SET UP A WORK STATION FOR IMMEDIATE CALCULATION OF Z AND BENDS. A few simple steps to create a CNC workstation on a VICLA® press brake. In this short video tutorial we’ll show you how the operator can quickly and easily create one or more workstations by programming on the CNC. First, access the Tools menu and enter the tool name and the tooling values of the punch and die (initial quantity and length). The position of the tools on the press brake is now established and work station n°1 is created. To set station n°2 just repeat the steps. At this point you can calculate the Z value and set, for example, bend n°1 on station n°1 and bend n°2 on station n°2. In this way you obtain 2 different values of Z.
From VICLA’s CNC it is possible to insert the punch in the list through a few simple and quick steps. Programming on VICLA CNC is simple and intuitive. It is in fact designed to optimize processing times, minimize machine downtime, and increase press brake productivity. In this video tutorial we’ll show you how easy it is to insert a punch in the tools library. First you need to access the punches menu and choose the type of punch you want to insert in the library. From the standard and gooseneck punch, to the acute punch up to the reverse clamp one. For example, if you wish to create a new classic punch, all you have to do is just enter all the punch data, available from the catalogs of the manufacturers, such as height, bend angle and all parameters. Then simply save the recorded data with a name, to add the punch in the library list.
CNC graphics program: VICLA PRESSES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TECHNOLOGIES ABLE TO PROVIDE QUICK AND PRECISE SOLUTIONS.
The scenario is typical of today's market: huge workload, unmatched pieces, very high level of quality required and strict deadlines Everything seems to be going smoothly. The machine bought at a terrific price is turning out to be a real bargain: it folds everything and seems to be having no issues. The operator has finally adapted to the new press brake and his hands run as fast as the wind on the buttons of the CNC. Suddenly the unexpected happens: the operator presses the pedal, the press emits an unusual sound, as if it were unable to stand the pressure. The beam lowers, first aligned, then it goes down on one side. At the same time, a yellowish trickle pours down from the crankcase of one of the two cylinders. The situation is clear: the press brake is broken. The moment in which the damage occurs, you start counting your losses, an activity that bears the name of calculation of lost earnings from lost profit. It is difficult to quantify the waste of money, only after careful analysis is it possible to have a plausible estimate of its extent. It must be said that, unfortunately, collecting data costs time and effort. However, if we do not rely on precise and reliable numbers, we will not have an indication of which ones are the really convenient choices for our company. This is why it is very important to catalog the costs of a machine downtime. Some are intangible and difficult to estimate, but most are absolutely recognisable in a short time, by answering a few simple questions: 1) How much does your press brake operator cost? A bender is usually a skilled worker, so he is not the one with the lowest salary as he creates some type of added value. From the moment this element goes missing, the cost for the company immediately begins to have a certain weight. He could, perhaps, devote himself temporarily to other tasks, but the bending department will certainly travel at reduced speed due to machine downtime. 2) How much does the assistance cost? It depends on whether an agreement has been made with the manufacturer. Often, if the machine is not new, you can turn to the parent company service or to freelance technicians. In any case, there is an hourly cost to be incurred, which obviously increases in relation to the duration of the repair. 3) How much do the spare parts of our press brake cost? And let's add, how easy is it to find them? Their cost is what we immediately see, but the difficulty in finding them immediately extends the downtime, increasing the cost of the first point, and all the others that we will see later. Among the costs that cannot be quantified quickly, but that can have heavy implications, there are what we could define as risks, including: Stress of the adjacent units In other words, it means that the work that the faulty press brake does not do must be disposed of by the other machine(s) present in the company. Often this leads to an acceleration of processes which can increase the chance of error. Or, the need to increase the hours of employees, or add a shift for the entire downtime. All this has an obvious impact on the total cost of the breakdown. Manufacturing outsourcing. Contacting a workshop that carries out our same business could be a solution to temporarily solve the problem of halted deliveries. Obviously the cost of labor will be different, and is added to all other costs determined by the machine downtime. Delivery delays. This is the worst risk that a subcontractor can face, together with the non-conformity of the processed parts. Unfortunately, the consequences of this disservice can be different and depend on the type of relationship with your customers. With some, a late delivery can result in a penalty, which partially or totally affects your earnings. With others it can lead to the end of the business relationship, especially when it has just begun. So, you should always ask yourself how much does a downtime cost? whenever you’re choosing the supplier and the press to buy. It is necessary to look beyond appearances to see beyond the price! Choosing your next press is therefore a crucial choice that will determine your production. Choose the one that suits you best: trust the experts!
