In the broad landscape of sheet metal fabrication equipment, lasers are the machines that get the majority of attention. That’s understandable, given that lasers are, in fact, pretty cool. Watching light-cut metal is a pretty awe-inspiring sight to behold when you think about it. But today, we’re here to sing the praises of the laser’s less flashy but equally important sibling in EVS Metal’s world, and that is the press brake. While lasers are known for their incredible precision and accuracy, cutting a wide range of material thicknesses and sizes, press brakes are pure, necessary brute strength, able to form and bend many tons of pure steel, over and over again, without skipping a beat.
Press Brakes: A Quick History
To take a step back for a moment, it’s important to first understand that press brakes are one of the most commonly-used machines in metal fabrication operations; they are used to form sheet metal into preprogrammed bends when that metal (most often steel or aluminum) is clamped between a matching punch and die. Press brakes have been around since the dawn of the industrial revolution, but they were of a much, much simpler design. In fact, they were manually operated and not particularly safe to operate, as there was no way of quickly or easily stopping the machine once it was in motion.
All of this changed in the 1950s when better hydraulics became available; hydraulic press brakes are still the most popular type on the market. However, the best and brightest stars of the modern press brake world are those with multi-axis, computer-controlled back gauges, like EVS Metal’s latest acquisition, the Amada HG 8025NT, which is now in use at our New Jersey metal fab facility. The HG series is Amada’s newest line and the 8025 is an exceptional example of the capabilities that a down-acting, servo/hydraulic press brake can hold. Some of the highlights include:
- 88 ton capacity
- Bed length of 8 feet
- Maximum bend length of 102”
- Ram repeatability of ±0.00004″
- Super-accurate, 5-axis backgauge can travel up to 27.55”
- Fully computerized, featuring an AMNC-PC control
Besides the HG 8025NT, EVS Metal also employs 30+ additional, state-of-the-art press brakes between our four American facilities in NH, NJ, TX and PA, allowing us to fulfill the forming needs of our customers across North America. Discover how our top-of-the-line forming and bending equipment can add value to your manufacturing supply chain; simply request a quote online, or give us a call at (973) 839-4432 today.
