Page 13 - MetalForming November 2012

Success is programmable. Schuler ServoDirect Technology.
The use of Schuler ServoDirect Technology opens new opportunities: maximum flexibility in series production, economical manufacturing of com- plex part geometries and high productivity with optimum part quality. Schuler builds presses with ServoDirect Technology from 250 to 3600 tons. Forming the Future
Schuler Inc.7145 Commerce BoulevardCanton, Michigan 48187U.S.A.Phone +1 734 207 7200Fax +1 734 207 7222 info@schulerinc.comwww.schulerinc.com
Tech Update
V-grooving sheetmetal panels enables forming sharp corners to fabricate aesthetically pleasing curtain walls
and other architectural panels.
Sheets, shingles and prefabricated panels can be cut, routed, sawed, filed, drilled, screwed, welded and curved to form complex shapes. Ceiling panels also can be fabricated to cre- ate a unique decorative appearance, as can elevator entries.
To achieve sharp corners on panels, to enable a seamless appearance when the panels are assembled on the building, the V-grooving process has become popular with fabricators. With this process, panels are formed like pans with four to eight grooves. A V-groove is machined on the inside of the bend line, and when the material bends along that line a sharp corner is achieved, providing a distinctive, high-quality look and precision fit.
Early V-grooving machines were created to enable forming of sheetmetal with sharp outside corners on bend lines. Some machines were modified planers, others were more like routers, and in some cases fabricators would perform V- grooving on milling machines. These early versions of V- groovers had limited capacity, often capable of fabricating dec- orative stainless steel to 3 or 4 mm thick.
Taking V-grooving to the next level, Hydrapower International, Marco Island, FL, has introduced grooving machines that can accommodate sheets and plate to 1⁄2 in. thick and 20 ft. long. The machines can finish a 10-ft. by 0.045-in.-deep groove in 16-gauge stainless steel in 5 sec., and finish off a panel with four 10-ft.-long grooves in about 1 min. And, using Hydrapow- er’s new software, fabricators can activate a “pause” function to automatically bring the sheet to the front of the machine, where the clamps will release and the operator can rotate the sheet 90 deg., to run grooves in the perpendicular direction. This feature also finds use when making grooves on both sides of a sheet.
The machine’s tool holder features cavities to hold sever- al tools that can be used in combination, or just a single tool, depending on the application. Fabricators can select tools to make square grooves (like a keyway), V-grooves or grooves shaped like semicircles.
Hydrapower Intl.: 239/642-5379; www.hydrapower-intl.com
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