THE INNOVATION THAT CUTS DOWN COSTS, CONSUMPTION AND POLLUTION. Superior in every way, also in terms of energy saving, consumption reduction, and respect for the environment. .SUPERIOR is the press brake designed by VICLA, able to bend and cut the costs of the entire manufacturing cycle and to speed up production times. It is equipped with a standard innovative hybrid system, with no price difference compared to a traditional machine, guaranteeing exceptional energy savings and a significant reduction in oil consumption thanks to the use of the double tank. The results in numbers of this technological innovation are: energy saving of up to 78%, a significant oil consumption reduction (eg: 2X40 liters - press 110 t), an increase in productivity by 20%, decrease in fast-up limit by 20%, 50% decrease in oil temperature, 70% less risk of leakage, 50% reduction in tank volume, and 50% faster and easier installation process. With VICLA Hybrid System there is also a 60% reduction in the piping system. All these advantages translate into a greater manufacturing system efficiency and perfect finished products. In one word: quality. Not only in terms of frame stability and bending precision, but also energy saving and minimisation of pollutants. The Hybrid System is a standard feature present in the standard version of the .SUPERIOR sheet metal press brake which, depending on production needs, offers extreme flexibility even in terms of optional features and customised solutions. Such as the Hybrid System Plus: the system that cuts down consumption to 78% compared to traditional machines and to 23% more compared to the standard Hybrid System. Hence VICLA's commitment to endure absolute quality continues. Through daily investments in research and development activities entrusted to highly specialized staff and engineers, with top qualification and skills in metal working. Ongoing efforts that already demonstrate the achievement of new and important goals. First of all, the development of an innovative system for automated die change will be completed shortly. Now that you know about Hybrid System, find out what you need to know about your new press brake: Download the free press brake manual now.
The Hybrid Press Brake is the latest evolution of bending in the current market. Over the years, manufacturers have been looking for solutions to reduce the difficulties of standardization and manufacturing sheet metal parts but bending has many variables related to the material and the environment. Through tools, functionalities and technological innovations bending has evolved starting from mechanical presses, similar in terms of operation to eccentric presses for stamping. They are now completely unusable because they do not comply with current safety regulations and cannot be adapted. Promecam RG, French machines are no longer on the market, with a single central thrust point which raises the bench instead of lowering the crossbar. Hydraulic torsion bar presses, they are apparently similar to today's ones structurally but actually have the big limitation of not having independent cylinders. Synchronized hydraulic presses, evolution of the torsion bar machines, make bending easier and more effective, thanks to superior versatility and precision. Electric presses, in reality not widely used. Hybrid presses, represent the latest evolution of bending on the market. The latter contains the best of hydraulic technology combined with an excellent electronic management system. Hybrid bending machines This system upsets many of the set rules that the operators have firmly rooted in their experience. For example, a bad bending is almost always attributable to a piece of sheet metal with a thickness that is inconsistent and poor quality. But when you finally can rely on millesimal positioning of the crossbar, all the defects of the old technologies used up to that moment come up. The hybrid system allows three advantages that no company that wants quality and competitiveness can give up: Greater precision That translates into not only greater reliability on the single piece, but also into great repeatability. The punch always reaches the same low dead point (LDP) to the thousandth of a millimeter each time with consistency. This is also because the oil handled is much less than in traditional synchronized hydraulic presses. This means that the thermal range during operation does not affect the movement of the crossbar at all. Higher speed The hybrid system allows fast and precise crossbar movements. Even if the speed of execution is not only this, it is above all having to make fewer checks and adjustments on the parts produced in order to streamline the process infinitely, increasing productivity exponentially. Reduced consumption It is also under this aspect that the hybrid system gives the best of itself. When you turn on a traditional press you can easily understand that the energy absorption is huge and constant, because of the hydraulic pump that remains always running. All for an operation that takes place in only few seconds. The actual bending of a piece takes very little time compared to the set-up, handling and control phases. The hybrid system only absorbs the energy it needs when the operator activates the bending press. Although it may be an invisible cost, because it is not seen as a living cost, energy saving is absolutely important. So it is worth buying a bending press with a hybrid system, even if it means spending more than traditional systems. Why? Just read the three previous points and the conclusion is drawn! Find out everything you need to know about press bending. Download the free manual that will guide you on what to look for on your new bending press now.
