Time and time again, sheet metal shops often find themselves in a predicament when it comes to figuring out what to do with their old press brakes. They could always choose to sell their old press brake and buy a new one, but that comes with logistical nightmares and possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars in incurred costs. Instead of doing this, a cost-effective way to bring an old but functioning press brake back to life is by retrofitting it with tools that can help reduce scrap, fatigue and set up time. In order to determine if retrofitting your press brake is the right option for your shop, there are three steps that you should take into consideration.
There are several important items that one should consider when evaluating a press brake:
If your shop is going to go heard and retrofit your existing press brake, you need to know what you have to work with. For example, you need to know whether your press brake is either a mechanical or hydraulic press brake or if it is something else.
Beyond knowing the type of press brake you have, you should know what the pain points are on it. Ask yourself some of these questions:
Other items can be addressed, too. Taking a full assessment of what your press brake can do better (or used to do better) can help point out exactly what needs improvement.
By this time, you should be able to do one of three things. You should know whether or not you want to either 1) keep your press brake as is, 2) purchase a new press brake, or 3) retrofit your current press brake and save money.