Bending Brakes Tutorials

CNC for press brakes: how to solve the 3 most common errors?

What are the 3 most common error codes that appear on the CNC display?
🚫 PZ 16899: No material detected.
✅ To definitively solve the problem, it is necessary to center the photocells again, checking the height of the punch.

🚫 PZ 16912: Y1 too high to detect an obstruction.
✅ To definitively solve the problem, it is necessary to center the photocells again, checking the height of the punch.

🚫 PZ 169298: Second obstruction stopped. Release lowering switch.
✅ To solve the problem, you need to add a tolerance value of 5/10 mm in the "PCV" field. which you find in the "general bending data" screen. In this way, you tell the CNC to detect the obstacle 5/10 mm in advance compared to the automatic calculation.

How to align Iris Plus safety photocells? Ep.2

Today we will talk about photocells, in particular how to align Iris Plus photocells correctly.
The photocell on the left is the laser projection one; the one on the right, however, is the receiver. To align the photocells, you must use the appropriate templates: the one with the black rectangle on the right; the one with the transparent rectangle on the left. Watch the full tutorial.

How to align Iris Plus safety photocells? Punch Removal Method Ep.1

Photocells for folding machines are an asset in terms of safety. Correct alignment allows you to work quickly, protecting the operator.

The first thing to do is adjust the height of the photocell using the millimeter ruler.
▶️ read the punch height indicated on the label or on the numerical control display;
▶️ use the millimeter ruler to adjust the height of both photocell arms.

Watch the full video tutorial.

Calibration of the press brake axes

In this video tutorial we show how to proceed with two simple routine operations to always guarantee impeccable performance.

The first concerns the calibration of the ram axes which must be carried out every day before using the machine.

This is to avoid variations due to heat, human error or otherwise.

Calibration of the photocell axes is an equally simple and quick procedure, carried out to make the machine safe.

How to move the rear stops of a bending machine

In the video tutorial that follows you will discover the ease of moving the rear strikers in complete safety.

This operation can be performed on VICLA press brakes with 4 axes, instead of 6, and in the presence of non-motorized axes. From the CNC it is first necessary to switch from the automatic to the semi-automatic phase and activate the function.

At this point the operator can manually move the rear strikers, all in complete safety, thanks to their forward movement. Now just deactivate the function and press “Start”.

How to create a workstation on a bending machine

Creating a workstation by the operator is a very quick task to perform, thanks to a clear and intuitive interface.

Simply access the "Tools" menu and enter the name of the tool and values ​​such as quantity and length to create the first workstation.

Repeat the operation to create a second station. Now it is possible to calculate the different Z values ​​and folds.

Punch insertion in the library of a bending machine

From the CNC the operator accesses the "Punches" menu and chooses the type of punch to insert:

• classic (type 1)
• gooseneck (type 2)
• with reverse coupling (type 3)
• round (type 4)

For example, if you need to insert a new type 1 punch, therefore classic, just enter all the data - easily found in the catalogs of the manufacturing companies - such as total height, bend angle and the parameters shown in the diagram.

At this point just save the inserted punch with a name. Now you can search for it in the tool library.

Inserting die into the library of a bending machine

Thanks to a user friendly interface and simple and intuitive programming of the Vicla brand presses, the operator always has everything under control. Here is a video tutorial on how to quickly insert an array into the library.

First you need to access the list of matrices. The software allows you to choose between a “newly designed” and a “default matrix”. For example, opting for the latter simply sets the height, the angle of the slot, the measurement of the V and the distance between its center and the side of the matrix. Then again the consequent measurement of the matrix, the height of the base, the radius that is detected from the matrix data and the load. Now it is possible to save the matrix with a name which will be automatically inserted with all its data in the library with the list of matrices.

The graphic program on the CNC: here's how easy it is to create it

This video tutorial illustrates all the simple steps to visualize a piece during bending thanks to the graphic program on the CNC.

We start by creating a new program and inserting the general data of the sheet metal such as thickness, length, matrix, punch and type of material.

We then move on to the phase of creating the profile design with the indication of the measurements of each segment. The system simulates solutions and, once the choice has been made, it is possible to visualize the piece.

Numerical program of press brakes

How to start and stop a bending machine

In this video tutorial we show how to start and stop a VICLA press brake.