2024 Bending Machine Guide－Introduction to the wearing parts of bending machines

During the long-term use of the bending machine, due to the frequent mechanical movements, working environment and other factors, some parts are relatively more prone to wear and damage. These are what we often call wearing parts. Understanding the wearing parts of the bending machine and their characteristics is of great significance for timely maintenance and replacement to ensure the normal operation and service life of the bending machine. The following are some common bending machine wearing parts:

Tool related

１.Upper and lower molds

The upper and lower dies of the bending machine are key components that directly contact the processed sheet and cause it to bend and deform. In each bending operation, the die is subject to tremendous pressure and friction between the sheet and the die. As the number of bending increases, the die edge will gradually wear, resulting in a decrease in bending accuracy, such as deviations in the bending angle and arc radius at the bend not meeting the requirements. Moreover, if the processed sheet material is harder or thicker, the wear and tear on the die will be more obvious. In addition, during the installation and disassembly of the die, improper operation may also cause scratches and deformation of the die, affecting its normal use.

２.Knife holder

The tool holder is used to fix the upper mold. Under the long-term and frequent mold replacement and the impact force during bending, the internal connection structure of the tool holder, such as the screw holes, may slip, resulting in an unstable mold installation; the mechanical structure of the tool holder itself may also be deformed, affecting the relative position accuracy between the upper mold and the lower mold, and thus affecting the quality and effect of the bending.

Hydraulic system components

１.Hydraulic cylinder

The hydraulic cylinder is the power actuator of the bending machine to achieve the bending action. It drives the upper die to move by the expansion and contraction of the piston. Under long-term and high-frequency working conditions, the seals inside the cylinder are prone to wear, causing hydraulic oil leakage, affecting the working pressure and stroke of the cylinder, making the bending machine unable to achieve the preset bending force and bending stroke. At the same time, long-term friction between the piston and the inner wall of the cylinder may also cause problems such as scratches on the inner wall of the cylinder and wear on the piston surface, reducing the service life of the cylinder.

２.Hydraulic pump

The hydraulic pump is responsible for providing the entire hydraulic system with continuous and stable pressure oil. Its internal gears, blades or plungers and other key components will wear out during high-speed rotation and frequent oil suction and oil pressure. After wear, the output flow and pressure of the hydraulic pump may not meet the requirements, making the bending machine slow or even unable to start the bending action normally, affecting production efficiency and bending quality. In addition, the hydraulic pump has high requirements for the cleanliness of the hydraulic oil. If impurities are mixed in the hydraulic oil, it will accelerate its damage.

３.Hydraulic valve

Hydraulic valves play an important role in controlling the flow direction, pressure and flow of hydraulic oil in hydraulic systems. For example, the overflow valve is used to adjust the system pressure, and the reversing valve controls the extension and contraction direction of the oil cylinder. Due to the frequent passage of hydraulic oil and the impact of pressure changes, the valve core, valve seat and other components inside the hydraulic valve are prone to wear and jam. Once the valve core is stuck, the hydraulic valve cannot accurately control the state of the hydraulic oil, resulting in failures such as loss of control and unstable pressure in the bending machine.

4.Seals (seals for various oil pipes, oil cylinders, valve bodies, etc.)

There are a large number of seals in the entire hydraulic system to prevent hydraulic oil leakage. For example, seals are indispensable for the joints of the oil pipes, the piston seals of the oil cylinders, and the sealing parts of the hydraulic valves. These seals are usually made of rubber and other materials. With the passage of time and the changes in the temperature and pressure of the working environment, they are prone to aging, hardening, and loss of elasticity, resulting in hydraulic oil leakage, affecting the normal operation of the hydraulic system. If the leakage is serious, it may also lead to insufficient hydraulic oil and affect the overall performance of the bending machine.

Mechanical transmission components

1. Screw

In some bending machines that use screw drive, the screw is responsible for converting the motor's rotational motion into linear motion to drive the relevant parts to move accurately. During long-term use, the screw will wear out with the nut, causing the transmission accuracy to decrease and a gap to appear, which will cause errors in the bending parameters and positioning of the bending machine, affecting the accuracy of the bending. In addition, if the screw surface is poorly lubricated or dust and impurities enter, it will also accelerate its wear.

2. Guide rail

The guide rail provides guidance and support for the moving parts to ensure that they can move in a straight line smoothly. During the frequent operation of the bending machine, the guide rail and the slider are constantly rubbed, and the surface of the guide rail will gradually wear out, causing the slider to shake and jam during operation, which in turn affects the stability and accuracy of the movement of the upper die and other parts, and reduces the bending quality.

3.Coupling

The coupling is used to connect the motor shaft and other transmission parts to transmit power. When the bending machine starts, stops, and the load changes during operation, the coupling has to withstand a certain torque impact, which is prone to wear, looseness, or even breakage, causing power transmission interruption or instability, affecting the normal operation of the bending machine.

Electrical system components

1. Contactor

Contactors are used in electrical control systems to control the on and off of devices such as motors. Due to their frequent closing and opening actions, arcs will be generated when current passes through the internal contacts. Over a long period of time, the contacts are easily eroded, resulting in poor contact, which can prevent the motor from starting normally or cause interruptions in operation, affecting the overall electrical control function of the bending machine.

2.Relay

Similar to contactors, relays are also a commonly used electrical control component that controls the opening and closing of contacts by energizing and de-energizing its internal coil to achieve switching of different circuits. During the frequent operation of the bending machine, the contacts of the relay are also prone to wear and adhesion, which affects the accuracy of its control of related circuits, and then causes failures such as failure of the auxiliary functions of the bending machine and failure of the safety protection mechanism.

3.Push button switch

Various buttons and switches on the operation panel, such as start, stop, emergency stop, parameter adjustment and other buttons, are repeatedly pressed by the operator, and the internal micro-switch structure is easily damaged, resulting in button failure, which makes it impossible to accurately input the corresponding operation instructions to the control system, affecting the normal use of the bending machine.

4.Limit switch

The limit switch is used to detect the movement position of each part of the bending machine, which plays the role of limiting the stroke and protecting the equipment. In long-term operation, due to the influence of mechanical collision, vibration and environmental factors, the limit switch may malfunction or be damaged, making it impossible for the bending machine to accurately determine the position of the parts, which may cause safety accidents such as overtravel and collision, and also affect the normal work flow and precision control of the bending machine.

5.Encoder

The encoder is mainly used to measure the motor speed, angle and displacement of related components, and feed it back to the CNC system to achieve precise motion control. In the operating environment of the bending machine, the encoder may be disturbed by dust, oil, vibration and other factors, causing failures in its internal photoelectric components, code disks, etc., making the feedback data inaccurate, affecting the CNC system's precise control of the bending machine, and thus reducing the bending accuracy.

In short, regular inspection, timely replacement and reasonable maintenance of the bending machine's wearing parts are the key to ensuring the efficient and stable operation of the bending machine and ensuring the quality of the bending process. Operators and maintenance personnel should be familiar with the characteristics and replacement cycles of these wearing parts so that they can do the corresponding maintenance work in their daily work.

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