 1, the
rule of thumb 8 tons m−1 mm−1 emerges (Simons 2006),
therefore:
F = 1.33 × (305 × 106) × 1.2 × (0.00051)2/(0.00051 × 8)
F = 31.03 kN
Figure 4: Upper beam at maximum reconfiguration
The force will be evenly distributed among the three
hydraulic cylinders at maximum reconfiguration length of
1.2 m. Hence the load on each hydraulic cylinder will be:
F = 10.34 kN
Ram weight
The total load on the beam will comprise the uniform
load from the three hydraulic cylinders and self loading
from the self weight of the beam. Figure 4 shows
a schematic illustration of the upper beam after the
maximum reconfiguration at total length of 1.2 m. C1 to
C3 represent the hydraulic cylinder piston centres.
Surface area of beam = (1.2 × 0.6) – 3(0.1 × 0.3)
– 4(1/2(0.05Sin45)^2)
= 0.6275
≈ 0.63 m2
Given that the thickness of the beam is 40 mm:
Volume of beam = 0.63 × 0.04 m3
≈ 0.025 m3
The material to be used is machine steel.
Density of machine steel = 7 800 kg m−3
The mass of the upper beam is given by the following
expression:
Mass of upper beam = Density × Surface area × Thickness
where Volume (V) = Surface area (A) × Thickness (t)
Mass of beam = 7 800 × 0.025
= 195.78 kg
Weight of the beam = Mass × Gravitational acceleration
W = mg
= 1.92 kN
Total loading on the beam = Bending force  Beam
weight
= 31.03  1.92
= 32.95 kN
Hydraulic cylinder calculations
At maximum reconfiguration, there will be three identical
hydraulic cylinders and the bending force will be evenly
 140 Gwangwava et al — African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development 2014, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 135–144

distributed among these three hydraulic cylinders. Hence v = 100 mm s−1

the force to be delivered by each hydraulic cylinder (Fc) The flow rate during the closing stage becomes:
will be: Q = Av (4)
Fc = 31.03 kN/3 A = effective area (actual area from cylinder specifica-
= 10.34 kN tions = 1.77 in2 (0.0011419332 m2)
The force applied by a piston depends on both the Q = 0.0011419332 × 0.1
area. For the input stroke, the area is given by A. For a Q = 1.14 × 10−4 m3 s−1 = 6.85 litres per minute (LPM)
given pressure P to port X, the extend pressure available (1.81 gallons per minute; GPM)
is calculated as:
Fc = PA (2) (2) Working (pressing) phase
The most common range for industrial presses is v = 10 mm s−1
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from 1 000 psi (6 894 kPa) (68.95 bars) to 3 000 psi
(20 682 kPa) (206.85 bars) (Wila 2011). Some machines
operate at substantially higher pressures. Higher pressures
may accelerate wear. A low pressure rating is selected
for the prototype (100 bars, 1 450 psi). For the hydraulic
system of an operating pressure of 100 bars, the effective
piston area A is calculated below using Equation 2.
A = Fc/P
= 10.34 × 103/100 × 105
A = 0.001034 m2
The effective piston area is used to calculate the
hydraulic cylinder bore diameter D as follows:
A = πD2/4 (3)
Therefore the cylinder bore will be:
D = √(4 × 0.001034/π)
= 0.036284004 m (36.28 mm) (1.43 in)
A low-duty cylinder model is selected because the
maximum operating pressure is in the lower range. A Tie
Rod Hydraulic Cylinder Catalogue from Bosch Rexroth
was consulted for final cylinder selection. The following
cylinder specifications were chosen:
• bore size is 1–1/2 in (38.1 mm) and piston rod
diameter is 1 in (25.4 mm).
• total estimated cylinder weight when fully closed is 5
× 1.1 = 5.5 lb (2.49 kg)
• total estimated cylinder weight when fully extended at
full stroke is (5  0.3 × 7.87) × 1.1 = 8.097 lb (3.67
kg) at full stroke
• total cylinder length when fully closed is 14.25 in
(361.95 mm)
• total cylinder length when fully extended – full stroke
is 14.25 in fully closed length  7.87 in stroke = 22.12
in (561.85 mm)
Pump sizing
Operating speeds for the prototype are given in Table 3.
(1) Flow rate in the rapid advance (approach) phase
The flow rate then becomes:
Qe = Av
Qe = 0.0011419332 × 0.01
Qe = 1.14 × 10−5 m3 s−1 = 0.69 LPM (0.18 GPM)
(3) Return phase
v = 80 mm s−1
Therefore flow rate during retraction is given by the
following calculation:
Qe = Aa*v (5)
where Aa is the annulus area (0.98 in 2 =
0.0006322568 m2) for the chosen cylinder.
Qe = 0.0006322568 × 0.08
Qe = 5.06 × 10−5 m3 s−1 = 3.03 LPM (0.80 GPM)
Therefore the maximum flow rate of 6.85 LPM is
considered for pump sizing.
The hydraulic pump supplies the pressurised fluid
for cylinder actuation. The following calculations are
used in sizing the desired pumping unit. A vane pump
is to be used to power up the hydraulic system. Taking
a volumetric efficiency (nv) of 90% and speed rating of
1 750 rpm (rating for the type of pump being considered),
we obtain the theoretical pump delivery based on the
following equation:
nv = Actual pump delivery/Theoretical pump delivery (6)
∴ Theoretical pump delivery = Actual pump delivery/nv
= 1.14 × 10−4 m3 s−1/0.9
= 1.27 × 10−4 m3/s−1 = 7.6 LPM
Theoretical pump delivery = 7.6 LPM = 2.01 GPM
The pump displacement per revolution (Dp) is calculated
as follows:
Dp = Theoretical pump delivery × 60/Pump speed rating (7)
Dp = 3.6 × 10−4 m3 s−1 × 60/1 750 rpm
Dp = 4.34 × 10−6 m3 = 0.26 in3
From the calculations above a hydraulic vane
pump with a rating of 1 750 rpm, a displacement of
43.4 × 10−6 m3 (0.26 in3), a flow capacity of 7.6 LPM

