What is profile bending machine?

  • Drive of profile bending machines

    Analyzing the main components of the machine, the drives are used for:
    • Rolls rotation
    • Variation in the position of the movable rolls

  • Rolls rotation

    The rolls can be driven by:
    • Standard electric motors: can be directly coupled, through gearbox, to the roll shafts or can be present a transmission system. This kind of motor is normally affordable, but the precision is not so high (sufficient nevertheless in the most of cases). The efficiency is usually high, but obviously the total one depends also on the transmission system used. The continuous speed regulation can be realized using an inverter.
    • Hydraulic motors: are normally coupled through a gearbox directly on the roll shafts. The usage together with other transmission systems is not suggested, because in that case they would be necessarily less efficient than an electric motor. The speed regulation can be easily realized by the usage of a proportional valve that is regulating the oil flow rate. Due to the fact that are subject to the low stability rate of the hydraulic circuits, don’t allow to obtain a high precision.
    • Brushless electric motors: are the most efficient and precise drives and are normally coupled directly with roll shafts. Unfortunately they have a high cost and so they must be used only in case they are strictly required.

  • Variation in the position of the bending rolls

    The regulation of the position of the bending rolls can be realized:
    • Manually: the assembly of shaft and rolls is coupled to a screw. The regulation is done rotating manually the screw. This system is used only on really small machines, because the effort required cannot be too high. It is a precise and economic system, also if extremely slow and uncomfortable.
    • Hydraulically: the assembly of shaft and rolls is coupled to an hydraulic cylinder. The cylinder is connected to an hydraulic unit. This system is the most commonly used because is able to furnish a high load capacity, keeping anyway reasonably low cost. The precision in the positioning is sufficient for the most of applications.
    • Electrically: the assembly of shaft and rolls is coupled to a screw. The screw is coupled to a brushless motor that is controlling the rotation. This system is the most precise one, but has a high cost.