Knowledge

Intelligent software provides real-time tool advice

Selecting the correct press brake tools for the particular bending requirement is vital. This is often accomplished using a bending program at the press brake control or an offline simulation program. These programs search their database to see if a suitable press brake tool is available for the particular application.

Everything depends on the database program being used; if the product cannot be formed using available tools, it will not be possible to perform or complete the bending operation. What next?

Intervene yourself

If the simulation program detects a collision or other abnormality, engineers have to intervene. For example, engineers may have to design a new tool for a narrow U profile if existing tools do not offer enough bending freedom. However, this is time consuming and can disrupt the production process. Additionally, the knowledge needed to design the correct tool is not always available.

Request tooling advice

Of course, tooling advice can be requested from a manufacturer of press brake tools. In this case, the part profiles in question must be sent to the tooling manufacturer. Once again, this is time consuming because it can sometimes take days before specific advice is provided.

WILA’s advice

Avoid downtimes by using intelligent software! WILA has developed an online tool – the Tool Advisor – which engineers can start using immediately. The software helps you make choices and calculates which press brake tool best suits a specific bending issue. After drawing the sheet part profile and selecting critical bending parameters, the Tool Advisor only takes a few seconds to offer advice about the most suitable tools. If a standard tool does not meet the requirements, you can use the ‘smart solve’ option to configure a special tool. Price and availability will appear on the screen once the desired length and segmentation is selected. You can then immediately order the required tool.

Like to know more about the Tool Advisor?

Then check our Tool Advisor. Once registered, you can immediately get started! Still have questions about the Tool Advisor? Please feel free to call our Technical Sales Engineers. You can also watch the video about the Tool Advisor.