Want to form complex precision sheet metal parts – such as cassettes, panels and boxes – and improve productivity at the same time? The RAS XLT Bend UpDown folder is a perfect fit.
The shortage of skilled workers is expected to grow, but customers are always looking for intelligent solutions to produce faster, more efficiently and more accurately. Where once long programming times and high expertise were necessary, today one click is all it takes. This is where the RAS XLT Bend comes into a world of its own.
Now available in Australia from Sheetmetal Machinery Australia, the RAS XLT Bend is an impressively flexible UpDown folding machine, with 4,060mm x 2.5mm or 3,200mm x 3mm mild steel capacity. Along with innovative mechanical components, the CNC’s One-Click Programming is certain to be a production highlight.
The folding beam is a revolutionary new design that has been proven to reduce deflection by 20x over the bend line, without the need for adjustment. Bent parts no longer need to be flipped, as the folding beam is capable of automatically avoiding prebent flanges. Even the folding beam pendulum, critical for changing the folding beam direction, is driven with two servo-electric motors. This eliminates the mechanical changeover of pendulum blocks when using different folding beam tool widths, shortening the tool setup process and achieving additional productivity.
The latest innovation from RAS is a brand new hybrid gauging system. The blank is held in place against the backstop fingers by a vacuum system, so that subsequent bends can be positioned without the help or handling of an operator. As soon as the blank needs to be rotated, the pop-up fingers descend automatically below the table surface, in order to ease the operator’s manipulation of the workpiece.
RAS has enlarged free space in front and in the rear of the XLT Bend’s upper beam tools. The 155mm tall tools continue to have the strength for the maximum capacity of the machine. Additionally, it is now possible to have tooling up to 300mm tall, permitting even deeper box depths for additional capability. The upper and folding beam tool segments are simply placed into the tool rail and are automatically clamped in place. Between the lower beam tools, it is possible for the back-gauge fingers to move as close as 10mm from the bend line.
To complement the newest folding concept, the RAS XLT Bend includes two 60cm monitors for operation. These are mounted on the machine sides, with the ability to tilt and adjust for the most ergonomic use by any operator. RAS makes it possible for the XLT Bend to be operated from either the front or rear. An integrated light band indicates the operation status of the machine.
Where experience and expertise were formerly required for programming, this intelligence is now embedded in the machine software. Either the operator on the floor or engineer in the office directly imports STEP, DXF, or GEO files, and that’s it! A mouse click is all that’s required to program the complete set-up and bend sequence automatically.
When several strategies are available to form the imported part, the CNC control shows alternative sequences and ranks each with a five-star rating to simplify the best strategy for production. The operator has the option to simulate each strategy in 3D. Once the operator evaluates and selects a strategy, all that remains is to press the Start button to begin the precision forming.
For more information, including technical date and videos. Visit the RAS XLTbend product page.