VICLA announces the upgrade of the 3D PROV with two new, exciting features. The new 3D PROV Software Data Rec and Track Prod for an improvement in business performance. Since its launch in the world of metal working, VICLA has been operating with a future-oriented mindset. Bypassing the production of traditional machines and focusing on creating hybrid products. A choice that, together with the high-quality of the materials and components, has allowed the brand to establish itself as an ambassador of the Made in Italy style. This is just an example that proves VICLA's full adherence to every innovation capable of leading the company to ever higher levels of competitiveness. And to a growing processes automation. Through the implementation of interfaces and languages that promote interaction between operator and machine. Creating value with the use of data that enhance the computing ability of the machines. And again with the use of tools interconnected with physical and digital systems and real time adaptations (3D printing, robots, interaction between machines). All features that are at the basis of the definition of Industry 4.0 within which VICLA fully recognizes itself. In this regard, we are pleased to announce that we have taken a further step in this direction. With the upgrade of VICLA’s 3D PROV, designed for the preparation and processing of 3D products. This regards the ability to install two new features. Software that allow the machines, and the companies that use them for their productions, to operate according to Industry 4.0 standards. The first of the two new features is the Data Rec Software. A tool capable of acquiring machine data and inserting it into an sql or access database. It provides detailed information for job scheduling such as the production times of parts, processing in manual, semi-automatic or automatic mode. Basically, it allows access to the data relating to the programming, tooling, test execution on the first part, and running parts times. The second feature is the Software Track Prod. It offers the ability to monitor, view and track data on the company management program with a valorisation of the entire manufacturing cycle. In fact, it provides information, analysis and reports in order to guarantee optimal use of the machine and a remote control Alarm History. A very useful service for identifying critical issues by simply viewing the history of messages sent by the machine. The new functions of the Data Rec and Track Prod Software therefore offer the possibility of identifying any problem. In order to optimize and minimize them. With beneficial effects on business performance and the processe examination. And all while encouraging the development of approaches based on data analysis between operators and the company organization. A significant number of advantages that represent a revolution in the manufacturing systems of companies that choose VICLA brand for their production. Discover how to choose your next press brake: download the free press brake manual now.
The highly competitive market of our days brings companies to travel the road of increasing efficiency and reducing wastes simultaneously. It is really possible to get the two things? Without any doubt, if the card of technological innovation is played. Today, in press brake sector an extremely interesting system to produce more pieces, more quickly and with a special care to environment exists: it's hybrid system by Vicla. It represents the vanguard and the natural evolution of synchronized hydraulic press brakes that, thanks to hybrid technology, reach performances that were unimaginable until some time ago. It is useful to explain why we talk about hybrid technology: first of all because it puts together the best of hydraulic and electrotechnics, managed by exceptional electronics. Let's see its advantages. Producing more pieces Thanks to the presence of two powerful brushless engines, the movement of the cross piece is fluid and extremely precise. The upper tools distort the pieces with extreme precision and repeatability, and the movements reach incredible precision for a completely new bending experience. How many times, if the bending is not precise, the pin is on materials? Well, with hybrid system by Vicla all the limits of the machines we have always used emerge. Having available such a precise lower dead end makes everything simpler: in this way productivity increases. A quicker production Brushless engines, that are quick and precise, are directly connected to two small oil tanks. This means that the machine with the new hybrid system by Vicla has a simpler but more efficient hydraulics. The oil used to activate the crosspiece is much less than that used in traditional hydraulic press brakes. The result is more precision, since hybrid system by Vicla is not affected by temperature variation, as opposed to traditional machines. In this field, a precise machine is without any doubt the best way to increase the speed of pieces execution. Less consumption and environmental impact In a traditional hydraulic press, a big pump is constantly active, whether the machine is working or not. In this way there is high and useless energy and heat dissipation. Thanks to hybrid system by Vicla, the consumption is linked to the effective use of the machine (which consumes only when it is active). Brushless electrical engines move the crosspiece (consuming energy) only when the pedal is activated, otherwise they are off. This means that the consumption of the press brake is minimum when tools are changed and, in general, during those steps in which the crosspiece is not involved. Another aspect that makes hybrid system by Vicla really green is the low quantity of oil used compared to traditional hydraulic press. Replacement and disposal costs are drastically cut: in other words, more saving and less environmental impact. In the competition dictated by the market, innovating is not an option anymore, but an obligation. And Vicla proposed to innovate thanks to its hybrid system, by offering performances never seen before, new levels of productivity, precision and saving.
