Page 33 - MetalForming September 2017

An example of handiwork via Bretford Manufacturing’s automatic panel bender: The equipment replaces press brakes and provides a significant increase in productivity, report company officials.
ing machines, and robotic welders.
Since its inception in 1948, Bretford—the company name
combines the founders’ wives’ maiden names—has relied heavily on press-brake operations, but more recently embraced automated bending to augment these capabilities. In 2013, the company purchased a P4 automatic panel bender from Salvagnini.
“The need to improve quality and efficiency drove this purchase,” explains Raddatz, seeing the equipment as an investment in the company’s lean efforts.
The P4 produces prototypes for Bretford, and the company designs parts, including side panels, bases and tops, specif- ically for production in the panel bender.
“We optimize some of the dimensions and offsets for the P4, and our engineers are familiar with its capabilities,” says Paul Santaromana, who programs the panel bender at Bretford.
The company routes 20- to 14-gauge material to 48 in. wide by 98 in. long through the machine, which also features automatic blank loading and part unloading. Maintenance- management software provides alerts for updates or filter changes, and Salvagnini has a remote connection to the machine, which helps ensure continued performance and optimum uptime.
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