The new and enhanced features in the AMADA EGB 6020 ATCe press brake are found everywhere throughout the product. Some are foundationally functional, like the replacement of hydraulic or hybrid ram systems with two powerful electric motors (the press is rated at 60 metric tons, or 66 U.S. tons). Others are aesthetic, like the modern design, the flush metal skin of the ATC, and the pleasant lighting that assists the operator.
Most of the advancements of this new press are somewhere in between those two extremes. The Automatic Tool Changer in the EGB 6020 ATCe is designed to fit the EGB series; it has a smaller footprint and those with a sharp eye will see other enhancements too. Another item is the AMNC 4ie control that can perform new and different duties, including recognize an operator and automatically communicate in his native language (via screen or audibly through a headset).
The two motors which are near the top of the brake move the punches down at an approach speed of 9.8 inches per second (ips). Once near the work (within 2mm by factory settings, which you can customize), a clutch seamlessly changes the bending speed to 0.98 ips. You go from high speed to high torque automatically.
Let’s start right off with an introductory video featuring AMADA America’s Application Engineer, Usa Kanazawa. He will tell us about many of the new and enhanced features of this latest AMADA press brake:
If you are familiar with the ATC portion of AMADA’s press brakes (perhaps you read our other Under the Hood on another press brake with an ATC here: AMADA HRB 1003 ATC: Under the Hood (fifthwavemfg.com), you will see some distinctions in the new model. First, it is a more compact solution. It holds 15 punch racks on the upper portion, and 18 racks on the lower portion. Second, a “shutter” descends when the operator pushes the “go” button, keeping the fast-moving equipment behind a windowed safety screen during the setups and teardowns. Third, a special attachment cleans the die bed on an as-needed basis.
Some things retain a link to other systems. For example, the dies from one ATC will fit another. If you have several multi-station jobs in a row, the system is smart enough to keep out the punches and dies common to the next setup. The system, as with previous ATCs, can remove the narrowest punches and dies without removing all the adjacent tools.
Another new approach is seen in the three-fingered backgauge. This advanced design makes asymmetrical or otherwise unusual bends easier to handle—you essentially let the fingers move to the positions and fit the part as it should be. You will have an assist in that process from the iCAS camera located on the bottom of the inside upper beam. The camera feeds the 4ie and the human machine interface (HMI) tablet, which also gives an augmented reality look at the bend area. The system shows an outline of the part’s position in the next bend. Getting the perfect bend is virtually guaranteed as long as the part and the outline match.
Automated teamwork
The HMI has two other handy features that you should know about. It is mobile. It automatically moves along a track above the bending area (much as the automatic foot pedal moves to the next station in a bend setup). And one other important function of the HMI is to display live bending data that comes from the Bi-S II sensors. In real time, operators can see the system working with programmed material springback information to provide highly accurate bends. The Bi-S II system adds only seconds to a bend. It can be used in a few different ways:
- Use it once at the beginning of the job; it will store the correct bend information and use it in all of the next bends;
- Use it every X number of bends, as a sort of sampling, this is a guard against slipping too far out of spec if different material sources were used, for example; and
- Use it on every bend. If the counts are small, you are not adding very much time to a job of 25 or 100 parts that must be bent with high precision.
Let’s take a look at how the different features of the EGB 6020 ATCe work together in this next video, again featuring Usa Kanazawa:
In the next video, we will see the ATC tear down the last setup and build the next one. All of this takes place in about two and a half minutes, much faster than a human could do it because everything is put right back in its original place.
In this setup, we are using gooseneck punches, with a couple of those being reversed. The part we are making requires a variety of bends, and as we move through the process, we can see the three-finger backgauge quickly preparing for each bend. Also note in all the part-making videos that our tour guide Kanazawa at times takes the machine through the approach, but does not start the bend until he has placed the part exactly where he wants it (and where the system’s feedback shows him).
You will also see the HMI in use with the Bi-S II to achieve and display the bending results which fall within the specs of the job. The finish angle display is one of four main jobs of the HMI. The other three are:
- Backgauge monitor: This is the function we saw when fitting a blank to the backgauge. Fit the workpiece into the outline and you’re set.
- Operator guidance: If there is a potential for impacting the HMI with the front of the workpiece, or potential safety concerns, the operator gets a message on the HMI. This is particularly important and useful for new employees.
- Bending simulation: If you thought that the HMI derives its information from the AMNC 4ie control, you are correct. The HMI can show a bending simulation to the operator before the bend begins, giving that person a perspective of the entire part and the bending operation at hand. Again, this is a very nice feature for transitioning new hires to advanced equipment.
Since we mentioned the AMNC 4ie, one look tells you that there was an effort to reduce the number of single-function, physical buttons, and there are some new functions available. AMADA has thought about the transition from 3ie to 4ie, and has maintained the functional and logic paths of 3ie so that if you knew the 3ie control, the transition time to the 4ie would be quite short. However, much of the functionality has transitioned to a keypad and touch screen format.
There is also an option to use a headset in performing the daily tasks at the press brake: voice commands. In this mode, the operator wears the headset and communicates with the AMNC 4ie control. There is bidirectional communication, including confirmations of the command. On a computer, we are used to hitting an “OK” button with our mouse or pressing the Enter key to confirm actions. On the EGB 6020 ATCe, you don’t say yes or no, you depress the foot pedal. This method removes any doubt about the confirmation, especially in a potentially noisy environment. (We did not use the headset for this Under the Hood story.)
Let’s follow the process of the tear down, setup, and bending process for the second part with Kanazawa:
One of the things that Kanazawa points out is that the operator has access to the 3D files of the part at the AMNC 4ie control. If there is any doubt about the correctness of the bend, he can double-check his work by comparing the part to this 3D representation.
Now on to our next video of the EGB. In this video, we are making our third of three parts. This part is unusual in that there are a few bends which do not come together into a part until the very last bend—and (Spoiler Alert) they line up perfectly. The Bi-S II also plays a key role in the success of these bends.
Here is the fourth video, featuring the third part (we mostly skip the ATC setup on this one):
Finally, one of the innovations directed at operators is the face recognition hardware and software built into the AMNC 4ie. A small camera is built into the control toward the bottom. When an operator approaches to start the shift, the control knows who it is, what language to use, what rights are owned by this operator, and much more. In fact, the system can see which jobs were run, how they were accessed, what resulted from the job…and on and on. The EGB 6020 ATCe is indeed a very data-rich bending solution.
Here is a look at the process and the many things that happen as a result of face recognition. Kanazawa takes us through the process:
The AMADA EGB 6020 ATCe has a big brother called the EGB 1303 ATCe which has 130 metric ton (143 U.S. ton) capacity and a bed of three meters. The ATC has slightly more capacity in the 1303 version, and of course its capacity means it has a larger footprint.
Other features of the EGB 6020 ATCe include electric auto-crowning, and an idling stop function in which the control, servo motors, heat exchanger, and LED lights are automatically powered off when the machine is not operated for a certain time to reduce standby power consumption. Standby power is reduced 50 percent in this manner.
Also available are sheet followers for bending large-format blanks, and the Digi-Pro, which is a handheld, electronic angle measuring device. If this is the method you prefer to use to determine angles (rather than the Bi-S II), there is a reader on top of the AMNC 4ie control that communicates with the Digi-Pro.
It is a very feature-rich and environment-friendly solution that fits squarely into today’s short-run, high changeover environment.