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Can-Am Tube Tech

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Running Production

The information that follows has been taken from articles I have published and seminars I have presented. Please contact me to schedule a training session for you or your employees.

Please click on the following links to see the topics
301 Save Successful Settings for the Next Run
302 Changes that Effect Part Quality
303 Controlling Incoming Material
304 Preventative Maintenance
305 Handling Break-downs

So, the "Black Art" that the best set up people practice is to identify potential problems going in and learn the characteristics of the various materials they work with. What is the "Black Art" that very experienced operators practice to consistently make good parts?

Material control is a key factor in maintaining consistency. If the hardness or yield point change from part to part the springback will also be different and will create problems (302 and 303).

Bender conditions change in ways that can affect part quality. As the oil in a hydraulic machine warms and as valves get dirty or wear, the DOB will change (304).

Tooling breakage will obviously affect bend quality, but wear will affect it as well.

Some machines offer features that are very advantageous to a tube bender operator. Huge amounts of time are saved by being able to change DOB, clamp die force, pressure die force, pressure die assist force and speed from a PC controller instead of with a wrench. Monitoring the torque or force required by the DOB can help identify changes in material hardness and tooling problems like broken mandrels.