FACE TO FACE
A major news announcement at LVD ’ s booth was the addition of panel benders to its portfolio of flexible solutions for sheetmetal processing
portfolio of flexible solutions for sheetmetal processing . Its new product line offers a range of servo-driven , customisable panelbending equipment , including high-speed panelbending systems . LVD launched the new line at Blechexpo / Schweisstec with the unveiling of the PB 21 / 12 automatic panel bending machine ( which it demonstrated to ISMR ).
Panel bending technology can process large and complex geometries quickly and efficiently with high productivity in medium to high volumes . It is suitable for producing large electrical cabinets ; panels and cabinet components ; shelving ; clean rooms ; steel furniture ; architectural building panels ; photovoltaic components ; trailer side panels ; lighting
Above : LVD ’ s new panel bender range .
Above right : The control on LVD ’ s new PB 21 / 12 panel bender at Blechexpo / Schweisstec . as well as other industrial equipment panels featuring complex geometries with radius bends , short side lengths and narrow profiles .
LVD will initially offer three models of panel benders : PB 21 / 12 , PB 25 / 12 and PB 32 / 12 to handle panel sizes of up to 3200mm x 1250mm . On its stand at Blechexpo / Schweisstec , it showcased an automated PB 21 / 12 system . The panel benders can be customised to expand capacity and performance . A universal set of folding blades enables the processing of a wide range of profiles and bends . Most profiles can be formed using a single set of tooling .
“ We are very excited to introduce our panel bending technology to the marketplace . It has attracted huge interest here at the show and is a natural complement to the very wide range of press brakes that we make . The technology also fits well with our strategy of adding value to our customers ’ businesses ,” LVD ’ s Group Marketing Director , Matt Fowles , told ISMR at the exhibition .
“ We see panel bending as a natural addition to our product range and the next step to offering a one-stop shop to our customers . Over the last few years , we have added more automation products for laser and punching , as well as more tube laser cutting . Customers want more throughput , handling and automation capability . We see panel bending as a natural progression , as some of the unique features of our panel bending technology fit with the way that users need to process material these days . A good example of this is offline referencing of the blank , rather than inmachine referencing , to keep throughput and process flow steady ,” he added .
The automated PB 21 / 12 on LVD ’ s stand can process a panel of up to 2.1m long x 12.5m wide in up to 1.6mm material thickness . This model features a combination of automated loading , with semi-automatic offloading , in the demonstration shown to ISMR . The combination of multiple input stations gives users the flexibility to maintain throughput for a higher mix of parts . On the output station , an automatic out-feed from the bending zone enabled users to retrieve parts manually ( also available as an automatic option ) to illustrate the flexible and customised approach adopted by LVD .
Laser cutting and software
Another new addition at the Blechexpo / Schweisstec exhibition was LVD ’ s large-format Phoenix FL-6525 laser cutting machine with bevel cutting head , as well as new CADMAN ® - FLOW software for optimised material process flow .
The new Phoenix FL-6525 offers versatility and capacity with a large cutting range up to 6510 x 2600mm and a bevel cutting option . Its largeformat configuration is designed for cutting oversized sheets in thin to thick materials . The bevel cutting head provides precise control of the angle and depth of the bevel to cut intricate contours or for weld-prep operations . Phoenix FL-6525 is available with 6- , 10- , 12- or 20kW laser power . The bevel cutting option is available for 10- and 12kW systems . The Phoenix FL-6525 at Blechexpo / Schweisstec featured a 12kW laser source with bevel head .
“ Our Taurus model allowed users to punch up to 40m long parts with an edge bevelling feature . However , we also saw that there
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