Horizontal bending machines are used hard in most workshops and therefore benefit from regular maintenance in order to function accurately and reliably in the long term.
Lubrication Points and Intervals
Check all lubrication points on a weekly basis. Make a small log to see what you have done. The guide rails, pivot pins and ram bearings all need to be lubricated with grease or oil as per the manufacturers maintenance schedule. If they are left to run dry they can cause rapid wear and affect the bend accuracy.
Die and Former Condition
Inspect your die and former before each use. Check for any sign of damage i.e. sharp edges or wear. Sharp edges can leave marks on work pieces and cause work to move when bending i.e. slippage. A worn edge of a former will also decrease the bend radius of your work pieces. The die and former should be replaced or re-dressed as soon as the edge begins to lose definition.
Hydraulic System Checks
Check the level of hydraulic fluid in the reservoir on a weekly basis. Look for signs of any hydraulic fluid weeping from hoses, from any of the fittings, or from the cylinder seals. If the fluid level runs low at any point, the ram will move slowly or erratically. Leakages of this sort can develop very quickly into a very expensive repair, so it is vital that they are detected and sorted as soon as possible. Use the correct grade of fluid as recommended by the manufacturer in the machine’s manual.
Electrical and Control Panel Checks
Clean the control panel regularly. Check that all lights, stop buttons and limit switches are functioning correctly. Look for any sign of dirt, grime or corrosion and check for loose electrical terminals. If any part of the control panel appears to be malfunctioning it’s better to get it repaired before the next production run.
Alignment Verification
Each ram and set of tooling should be verified every few months to check that they are running true. Should the ram or tooling become misaligned, even by a small amount, this will result in every bend being off angle. As Euromac Bending Machines are built to very close tolerances, any deviation from the specified tolerances will be immediately noticeable.
Cleaning Routines
Remove swarf and other debris from your workshop floor, guides and tooling seats at the end of each shift. Small pieces of grit will be trapped beneath dies and will damage both the die and the workpiece. Using a stiff brush and a blast of compressed air to clean out your machine will take only a few minutes to complete and in the long run will help to maintain the accuracy of your machines.
Under UK law the safe use and maintenance of work equipment is a legal duty and falls within the terms of the Power to Ensure Safety of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). This legislation outlines the requirement for the inspection and servicing of machinery such as horizontal bending machines.
If you want Euromac Bending Machines, https://www.cotswold-machinery-sales.co.uk/euromac-bending-machines/horizontal-bending-machines is a good place to start.
Regular maintenance of your Horizontal Bending Machine will ensure that it is accurate, extends the life of the machine and means that you can keep working in your workshop without any interruptions.
