RAS FLEXI2bend

The FLEXI2bend metal folding machine is known for its excellent bending results, thanks to its deep and rigid folding beam and intelligent crowning system. It can achieve straight bends with thin or thick sheets, long or short flanges, and regardless of whether you bend in the centre or on the side.

In addition to high productivity, it offers automatic adjustment to sheet thickness and bending radius, increasing flexibility for small batches.

• Fast movement: Short cycle times
• SpeedOptimizer increases speed by 20% by releasing the part while the folding beam moves down
• Deep folding beam: Excellent bending results
• Intelligent crowning system automatically compensates for beam deformation
• Automatic adjustment for material thickness and bending radius
• No downtime for machine adjustments
• Automatic clamping of segmented folding beam tools
• Gentle and scratch-free bending of coated materials
• Servo motors and absolute encoder: Quick operation, no calibration
• Folding beam can be used as a stop for oblique-angled blanks

The lower clamping beam of a metal folding machine is a critical component in achieving precise and straight bends. The deep box configuration of the lower clamping beam in the FLEXI2bend machine provides maximum strength and resistance to deflection and torsion.

• Deep box configuration for maximum strength and resistance
• Precise and straight bends
• Maximum resistance to deflection and torsion

The gauging system’s fingers accurately position the workpiece for each bend operation. When the workpiece needs to be rotated on the sheet support table, all stop fingers are designed to retract below the table surface.

• Gauging system fingers ensure fast, accurate positioning for each bend
• No need for a second operator, even for large parts, resulting in a 50% cost saving
• Sheet support table carries the weight of the blank for easy handling
• Solid front and rear stop fingers for precise and reliable operation
• Servo drive and absolute encoder eliminate the need for calibration
• Adaptable to the task at hand and available floor space for optimal versatility
• Centre orientation for optimal bending results
• Rectangular backgauge for parts ranging from 10-1550 mm
• T-gauging system available for larger parts up to 10-3050/4050 mm
• Active popup squaring arm for narrow parts for added convenience and accuracy

The automatic clamping system of the high tensile and precision ground upper beam tools in the FLEXI2bend ensures reliable and efficient operation. The tooling system provides ample free space for various bending geometries, which is unparalleled in the industry.

Additionally, the handy tool segments enable easy and quick tool setups for the operator.

• Large free spaces for maximum part design flexibility
• Sharp tools for precise bending profiles
• Segmented tools for boxes, panels and cassettes
• Radius tools and special tool shapes available upon request
• Short setup times thanks to handy tools and automatic tool clamping
• Individually manufactured segments ensure a perfect fit and can be retrofitted at any time
• Automatic recognition of tool changes and tool height for added safety
• Folding beam tools for different thicknesses and Z bends
• Finger pockets in lower beam tools for the smallest stop dimensions
• SnapTool in working position with hinged down foot, allowing it to be used like any other tool in the set

The SnapTool corner tools with a hinged foot are designed to make bending easier and more efficient. Thanks to the hinged foot, they automatically retract from parts with side flanges, eliminating the need for manual rotation at the end of the bending cycle. The foot moves down when the upper beam opens and snaps back into the working position as soon as the tool has moved out of the bent part.

Here are some of the other features you can expect:

• No manual rotation of bent parts required
• 30mm side free space in the hinged area of the SnapTool
• Designed for the same sheet thickness as other tools in the set
• Software calculates SnapTool positions for maximum accuracy and efficiency

Bendex software is revolutionising the way programming is done. The software is designed with a high level of intelligence, eliminating the need for expert knowledge. Whether the parts are entered manually on the 24″ touch monitor or imported as DXF, STEP, or GEO files, the software can automatically program the entire bending sequence with just one click.

• Clear and visible 24″ touch monitor
• User-friendly interface for easy profile and panel creation
• Accurate transfer of CAD data without errors
• Automatic programming of the entire bending sequence
• Software suggests the best folding sequence for optimal results
• 3D simulation of the bending process
• Graphical guidance for operators during the bending sequence
• High bending accuracy due to material tables
• Program import from office software for seamless integration
• Ability to load individual programs or process job lists
• Swivel arm for rotating the monitor
• Convenient operation from the folding beam or gauging side
• Online support via TeamViewer for troubleshooting
• Wide front stop fingers and lower beam tool finger pockets
• Wide stop fingers prevent interference with the expanded material meshes
• Wide stop fingers can be inserted into the finger pockets of the lower beam tool

In certain cases, the standard stop fingers of the FLEXI2bend can position the blanks of expanded metal either on the nodes or between the meshes, leading to unreliable flange dimensions. To address this, the gauging system has a special version with front fingers that are widened to 25 mm.

Additionally, the finger pockets in the lower beam tool are also widened to facilitate bending of small flange dimensions.

For bending expanded metal, the FLEXI2bend has a second version of the gauging system which features manually relocatable stop bars. This allows for a wide range of stop dimensions to be used, with the stop bars able to be moved to the rear of the upper beam tool for the smallest dimension.

The maximum dimension is dependent on the configuration of the gauging system, which can be either rectangular or J-shaped.