Above: Rendering of the industry’s largest press brake currently under construction. Ursviken’s 73-ft.-long Optima will have a bending force of 5,500 U.S. tons.
December, 2023- The sheet metal solution and service providers at Ursviken Inc. have a reputation for thinking big. The team is currently constructing the largest press brake in the industry. The Optima will have a bending length of 73 ft ., a bending force of 5,500 U.S. tons and stand 33 ft . above floor level. The press brake will be anchored in a pit 20 ft . deep. According to Anton Nordqvist, technical sales support for Ursviken, it will take operators more than 1 minute to walk around the machine. Seven front and back gauges, 11 sheet followers and approximately 500 ft . of linear rails are key components of the design/ build, which is expected to be completed in first quarter 2024.
Ursviken’s milestone machine is the latest in a line of industry firsts that include automated sheet flipping technology, integrated CNC crowning, CNC variable die tools and its proprietary FlexiCrown CNC crowning system.
Headquartered in Skelleftea, Sweden, Ursviken has a North American satellite in Elgin, Illinois. The company carved a niche within the metalforming industry by making custom large-scale, single press brakes and tandem systems (two press brakes placed end to end). The company tailors its equipment to customer specifications using one of two platforms the Optifl ex and the Optima.
“The Optiflex platform can exert a force of up to 440 tons,” says Jamie Sims, general manager for Ursviken. “The Optima can go much higher.” Part size and material type dictate press brake tonnage. Barges, for example, are generally fabricated with 40 ft . plate. Power poles can reach 60 ft . in length. Telescoping crane booms can be made on a tandem press brake or a single, large press brake up to 60 ft . long.
“A single, large press brake can give a manufacturer more flexibility to bend bigger, longer parts because you aren’t limited by a C-frame configuration,” says Sims. “That means fewer parts, which reduces downstream operations like welding. Typically, we’re seeing large structural components for bridges and poles for lighting and electrical transmissions being formed on these press brakes.”
Ursviken’s revolving tool changer supports fast tool changes for up to four different punch diameters
AUTOMATION
Customers’ inability to recruit sufficient numbers of skilled production workers has prompted Ursviken to focus its development eff orts on automating equipment functions like material handling. “Moving or flipping material in a large press brake takes multiple operators with chains and cranes,” says Sims. “It creates a harsh environment for both the equipment and the operators. One of our customers in the construction industry was spending up to 50 minutes to bend a completed part. The process took two operators rotating, flipping and repositioning the material for each bend. We developed an integrated sheet-flipping device that reduced the process to 11 minutes with one operator.”
Ursviken’s FlexiCrown CNC crowning system is a segmented solution that allows the operator to make local corrections when bending long parts from thicker material.
Tooling is also a weighty problem for job shops and fabricators. Ursviken’s revolving tool changer supports fast tool changes for up to four different punch diameters. Cylinders lift and lower the pivot shaft where the tool tips are mounted, while the motor rotates the shaft . Tool selection is made from the control panel and the system automatically changes to the right tool. “The punch tip rotator allows companies to make parts just in time,” Sims noted.
Ursviken’s Variable Die Tool (VDT) technology helps operators changing large tooling manually to recoup lost production time. Able to withstand high loads, the VDT combines accurate bends with the ability to make fast changes to bend radius. V-openings can be adjusted from the CNC control panel in seconds.
“Because we are air bending, accuracy is very important,” Sims says.
A growing customer base for production of crane booms prompted Ursviken to develop FlexiCrown CNC crowning. A crane boom is a long, telescopic arm built from steel and used to lift and transport heavy objects. It can be extended or retracted to change the crane’s reach. Booms can reach from 50 ft . to 300 ft .
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
FlexiCrown allows manufacturers to form long bent parts from thicker, harder plate. It can correct the natural deflection of the upper and lower tools and compensate for local thickness deviations in the sheet metal as well as uneven wear on tooling. The crowning wedge is divided into segments that can be independently positioned without interference from other segments. Adjustments are spaced at 24-in. intervals to provide precision. High-strength cast iron is used to produce wearresistant wedges. If the part is a reoccurring product, corrections can be saved on the FlexiCrown unit and automatically applied.
“We are good at listening to our customers,” says Sims. “If they have a challenge, we come up with a solution. Most OEMs don’t want to get into one-off solutions, but we’ve made it our trademark. And we’ve heavily invested in our engineering department to help support those objectives.”
When it comes to building these press brake giants, there is “no secret sauce. It’s hard work, knowledge, field experience and working closely with the customer every step of the way,” Sims adds. “When it comes to very large press brakes, we’ve got the market cornered.”
Ursviken Inc., 847/214-8700, http://ursviken.com/
