Guidelines for Safe Operation and Maintenance of Hydraulic Press Brakes

Operating Procedures

1. Strictly abide by the safety operating procedures of the machine tool, and wear labor protective equipment as required.
2. Check for foreign objects on the front feeding frame, rear material stopper, and slider. If there are any, thoroughly clean and tidy them up, otherwise they may become safety hazards.
3. Check the coincidence and firmness of the upper and lower dies, and whether each positioning device meets the requirements of the workpiece to be processed.
4. Before starting up, thoroughly clean and wipe the upper and lower production molds, and ensure that there are no foreign objects such as iron chips in the grooves, otherwise it will damage the production molds and affect the accuracy of the workpiece.
5. Before starting, carefully check whether the motor, switches, wiring, and grounding are normal and firm, and whether the control parts and buttons are in the correct position.
6. When neither the upper slider nor the positioning axes are at the origin, run the return to origin program.
7. After the equipment is started, run it empty for 1-2 minutes, and make the upper slider run its full stroke 2-3 times. If any abnormal sound or malfunction is found, stop immediately, eliminate the problem, and only resume work when everything is normal.
8. When selecting the appropriate mold opening size for bending sheet metal, choose a size generally 6-10 times the thickness of the sheet metal, and for thin sheets less than 2mm, 6-8 times the thickness is appropriate.
9. During operation, one person should give unified commands to ensure that the operators and material feeders cooperate closely, and that all cooperating personnel are in a safe position to give bending signals.
10. When processing narrow sheet metal with the bending machine, the system pressure should be appropriately reduced to prevent the production mold groove from cracking and damaging the production mold.
11. Before bending, adjust the gap between the upper and lower production molds to be completely the same.
12. During bending, the operator should not place their hands between the production molds, and narrow and long materials should not be supported by hand. Only one piece of material should be bent at a time, and multiple pieces should not be bent simultaneously. Check the oil level in the tank, and replenish it with the same type of hydraulic oil if the oil level is too low. Before starting work, check the hydraulic pipeline and oil pump for any abnormalities. Sometimes the operating condition of the machine is related to the temperature of the hydraulic oil.
13. Stop immediately if any abnormality occurs, check the cause and eliminate it in a timely manner. Working with injuries is not allowed, otherwise the problem will become bigger and bigger.
14. The operator must undergo specialized training and the machine must be operated by designated personnel, and anyone is prohibited from operating it. This will protect and maintain the machine and avoid damage caused by improper operation.
15. The sheet metal must be compressed during bending to prevent it from lifting and injuring people.
16. When adjusting the plate pressing mold, the power must be cut off and stopped before making adjustments.
17. When changing the opening of the variable lower mold, no material is allowed to come into contact with the lower mold.
18. People are not allowed to stand behind the machine tool during operation.
19. It is strictly prohibited to press and bend the sheet metal on one end alone.
20. If the mold is not in the correct position during operation, stop the machine and make corrections. It is strictly prohibited to adjust it by hand during operation to prevent hand injuries.
21. It is forbidden to bend iron plates that are too thick, quenched and tempered steel plates, advanced alloy steel, square steel, and materials that exceed the performance of the sheet metal bending machine to avoid damaging the machine tool.
22. Regularly check the coincidence of the upper and lower molds, and whether the pressure gauge indicates comply with the regulations.
23. Before shutting down, place a wooden block on the lower mold below the two-side oil cylinder, and lower the upper slider onto the wooden block or lower the upper mold to the bottom of the lower mold cavity.
24. After work is completed, the oil pump and power should be turned off.

Precautions

Precautions before operation:

1. Before starting the machine, check the oil route, oil cup, oil level, and oil quality according to the lubrication chart, and make sure the oil route is unobstructed.
2. Check whether all parts are normal, whether the upper and lower pressing molds are in the specified position, and whether the oil pump motor is running properly.
3. After the oil pump is started, run it empty for 3-5 minutes, and check whether the equipment is working normally.

Precautions during operation:

1. When operating, the workpiece being pressed should be placed in between the upper and lower molds, parallel to them, and placed steadily. During operation of the bending machine, repairing or adjusting the mold is not allowed.
2. When pressing long or large workpieces, two or more people should operate to avoid the workpiece deforming and tipping over when released, and it is not allowed to collect the compressed workpiece at a close distance.
3. When exchanging or pressing workpieces, the workpiece should be placed in the middle of the mold, and it is not allowed to press it off-center. The upper mold should be slowly approached to the workpiece to prevent the workpiece from popping out.
4. It is necessary to frequently check whether the two oil cylinders have the same stroke. If not, adjustments or repairs should be made. If the oil cylinder piston shakes or the oil pump emits a screeching sound, the air in the oil circuit must be eliminated.
5. Pay attention to the oil level in the oil tank, observe whether the oil level is appropriate, and if the oil level is too high, check the return oil pipeline and adjust the return oil valve to prevent oil spillage from the tank. Keep the working oil tank temperature below 45℃.
6. When the control valve and safety valve fail or the safety protection device is incomplete, work should not continue.
7. It is strictly prohibited for others to adjust or move the regulating valve and pressure gauge. The operator must secure them after adjustment.
8. When the working pressure is too high, the valves must be checked and adjusted before work can continue after the fault is eliminated.
9. It is strictly forbidden for the upper mold to exceed the maximum stroke.
10. It is strictly prohibited to extend hands into the space between the upper and lower molds during the working process.
11. Regularly check the travel switch and safety protection device to ensure the reliable operation of the machine.
12. When adjusting or repairing the mold, the oil pump must be turned off to ensure safety.

Shutdown precautions:

1. The mold should be in the closed position before stopping. Follow the following procedure to stop: first stop the working oil pump, then stop the control power, and finally cut off the main power.
2. After work is completed, clean the machine tool, clean the surrounding work area, and place the workpiece in the designated position.

Maintenance and upkeep:

Hydraulic oil system:

a. Check the oil level in the tank weekly. If maintenance is performed on the hydraulic system, the oil level should also be checked. If the oil level is below the oil window, hydraulic oil should be added.

b. The hydraulic oil used in this machine is ISO HM46 or MOBIL DTE25.

c. The oil should be changed after 2000 hours of operation on a new machine, and every 4000-6000 hours thereafter. The oil tank should be cleaned every time the oil is changed.

d. The system oil temperature should be between 35℃ and 60℃ and should not exceed 70℃. Excessive temperatures can cause deterioration and damage to the oil and components.

Filters:

a. When changing the oil, the filter should be replaced or thoroughly cleaned.

b. If there are related alarms or dirty oil, the filter should be replaced.

c. The air filter on the oil tank should be checked and cleaned every three months and replaced once a year.

Hydraulic components:

a. Clean the hydraulic components (substrates, valves, motors, pumps, oil pipes, etc.) every month to prevent debris from entering the system. Do not use cleaning agents.

b. Check for deformations in the bends of all oil pipes after using the new machine for a month. If there are any abnormalities, they should be replaced. After using the machine for two months, tighten all fittings. This work should be done with the machine off and the system depressurized.