ENTRY-LEVEL PUNCH PRESSES AND PLASMA CUTTING MACHINES

A new range of entry-level punch presses, punching /plasma cutting combination machines and hydraulic notching equipment has been introduced to the UK and Irish markets by Press & Shear Machinery, Tamworth.  It follows the conclusion of a sales and service agency agreement with the machine manufacturer Boschert, Germany,

The punch presses range from manually operated models with stops set by hand or equipped with a digital readout up to programmable CNC machines.

Models with twin or triple punching heads are available, the latter version offering 24 tools for manufacturing complex sheet metal components without tool changes. One head can have 360-degree, stepless rotation of all tools up to 105 mm in diameter, or alternatively a seven-position Revotool that includes a 5 x 30 mm slitting tool for contouring.

Sheet sizes up to 3,000 mm x 1,500 mm can be accommodated and the machines are particularly fast in operation, with 67 m/min positioning in X and Y simultaneously and stroke rates up to 800 per minute.

Another example from the punch press range is the Boschert Compact, a single-head CNC machine with revolving head option for processing sheet up to 2,000 mm x 1,250 mm.  Described as ideal for the first-time user, the machine has graphic-based programming and a small footprint, yet the C-frame design allows working of oversize sheets using the automatic repositioning function.

Combicut machines include plasma cutting and forming of sheet up to 3,000 mm x 1,500 mm.  Proprietary FineFocus plasma technology allows clean, dross-free cut edges and positioning tolerance ± 0.2 mm with 0.03 mm repeatability.  The plasma head is mounted on a separate frame from the punching head to ensure vibration-free plasma cutting. 

Boschert claims that its fine plasma technology is a cost effective alternative to laser cutting, even on thin materials.  One of the heads on the twin- and triple-head punching machines may be fitted with a plasma head.  Even single-head Ecco Line CNC punch presses can be converted to plasma-only machines

The range of hydraulic notching machines is equipped with the patented tri guide system ensuring both excellent accuracy and reliability