Everybody looks for speed at work, which translates into process efficiency. But what does speed mean? A quick press brake is not that which axels Y, X, R and possibly Z are quicker than the others. The speed of a press brake is compared only to the quality it offers to the whole production process. For this, it is important to know the evolution of technology and the limits that have been gradually overcome: this is useful to choose the quickest machine according to what we produce and what is offered by the market. Speed is, therefore, a partial component that can be reached only along with an evolved press brakes' builder and can be overcome thanks to most suitable suggestions for your needs. But first of all, it is necessary to know more about the obsolete technologies that in the past contributed to reach the current standards. If the three-points bending (see bending manual) is about a relatively simple notion, during the years many technologies have tried to get the same effect, that is the controlled approach of a stamp to a mold in the most precise and quick way. Mechanical press brakes It was the first bending press, now it is obsolete. Connected to a flywheel and with a movement similar to the one given by molding eccentric presses, they gave a focused and apparently rapid push. Indeed, with no precision nor adjustable gauges, the speed of axel Y is not enough to really improve the process. Moreover, they were really dangerous. RG Promecam One of the most historical machines, produced by the French company Promecam that doesn't exist anymore. Unconventionally, it worked the other way around (it went upside to fix stampings, rather that downside). Torsion Bar Hydraulic Press Brakes Apparently identical to synchronized hydraulic press brake still used today, they represent their forerunner. The descent of the two cylinders was synchronized by a system of levers connected to a torsion bar. The limits, instead, were often made by two pieces moved by universal joints that shifted the cylinders setbacks. Synchronized hydraulic press brakes They represent the majority of the machine used today. The two cylinders are independent and moved by the action of dedicated valves. They are a great compromise to reach the speed needed. Also, the technology used is established and reliable: since various tools can be added (multi-axels back gauges, graphic numerical controls and many more), it may represent the most suitable technology for you. Hybrid hydraulic press brakes Sometimes called electrical press brakes, they are the natural evolution of synchronized hydraulic machines. In this case there is a very high speed, thanks to the match between a great precision and the technologies just described. The secret is the presence of two brushless engines that directly move two separate small oil tanks. It follows that speed and precision go hand in hand with reduced consumptions. Electrical press brakes They represent a niche because they are suitable only for specific works. They can be moved by belts or by recirculation screws in traction or in pressure. Another aspect, that may not seem to be connected with speed, is its dimension: this is especially important if thinking in terms of workflow speed and not relying on a single machine. This could be the case of who produces the 80% of pieces or more which bending is under 1500-2000 mm. A valid alternative can be relying on a builder that has on the catalogue a very small and speed machine that does most of the work in terms of variety and tools.
The motor pool updating has become a real necessity for all those entrepreneurs who want to keep up with the market. When choosing the press brake, there are many features to consider since the machinery must be compliant with the company necessities and several requirements in terms of efficiency and performance. Press brakes by Vicla have cutting-edge features that, along with an open and settable software, ensure the possibility to answer all the company needs. .SUPERIOR PRESS BRAKE .Superior is Vicla high-end press brake. The study on the structure flexion allowed to design a press brake that properly responds to mechanical stress. One of the advantages of .Superior is the possibility to upgrade it and to add extras also at a later stage. Thanks to the Hybrid System included in the high-end .Superior press brake, the producer allows to use the hybrid system at the same price of the standard one: this translates into many advantages, especially the energy saving (up to 55% more than standard machines) and oil reduction, also thanks to its dual tanks. The parallel shoulders are a feature of this machine that ensure the precision and speed of back gauges. IRIS AND IRIS PLUS Iris and Iris Plus are two upgrades for .Superior press brake that ensure quicker work cycles thanks to the fact that its gear is at zero millimeters from the sheet and the speed is adjusted according to the pieces in working. Iris Plus ensures precision and speed thanks to this feature and the check of the angle ensures optimal results from the first bending. BEING .FIRST Besides the high working speed that ensures the maximum productivity, other remarkable features are the very quick axles movement, its ergonomic design that - along with its reduced dimensions - allows a perfect management of the machine, a led lighting of the work area, it's quietness, the possibility to customize the tool holders according to the customer's needs and many other features that make it safe and very precise. BE .SMART The little .Smart has been designed for a versatile, functional and flexible production. It has a non-active hydraulic convexity and 4 axels (that can be updated until a maximum of 6) and a 250 mm stroke. .Smart is a traditional machine with the technology of .Superior, completely assembled in Italy by using Italian and European components. An interesting feature is that it reduces flexions to the minimum thanks to the dimension of the blade holder. .Smart cylinders are made from high-resistance shaped bars lapped on the sliding part. VICLA SAFETY WORK Vicla is one of the youngest companies in press brake sector and in only ten years has become an important reference point for national and international markets, reaching Europe and Northern America, thanks to Research & Development and Safety investments, also redefining safety as safety work. Its press brake respects the strictest regulations in force, so as to respect all the standards, including legal ones.