This is another ‘simple’ 3DP ( 3D-Printed ) item to make life easier …
I am designing a 36 inch long Sheet Metal bending Press Brake for DIY ‘Maker’ workshops and decided to use a Low-Profile Hydraulic Bottle Jack.
Press Brakes are designed based on what material the user wishes to form …
This new workshop sheet metal bending press brake will have an adjustable Vee-Die that will open from 1/2″ to 1.5″ across the V.
A common method of calculating the ‘Air Bend’ Vee-Die distance is using the metal’s thickness multiplied 8 times, or 6 times for a tighter bend radius.
Link for more about Bending Sheet Metal with a Press Brake
If one knows the Vee-Die opening distance and the metal’s thickness then the bending tonnage can be calculated for different widths of metal.
( CINCINNATI has a great Press Brake Load Calculator Webpage )
First step was to decide on the maximum thickness of metal I will be bending, so I measured the 10 gauge mild steel I had in the shop. ( 0.136″ thick )
While I may bend thicker metal at lengths less than 36″, decided 10 gauge mild steel would be the max thickness bent at 36″ length in a 1.5″ V-Die.
CINCINNATI Press Brake Load Calculator said I would need 17 Tons to bend 36″ of 0.136″ thick mild steel in a 1.5″ V-Die.
http://www.e-ci.com/press-brake-tonnage-load-calculator/
While I may bend 0.136″ thick metal from time to time, 16 gauge and 14 gauge will probably be the metal thicknesses I use the most for full 36″ bends.
BTW ~ CINCINNATI make Amazing metal bending Press Brakes and if I had room in my little shop I would buy one; however, since space is the limiting factor, I am going to make a small worktable size press brake.
( View CINCINNATI’s Press Brake Models )
I found a low-profile Hydraulic Jack that fits the metal bending specs given by the Tonnage Calculator, so purchased the TORIN 20-Ton Stubby Bottle Jack online and picked it up later that day at my local LOWES store.
First thing I did was draw the Jack into SolidWorks with adjustable features …
Knowing the Jack’s exact lifting dimensions will be helpful in future designs …
Since this Hydraulic Bottle Jack will be used with a metal bending press brake I may need to release the pressure quickly with one hand while supporting the metal with the other hand.
Using the handle’ notched end to Open & Close the hydraulic valve may be cumbersome at times; therefore, I needed to come up with a valve solution.
Decided to use SolidWorks to draw up Large & Small versions of knobs to Open and Close the jack’s hydraulic fluid value.
3D-Printed the Knobs with a tight hand press-on fit and they worked great!!
I had black filament on the AFINIA 3D Printer so used it, but I will probably use an easier to see ‘brighter color’ in future versions of the Open/Close valve knobs.
Once again ~ Sometimes the simplest items are the most helpful 🙂
… CHEERS!!!
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