Ensuring press brake (and staff) safety

Press & Shear understands that press brakes are the workhorses of sheet metal fabrication. However, their immense power necessitates prioritising safety to protect team members and the user’s capital investment. Here are some key safety measures put forward by Press & Shear, a specialist in the supply of sheet metal and fabrication machines, to implement in press brake operations.

The first tip is to invest in high-quality light curtains or laser scanners to create a safety zone around the press brake’s pinch point. These systems will automatically stop the machine if an operator enters the zone unexpectedly.

Ensuring all press brake operators undergo comprehensive training is also recommended, covering safe operation, potential hazards and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Press & Shear can provide targeted training programmes tailored to specific machinery and applications.

Another piece of advice is maintaining a clean and organised work area around the press brake to prevent slip, trip and fall hazards. This activity includes keeping tools and materials stored away when not in use.

It is also worth implementing a programme for regular inspections and preventive maintenance of press brake safety devices and hydraulic systems. The team of service technicians at Press & Shear is here to assist with this crucial aspect of safety.

Ergonomic practices are a further recommendation, which involves the use of mechanical lifting aids like hoists or cranes for handling heavy sheet metal. This will minimise the risk of strain and musculoskeletal injuries to operators.

Then of course there is PPE. Metalforming shops should enforce the use of appropriate eye protection, cut-resistant gloves and steel-toed safety shoes.

More information www.pressandshear.com

LVD launches Easy-Cell bending automation

LVD has introduced Easy-Cell 80/25, the latest in its line of robotic bending cells for automated bending. Easy-Cell offers high flexibility to produce a wide range of parts with the precision of a built-in adaptive bending system, which the company says ensures bend angle accuracy from the first part. The robotic bending cell incorporates LVD’s software for fast, simple offline programming of both press brake and robot. According to the company, users benefit from the productivity of automated bending with high process reliability and low component costs.

Easy-Cell 80/25 combines an Easy-Form 80 T press brake with a Kuka industrial robot to handle parts from 100 x 100 mm up to 1600 x 1200 mm, weighing up to 25 kg. The press brake features a 2500 mm bend length, five-axis back-gauge, and 2500 mm crowning table, providing the versatility to accommodate a broad scope of bending applications.

Notably, the cell features multiple robot grippers that offer easy changing to suit the job in hand. The robot uses a proprietary swivel function to optimise workpiece regripping. This swivel movement reduces the time it takes for re-gripping, improving overall cycle time.


Easy-Cell features LVD’s Easy-Form Laser for bend accuracy. Automation with built-in quality assurance provides a high degree of consistency in production, especially critical for automated operations.

Easy-Form Laser uses adaptive, in-process control over the bend angle. The system compensates for material variations such as sheet thickness, strain hardening and grain direction. Scanners continuously measure the bend angle and transmit information in real time to the CNC control for immediate adjustment of the punch position to achieve the correct angle. The bending process is continuous and no production time is lost.

More information www.lvdgroup.com

ETG serves up a treat with new press brakes

New to the Engineering Technology Group’s (ETG) Fabrication Division is the Durma AD-Servo range of press brakes, which the company says can increase productivity by up to 60% and reduce energy consumption by up to 72%, credit largely to variable-speed drives. In addition, the AD-Servo series incorporates stress-relieving technology for the precise and long-term operation and stability of the machines.

Designed to make less noise with control of position, pressure and load pressure, AD-Servo press brakes feature an open/closed hydraulic circuit and four-quadrant operation. Further features include a bell housing and coupling, power unit, valve block, prefill valve, cylinder, servo controller, Indra-Drive C Software and linear scales.

The AD-Servo series is available in 17 variants with a bending force from 100 to 600 T and a bending length from 2.55 m on the smallest machine to 6.05 m on the largest. A wealth of options provides ETG customers with a distance between columns from 2.2 to 5.1 m with a stroke from 265 to 365 mm. The AD-Servo line-up also gives customers a choice of table widths, axis dimensions, Y-axis rapid and working speeds, and much more.

With over 1000 machine installations across the UK in virtually all sectors at users ranging from small businesses to world-class OEMs, ETG is excited to service Durma customers, who the company says will benefit from the same high levels of service and technical support enjoyed by existing ETG customers.

More information www.engtechgroup.com

Genius Facades invests in automated panel bender

Genius Facades, a manufacturer of A1 non-combustible rain-screen façade systems, is taking its production capabilities to the next level by investing in a Trumpf TruBend Center 7030 fully automated panel bender. Adding to the company’s growing range of Trumpf machines, the speed and right-first-time capabilities of the new TruBend Center 7030 is helping Genius Facades keep pace with increasing demand for its aluminium rain-screen façades.

With a fast-expanding order book, Genius Facades has been investing heavily in new manufacturing technology for its two purpose-built factories in the Midlands. This progressive manufacturing business saw the acquisition of a new panel bending machine as the next step in the evolution of its production proficiency.

“We were keen to expand our in-house manufacturing capabilities to keep up with rising customer orders for our A1 non-combustible rain-screen facades,” confirms Richard Bland, production director at Genius Facades. “We looked to Trumpf in the first instance due to our long-standing and successful working relationship.”

In 2022, Genius Facades installed a Trumpf TruPunch 5000R XL punching machine and a Trumpf TruBend 5170 press brake, adding to a long line of Trumpf models at the company. Indeed, Genius Facades even has a 21 year-old Trumpf punching machine that is still fully operational, speaking volumes about the reliability and longevity of these machines.

“We knew that investing in a fully automated panel bender such as the TruBend Center 7030 would significantly increase our bending speed and offer excellent automation capabilities,” states Bland.

Panel bending is ideal for complex bending applications with radius bends, short sides or narrow profiles. Trumpf’s TruBend Center 7030 offers automatic part loading and unloading for forming panels up to 3 m in length. The machine features both rotary and two-axis part manipulators.

More information www.trumpf.com

Key Renishaw appointment

Renishaw has appointed Kasim Hussain as its new group general counsel and company secretary. Hussain, who joined Renishaw in July 2024, will lead the group’s legal, compliance and company secretarial functions, including the regional legal and compliance teams. With substantial experience of working in a listed environment, Hussain will provide strategic direction to Renishaw’s board of directors and executive committee. He will also advise the company on all matters of risk and governance. Prior to joining Renishaw, Hussain was group divisional counsel at the FTSE 100 global engineering group, Spirax Group.

More information www.renishaw.com