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MiniBend-Center 2 Bending centers

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MiniBend-Center 2

Bending centers

Several bending stations can be set up along the bending line

Revolutionary manufacturing technology

The world's first fully automatic folding center for precise and efficient sheet metal processing

The second-generation RAS MiniBendCenter represents a revolutionary advance in production technology for small bent parts. As the world's first fully automatic folding center, it enables the seamless, automated processing of sheet metal: from automatic tool set-up and feeding of the blanks to alignment and measurement. A sophisticated manipulator positions the sheet precisely for the bending process, which can be performed both upwards and downwards.

Machine highlights

The world’s only swivel bending center for small parts
Automatic loading by robot (from bulk material or from stack)
Automatic unloading by robot (stack on pallet or bulk material on pallet with frame)
Automatic tool set-up
Scanning of the supplied blanks
Servo-electric manipulation for bent part positioning
Automatic bending sequences with up and down bending
Maximum precision and repeat accuracy
Unmanned operation during the night shift

Fully automatic bending of
even complex parts up to
3 mm sheet steel

Maximum flexibility thanks to the loading and unloading robot

Efficiency and precision thanks to high-precision servo-electrics and intelligent robotics

With the introduction of high-precision servo-electrics, the MiniBendCenter 2 sets new standards in terms of efficiency and precision. The integration of an intelligent robot revolutionizes the loading of punched or laser-cut blanks as well as the unloading of the finished bent parts, which it deposits or stacks unsorted as required. The newly implemented pallet changing station optimizes the material flow by providing a central point for feeding in new blanks and removing the processed parts. With these innovations, the MiniBendCenter 2 not only guarantees low unit costs, but also a quantum leap in productivity in automated sheet metal processing.

Complex parts with inclined blank geometry

Applications

Small bent parts
Small electrical housings
Internal parts for vending machines or white goods
Functional parts
Cluster parts
Prototype parts, if later tool-based production is planned
Parts with medium quantities

Camera system detects the position of the blanks

Robot provides the follow-up blank and takes over the finished bent part

Precision measurement of the blank for the bending process

Blank loading

Intelligent robotic blank loading

A camera system enables the intelligent loading robot to recognize the position of the blanks of a bulk material quantity on a pallet. The software calculates which blanks form the top layer and which parts the robot can access. The robot then picks up one of the available blanks and feeds it to the MiniBendCenter 2.

Of course, the robot can also grip the blanks in stacks. The blanks do not have to lie exactly on top of each other. And the best thing is that the robot does not need to be taught or programmed. Simply start a bending program and the machine does the rest.

No programming or teaching necessary
Robot grips the blank and feeds it to the bending center
Parts that are upside down are sorted out

Two suction cups are fixed – two are adjustable

Each suction cup can be controlled separately

Multifunctional vacuum gripper

The multifunctional vacuum gripper allows different blank geometries to be fed without changing suction cups. Each individual suction cup is programmable and can be controlled separately. Two suction cups are fixed and the position of two suction cups can be adjusted.

Additional flexibility gain for very different blanks
Ideal for unmanned production
The arrangement of the suction cups enables a variety of unloading options

Tool changer comes with great range of movement

Tools with matrix code for fast adding of new tools

Bending sequence

Automatic tool setup

The fast and automatic tool changer places the clamping and bending tools into position. Tools not used for a job are stored in the tool magazine. Due to its rotation axis in the gripper, the tool changer can place a tool in the upper or lower clamping beam as well as in the upper and lower folding beam.

Automatic tool change in the shortest possible time
Precise took positioning
Unmanned shifts due to automatic tool setups

Optical scanning at three points of the blank

Blank scanner

The blank scanner measures the exact pick-up position of the blank in the hundredths of a millimeter range. The blank will not be aligned a second time during the bending process.

Fast bending sequences
Outer edges of the blank do not have to be at right angles to each other

The manipulator positions the part for each bend

Manipulator

In the new generation of the MinibendCenter 2, the manipulator clamps, rotates and positions the bent part using high-precision servo-electric drives. As it can even move between the tools, its design opens up an extremely wide range of applications.

Precise positioning and turning
Highest bending precision
Constant repeat accuracy
Very small parts can be bent

Bending up and down

The folding beams of the MiniBendCenter 2 can bend the sheet metal flanges up and down. The part does not need to be flipped when the bending direction changes. The workpiece always remains horizontal. There is no need to lift the part as with press brake bending.

Simple bending sequences and therefore simple programming
Fast bending cycles
Low unit costs

Unloading robot stacks parts next to each other

Unloading and stacking bent parts

Intelligent robotic unloading

The intelligent robot not only loads the blanks, but also unloads the bent parts. The robot knows the position of the provided pallets and unloads the finished parts there. The robot can set up several stacks next to each other.

If the bent parts are not sensitive, the robot can also place them unsorted in a bulk container.

No programming or teaching required
The robot can unload finished parts stacked or unsorted

Output of finished parts via short conveyer belt

Short transport belt

The folded parts are discharged on a short conveyor belt. They drop into a container at the end of the belt

For small parts that cannot be unloaded by the robot
Non-sensitive mass-produced parts can fall into a box
Discharge of sample parts

Pallet change

Loading blanks

Two sliding compartments for pallets for punched or laser-cut blanks
Up to four different parts can be stacked on one pallet
Bulk parts in pallet with frame
Pallets can be changed during operation

Unsorted output of finished parts in boxes

Finished parts can be output on pallets – stacked or unsorted

Unloading bent parts

Two places for pallets for finished parts
Pallets can be changed during operation

RAS MiniBendCenter 2—Technical data

	RAS 79.05
Working length (for multiple tool stations)	2500 mm / 98.5"
Blank dimension min	50 x 40 mm / 1.97" x 1.57" mm
Blank dimension max	600 x 600 mm / 23.6" x 23.6" mm
Material thickness max (400 N/mm² / 58,000 PSI)	3.0 mm / 11 ga
Programming	3D programming system
Machine dimensions (Robotic loading)	9500 x 6100 mm / 360" x 260"

Success stories with the MiniBendCenter2

TritonMiniBendCenter bends small parts inside electrical cabinets

Company Triton from Pardubice in the Czech Republic is a manufacturer of data cabinets, power distribution systems and wardrobe lockers. Customers can design their own cabinets using the Triton product configurator. As a result production and machine flexibility need to be extremely high. The RAS MiniBendCenter bends small parts up to 600 x 600 mm in small to medium batch sizes. A optical scanner automatically finds the blanks on the pallet. Fed with this data, a robot loads the small-part into the bending center. After the automatic bending process is completed, the finished parts can be automatically delivered to different boxes. After one job is completed the tool changer automatically prepares the machine for the next job.

Bending examples

Large open area requires an automatic main manipulator sequence

Interested in our production program?
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The information package includes

a 3D view of the machine
a dxf view for hall layout planning
a jpg representation for the project presentation

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Pioneering solutions for bending