Compact bending head for new geometries

In the furniture and similar sectors, where the tubes to be bent are often very long and curved into sometimes particularly complex shapes, the bending head must take up as little space as possible to leave room for the shape that the bent tube will assume.

On tube bending machines with right and left-handed bending directions, this need is much less urgent because the possibility of using one or the other bending direction solves many problems of interference between the tube and the machine parts. However, this is not the case on tube bending machines with only one direction of bending. The only way to avoid the risk of interference in the latter case is to reduce the overall dimensions of the bending heads as much as possible.

Precisely to meet this requirement, BLM Group has developed a new compact bending head for its ELECT40 machine that is capable of executing shapes that were previously not possible with only one bending direction. It is clear that for some parts, using a right or left-handed in-process tube bending machine is the only way to produce the components in a single cycle.

The ELECT40 elongated bending head is 35% lower and 31% longer than the standard head.

Furthermore, the design of the head’s dedicated kinematic mechanisms has enabled an increase in the speed of both the bending arm (+20%) and of the clamp and pressure die (+25%). As a result, a reduction in cycle time of about 10% is possible on a typical part with four bends.

For further information
www.blmgroup.com

KMF invests in automated bending

KMF Precision Sheet Metal, the sheet metal fabrication arm of the KMF group, says it is continuing to prove that it is at the forefront of robotic automatic bending systems by investing in and installing industry-leading machinery. As part of plans which began in 2015 to be UK leaders in the introduction of robotic automatic bending systems, KMF Precision Sheet Metal committed to a rolling programme of technology investment.

The latest addition to its ambitious plans is a Trumpf TruBend Cell 7000 complete with wireless ACB (automatically controlled bend) technology, which has already begun delivering products in earnest.

Terry Stanway, KMF purchasing and facilities director, says: “The combined offerings from our current technology will ensure that we can now investigate lights-out production opportunities for larger volume demand, particularly for smaller components, where additional capacity is required.”

He continues: “The installation of the automatic bending cell represents the first phase of investment in 2021, during which we also expect to invest in further technology advancements with an upgrade to our existing automated twin laser cell system. From initial investigations, it is expected that this project is likely to result in production cycle reductions of up to 60% across a range of material types and gauges.”

For further information
www.trumpf.com

New brand positioning for Adira

Adira Metal Forming Solutions, with its more than 60 years of history as a manufacturer and global supplier of engineering solutions, is positioning its brand more ambitiously and competitively, reformulating the company’s marketing and communication organisation and strategy to shore up its position worldwide.

‘Shaping the future’ is the company’s new slogan, with a focus on new technology to mark the change in positioning, which is in line with its mission to satisfy customer needs and provide innovative solutions. To grow its leadership position on the Iberian Peninsula into a multi-continental presence – by leveraging a geographic proximity that channels the competitive advantages of each of its global partners – Adira is now more accessible, more effective and more ambitious. Opening a physical and virtual showroom and designing an augmented reality app are just some of the innovations introduced with the rebranding on the company’s website. Aidra has also decided to study its performance through customer reviews, case studies and white papers, and to provide increasingly more optimised and automated customer service.

As well as being a specialist in the production of hydraulic, electric and hybrid press brakes, along with shears and robotised cells, Adira conducts intensive research and development in large-scale additive manufacturing. The company was acquired by Sonae Capital in 2017 and has since increased its portfolio of services, automation and customised solutions, focusing on digital restructuring and transformation. Adira now embraces the challenges of the future more effectively and successfully.

For further information
www.adira.pt

Forming at core of E-mobility alliance

Machine manufacturers Gehring and Wafios are pooling their expertise to offer the global automotive industry complete turnkey production lines for hairpin stators.

The first step towards the new network arrived in November 2020, when the family-run Nagel Group took over machine manufacturer Gehring, which further strengthened its role as a technology partner for electro-mobility production systems. The next important step is intensive co-operation with forming specialist Wafios. Together, Gehring and Wafios will be developing stator assembly lines for important automotive locations worldwide, from initial idea to commissioning.

The co-operation combines Gehring’s decades of experience in designing systems for automotive series production and Wafios’ technological leadership in the field of straightening technology and wire forming, which is particularly important for the production of hairpins.

The low cycle times of high-volume production, in which electric motors are produced in under one minute, is a major challenge for stator production and its very complex wire-bending processes.

Says Tobias Single, head of E-mobility at Wafios: “We have mastered this complexity and can offer efficient, process-capable and futureproof solutions on the solid basis of our existing know-how. In addition, the bending process contributes significantly to quality: anything that we do at the beginning, whether right or wrong, makes the processes further down the line easier or more difficult.”

This is where Wafios comes on board as the right partner for Gehring, because the company’s FMU E bending machine has already proven itself many times over in the small series production of hairpins for the automotive industry.

For further information
www.wafios.com

Custom-configured tube benders

Automation, increasingly networked machines, and changes in the automotive industry: tube-bending machine manufacturer Schwarze-Robitec is strategically repositioning itself in view of changing market requirements. With Heike Ahlers as head of strategic sales and marketing, and Philipp Knobloch as global sales director, Schwarze-Robitec is entering the future with two experienced sales experts and longstanding employees in new roles.

“In view of Industry 4.0, increasing networking and the trend toward automation, our customer markets are changing at breakneck speed – and with them, our sales process is changing,” explains Ahlers. “The sale of complex and customer-oriented machines and systems needs a high level of customer and market knowledge, and requires a holistic understanding of different customer demands.

Adds Knobloch: “We are aligning ourselves with the market even more than before and want to grow more strongly. Individually configured special machines and customer-specific solution concepts are becoming increasingly important. This is an exciting task for me and my dedicated team.”

Both sales experts have been closely associated with Schwarze-Robitec for years. Ahlers joined the business development department in 2013 and was instrumental in setting up the company’s US subsidiary in 2015. Since 2016, she has been head of sales and marketing. Philipp Knobloch, who joined Schwarze-Robitec in 2014 as junior sales manager, most recently spent four years as sales manager responsible for sales at national and international level.

Managing director Bert Zorn is confident about the future: “With our dedicated sales team headed by two experienced experts, we are well prepared for challenges that arise in our customer markets.”

For further information
www.schwarze-robitec.com