After buying its first Baykal press brake with 2-axis CNC backstop from Press & Shear Machinery in 2004, Fareham-based Searle Manufacturing immediately noticed increased productivity compared with using an older NC machine on which the backstop was adjusted by hand.

The leading producer of heat exchange products has since gone a step further by investing in two more Baykal machines. This time they are equipped with an additional computer-controlled axis on the backstop that speeds set-up between batches, resulting in less machine idle time and higher output.

Searle’s production engineering manager, Russell Smith, commented, “Our company turnover increased by 18 per cent in the 2006/07 financial year compared with the previous 12 months, and we are on course for similar growth this year.

“To cope with the increased workload, we bought two new Amada punch presses at the beginning of 2007 to assist our Wiedemann FMS, but the press brake department struggled to keep up.

“So the decision was taken to increase the number of press brakes here from seven to nine. As we were pleased with the first Baykal due to its good value for the high specification and its reliable performance, we opted to purchase two more of the Turkish-built machines with tooling packages from the UK agent, Press & Shear.”

The latest models, both of 150 tonnes capacity with a three-metre bending length, have synchronised control of the hydraulic cylinders, Y1 & Y2 plus additional, X axis (backgauge) R axis (backgauge height) and Z axis(sideways movement of backgauge fingers) together with automatic beam crowing, which compensates for machine deflection when processing long material, , all axes are controlled by the Delem DA66W CNC control

In practice, the additional CNC Z-axis means that the operator no longer has to walk around to the back of the machine to physically move the position of two hinged backgauge fingers along the bending line. They normally need to be adjusted to suit the size of material prior to each new production run.

With batch quantities at Searle frequently as short as 5-, 10- and 20-off, and rarely more than 100-off, mainly from 1 mm to 1.5 mm gauge galvanised steel but also from stainless steel and aluminium up to

3 mm thick, savings on machine set-up time are considerable.

Contributing also to rapid changeover is the use of quick release tool blocks, while programming at the Delem control takes “a matter of minutes”, according to Mr Smith.

He was impressed with the responsiveness of the press brake manufacturer when he asked for modifications to its standard APHS 3108x150 machine. Lockable front support arms have been fitted, as the free moving type makes it difficult for one operator to present larger sheet to the tooling without the arms moving along the rail.

Another change to the standard specification was to provide a radius on the ends of the backstops, which also helps when handling large material and facilitates the production of tapered bends.

All programs for the Baykal press brakes at Fareham are written on the shop floor from drawings, rather than being downloaded from Searle’s CAD/CAM system. This is because the majority of components require only simple folds and in any case, the varied throughput of standard products would tie up the CAD/CAM resource, which is devoted to more complex work and custom-built products.

Serving the refrigeration and air conditioning industry since 1921, Searle exports nearly half of its output mainly to Europe and the Far East. Applications include food storage and distribution centres, supermarket cabinets and cold rooms, large-scale food freezing plant, beer cellars, and air-conditioning equipment for offices and public buildings