There are press brakes that come in a standard model and then in a model with automated tooling. For the most part, you can tell the difference at a distance because the automated tool system sits at the side of the press brake.
With the Salvagnini (U.S. headquarters Hamilton, OH) B3 press brake, you would not know until you got close enough to look through the opening of the brake. The B3 AU-TO (so named because of the automated tooling management) has two sets of tooling down near the floor, one for upper tooling and one for lower tooling. In all, The B3 AU-TO can store 24 meters of tooling, and can load a meter at a time.
The tooling is made for Salvagnini by Wila (Lochem, The Netherlands). The B3 AU-TO has the ability to automatedly handle and move the tooling wherever it belongs on the x coordinate. (Wila is no stranger to automation; if you are ever given the opportunity to tour their headquarters, say yes.)
Salvagnini included a lot of technology on this press brake, but foremost is the tooling. It is integral to what makes this B3 automated. Salvagnini Senior Application Engineer Derrick Clark shows us the where and how of the tooling, and a little about customer service at the end of this brief video:
Automated job setup
We have the tooling where we need it. Now it’s time to look at our setup plan onscreen, and monitor the actual setup with a built-in camera system as shown on the operator’s console (and with our own eyes as the jaws of the bracket close on each meter of tooling). This brief video also shows the upper tooling being loaded into the upper clamps. Salvagnini Application Engineer Nate Gevedon shows us what’s what:
We use the same process to load the lower tooling. An interesting addition here is that we see the backgauge move forward, and the tooling controllers engage and move the bottom tooling to the left, making the center loading area clear again. Then the next meter of tooling is added to the center of the bottom clamps.
The automation continues in this last video. We have our upper and lower tooling in place, where they are pushed together laterally to make sure they are of the correct total length. Next, the system starts to space the upper and lower tooling out to their proper places. Note in the video that there are two sets of twin tool controllers that can push the right number of tools together or move the entire upper or lower toolset together. The upper set is somewhat hidden but you’ll see glances of it and hear the servo motors.
Two levels of B3 AU-TO
The B3 AU-TO comes in two iterations, the 170/4250 and the 220/4250. As with many press brakes, that first number is tonnage, but it’s measured in metric tons, so U.S. buyers will leverage 187 or 242 U.S. (short) tons, respectively. The 4250 refers to the length in mm of the table. Note that the automatic tool setup length is 3060 mm, or 120.47 in. out of the available 167 in. in either brake. The biggest difference is the weight. The 170/4250 checks in at a comparatively svelte 34,172 lbs. whereas its bigger brother, the 220/4250, weighs 47,620 lbs.
The product, like all machine tools from Salvagnini, uses FACE software, a common HMI used on the company’s press brakes, punches, panel benders, and lasers. If you are a shop manager, you use the same interface no matter where you are.
Additionally, the B3 combines features and benefits of electric and hydraulic press brakes. The hydraulic system engages when necessary; the electric system does most of the work when possible.
More information: https://www.salvagnini.com/en/product/press-brakes/b3