Prior to all-electric CNC tube bending machines, most tube bending companies, including ours, used equipment that was powered by hydraulics. Considered the standard for almost eight decades, this type of equipment was high maintenance, generating a lot of heat, noise and fluid waste. Operators needed to tweak and adjust machine settings during bending to get the right results, often without a playbook.
Enter all-electric CNC tube bending machines. Conceived in the 1990s, this technology became widely used by metal fabricators and others by the early 2000s.
In contrast to hydraulic bending machines, the all electrics offered a more standardized way to process tube and pipe. A built in operating system hosts bending coordinates and data for repeat or subsequent jobs. This integration allows for more control and consistency and helps to shorten cycle times and reduce production time per part.
Fully-electric CNC tube benders are also more energy- and production-efficient. Their servo-driven motors work on demand to control tube position and supply torque during the bending process, helping to conserve on the amount of power used in the plant. Additionally, all electrics run clean and quiet, with minimal waste or scrap, offering a better working environment.
For the plant or operations manager, these machines are low maintenance and produce far less noise and waste. For the machine operator, set-up and programming are easier, allowing for greater up-time and productivity. Most important, for the customer and end-user, this type of machine technology provides the ability to deliver precision and accuracy for a variety of different part specifications, each and every time.
This blog was authored by Paul Krickeberg, President & CEO, Sharpe Products. Paul can be reached at paulk@sharpeproducts.com.