Table 3: Press speeds

Operating speed (mm s−1) Stroke Open height

Rapid approach Working Return (L; mm) (daylight, K; mm)
100 10 80 200 400
 Sheet metal productivity improvement through a new press brake design 141
(2.01 GPM) and an operating pressure of 100 bars
(≈1 500 psi) is selected.
Pump drive motor
The pump needs to be coupled to a prime mover (motor).
The pump delivery is 6.85 LPM at a maximum system
pressure of 100 bars. The fluid power is calculated as
follows:
Power = Q × P/600 (8)
where Q = the flow rate (LPM) and P = system
pressure (bars).
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∴ Fluid power = 6.85 × 100/600
= 1.14 kW
Motors do not operate at 100% efficiency, therefore
factoring in an overall efficiency of 90% the power
required is calculated as follows:
Power = 1.14 × 0.9
= 1.03 kW (1.38 HP)
Therefore a standard motor of size 1.1 kW, four poles
and speed 1 390 rpm was chosen.
Hydraulic reservoir
The recommended hydraulic tank volume is two times
the pump capacity. The reservoir capacity is calculated as
follows;
VT = k × QE (9)
where VT = reservoir volume, k = constant and
QE = pump flow rate.
VT = 2 × 6.85
VT = 13.7l = 3.62 gallons ≈ 0.0137 m3
A rectangular prism-shaped reservoir is suitable
for the RBPM. A ratio 3:2:1 is used to determine the
prismatic dimensions (Length [L]*Width [W]*Height
[H]). Using x to denote the unit dimension, the volume is
determined as follows:
3x*2x*1x = 0.0137
x3 = 0.00137/6
x = 0.13 m
Therefore the overall dimensions are L = 395.04 mm,
W = 263.36 mm and H = 131.68 mm. The reservoir
should have a clearance for air space, therefore the
revised dimensions are L = 400 mm, W = 270 mm and
H = 140 mm.
Cylinder-holding pillar design for height reconfiguration
A low-weight square-tube column is chosen for
constructing the holding pillar. The column length for the
holding pillar is 1 550 mm at maximum height reconfigu-
ration and is subject to axial load from the end reaction
of the horizontal extending arm at an eccentricity of
1 000 mm from the narrow face of the column. The loads
are:
Dead load: Ram weight + Cylinder weight at zero stroke
Live load (imposed load): Bending force + Additional
cylinder weight at maximum stroke
∴ Dead load = 1 920 N  24.43 N
≈ 1.94 kN
∴ Live load = 31 030 N  36.00 N
≈ 31 kN
Checking the column at the ultimate limit state, the load
case is as follows:
Axial load (Fc) = 1.4 × Dead load + 1.6 × Live load
∴ Axial load (Fc) = 1.4 × 1.94 kN  1.6 × 31 kN
≈ 11.76 kip
This total axial load is equally supported across the
machine length by three members; therefore the load in
the vertical column is calculated as follows:
Axial load (Fc) per member = 11.76 kip/3
≈ 3.92 kip
A square column with nominal size 2 × 2 in is
selected from column load tables. The column can carry
an allowable concentric load of 21 kip at an effective
length of 6 ft (1 828.8 mm). Its weight per foot is 5.4 lb
and thickness is 0.25 in.
Ram guide system
In order to avoid warbling of the ram during up-down
strokes, it is necessary to ensure that the ram is securely
guided by a low friction mechanism. This is especially
necessary on the two ends connecting to the side frames.
During press brake bending, the central axis of the ram
and punch tip should be in the same vertical line with the
bed and die central axis. This ensures quality bending
with less deflection on the cylinder piston rod and the
machine frame members. Linear roller rail systems were
found to be the best candidate for guiding the ram. The
complete assembly consists of steel runner blocks for
mounting on the face of the ram. The runner block should
be mounted from below so that the mounting screws drive
into the thickness of the ram. Two blocks are needed,
one for each end of the ram. The engraved channel of the
block will run along the steel rail mounted on the face of
the side frame (mounted from above).
Reconfigurable bending press machine CAD models
This section illustrates CAD models for the RBPM.
Various configurations can be generated from the
developed modules, by extending the height and/or length
of the RBPM. Figure 5 depicts a typical RBPM with
length and height reconfiguration.
Figure 6 shows the length reconfigured RBPM. Only
one modular insert is used to illustrate reconfigurability
