FACE TO FACE
Against this backdrop, Salvagnini presents panel benders as an increasingly effective answer, combining flexibility, repeatability and automation to help manufacturers handle variability, protect quality and simplify the sheetmetal process. With 5,000 installations in more than 80 countries, the largest European facility dedicated to the production of panel benders and 50 years of experience, Salvagnini has built solid expertise in panel bending. This technology, introduced to the market in the 1970s, is still its core business.
“ Panel bending is, in fact, undergoing a moment of significant growth thanks to the innovative solutions that have been introduced, making it a process that is more flexible than ever before. The panel bender has become extremely accessible due to evolution of the software. Today, all you have to do is load the 3D model and our STREAMBEND CAM software will process it, automatically generating the bending program. The operator only needs to follow simple on-screen instructions to position the flat part, leave the safety area, start the cycle and collect the bent panel, making production easier and helping to mitigate labour shortages,” explained Nicola Artuso, Product Manager for Bending Technologies, Salvagnini.
An efficient process
The initial budget required for a panelbender, which is higher than for a standard press brake, often leads many to believe that the machine must operate three shifts to achieve a return on investment and is suitable only for series production. Not true, says Artuso …..
Salvagnini’ s Ennsdorf factory.
Nicola Artuso, Product Manager for Bending Technologies, Salvagnini.
“ This is a belief that we are trying to dismantle,” explained Nicola Artuso.“ Imagine that you have a batch and will produce it using a press brake, for a total of 24 working hours. Our data shows that a panel bender, in general, is 3-5 times faster than a press brake. Producing the same batch using a panel bender, therefore, could require a third of the time in the worst-case scenario: eight hours. In this case, production using a panel bender frees up two thirds of production capacity.
A Salvagnini panel bending demonstration.
“ If, for example, you did not have other parts to produce, you could leave the machine off and still make considerable savings from the point of view of fixed costs: you would have saved the costs of two full work shifts. I am not speaking just of a skilled operator salary but also the costs of the structure, lighting, heating or cooling. The benefit of the panel bender can increase based upon the production: a new customer of ours, with almost no experience in sheet metal working, increased their production by seven times over its previous manual process just by including a robotised panel bender,” continued Artuso.
“ The panel bender, with benefits relating to flexibility, speed, precision and automation, therefore becomes suitable for managing small batches and sudden peak periods. This increases productivity for manufacturers, guaranteeing reduced delivery times without bottle necks resulting from tool changes,” he concluded.
The flexibility of the Salvagnini panel bender is also due to a wide range of options from which the customers can select, based upon their industry and their production needs. More complete configurations are generally requested from subcontractors who equip their systems with all available options for peak versatility to pick up future orders.
Some of the most successful equipment includes CLA tools, estimated by Salvagnini to be on 90-95 % of all its sold machines. These make it possible for manufacturers to perform auxiliary bends, welding tabs and small positive and negative flanges, making them essential for more complex geometries. P tools enable manufacturers to manage complex applications. The CUT option, which allow shearing profiles directly in the machine, transform the panel bender into a real work centre. These options can be used together and contribute towards considerably expanding the application range of the technology.
ISMR June 2026 | ismr. net | 21