In metal forming, there are many ways to get the job done. If you’re forming small parts with multiple bends, four slide machines are an efficient tool.
In the video above, we talk about how modern four slide machine technology has advanced with Max Linder, director of sales and marketing at BIHLER 4 SLIDE-NC.
“Four slide is not a new technology, being over 100 years old, and with thousands of machines that are 30 to 40 years or older currently in the field requiring production and service parts where none are available,” Linder said.
“BIHLER has developed a tooling-compatible machine that can utilize existing equipment and tools from older four slide machines with a new technological approach, where every motion is created with a servo system rather than a mechanical cam. This allows for significantly fast changeover times and faster tool optimization and run times.”
With a servo approach, operators can gain full control over tooling motion and timing. A human-machine interface (HMI) allows operators to program desired metrics for start positions, motion, speed and other fine-tuned variables for the greater precision.
“Our systems are computer controlled so we know exactly each position at any given time,” Linder added. “We can add stroke depending on forming angles so you can retrofit measurement information and adjust a slide during runtime for greater precision.”
BIHLER’s 4 SLIDE-NC machine is designed for ease of programming and use, with touch screen technology.
“In respect to programming, I’m in sales and it took me only 10 minutes to learn the program and setup a tool,” Linder shared. “You can program the motions you need and store these settings, so the next time you need to use the same tool on it, just pull up the tool number and your old setup programs itself.”
For more information, watch the video above and visit the BIHLER 4 SLIDE-NC website.