but more inserts can be inserted in order to achieve more
length. Length reconfiguration is achieved through the
insertion of modular base inserts to extend the lower
beam and modular ram inserts to extend the upper beam.
A hydraulic cylinder-holding pillar module is used for
every extension. The pillar holds the cylinder in position
whilst the piston actuates the ram for down-up strokes.
The modular inserts, base and ram have a male tapered
end on the left edge and a female groove on the right
edge. This allows module inserts to perfectly fit during
 142 Gwangwava et al — African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development 2014, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 135–144
reconfiguration. The joined inserts are firmly fastened
together in order to achieve a rigid structure.
Unlike currently existing press brakes that have a
hydraulic tank mounted on top of the machine, supported
across two side frames, the RBPM uses a stand-alone
modular reservoir tank unit to provide hydraulic power
during the bending process. This enables the machine
to be reconfigured without constraints. The modular
reservoir tank unit is shown in Figure 7. The tank has a
one–many flow divider unit to divide the flow from the
power unit into multiple cylinders that can be added to
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form different configurations for the machine. Existing
press brakes use only two cylinders, but the RBPM
Figure 5: Semi-split Reconfigurable Bending Press Machine
configuration mode
Figure 6: Extended Reconfigurable Bending Press Machine configuration mode
allows for cylinders to be added or subtracted, depending
on the desired ram and bed length.
Design analysis and evaluation
The prototype performance testing was based on
an aluminium specimen sheet of maximum thickness
0.51 mm and a tensile strength 205–355 MPa. The
specimen sheet bending process is as illustrated in Figure
8. Only one modular insert is used for length extension to
achieve bending on a two- or three-cylinder press.
Figure 9 depicts the FEA results for the side frame. The
pictures indicate that stress is more concentrated on the
C-section of the frame. This is common behaviour for most
press brakes. A maximum stress of 102 MPa is experienced
compared to the yield stress of 325 MPa. The maximum
deflection is 7.47*10^−4 mm. These values are far less than
the maximum permitted values for press brakes.
Figure 7: Modular reservoir tank unit
 Sheet metal productivity improvement through a new press brake design 143
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Figure 8: Specimen sheet metal bending

The loading on the ram and bed are illustrated in

Figure 10. This is a uniformly distributed load encoun-
tered during bending the sheet metal. The deflection shows
the pattern of a simply supported beam with the curvature
that the beams take. The maximum deflection in the ram
is 9.9*10^−3 mm in the centre. The deflection experienced
may be considered insignificant. Stress analysis in the bed
shows that there are no major stress concentrations. The
stresses in the bed are lower than the yield strength and,
for the body, range between 96.026 kPa and 20.034 MPa.
The bed has a maximum deflection in the centre of
2.852*10^−3 mm. This deflection is very small and may be
considered as insignificant as the bed is also supported on
the floor.

Conclusion
An RBPM has been designed using a combination of
FUDOO and QFD methodologies. The design improves
sheet metal productivity by allowing easy machine adjust-
ment to suit new production demands. Longer sheet
metal parts can be worked on through the RBPM’s length
adjustment ability. The machine is weak at the joint
interfaces for the modular inserts, which increases deflec-
tion at larger bending forces. Future work will look into
improving the interface design so that deflection will be
minimised. The design provides a low-cost solution to
sheet metal working enterprises whilst enabling them
to have more flexibility. The design methodology used Figure 9: FEA for the side frame
can be widely applied to various design areas so as to
generate innovative designs.
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