bending stainless

[yarpap]

need to bend some 1.5mm 304 stainless and my old Edwards folder doesnt like it,this needs to be a neat fold 500mm wide,and its for a new customer.I cant afford to gear up at the mo, I need to do (lots) of these as part of a job lot of tanks we have been asked to build.
suggestions on a postcard please
Dave

 

[madkayaker]

heat it first?

 

[gordon stephenson]

Sub it out, Have you got someone that could do the bends bend near by,worth spending a few pennies if it is an important job,

 

[yarpap]

thought about subbing but we are to be held to a tight margin, there could be 50 off double skinned tanks so its worth getting a way of doing ourselfs if that makes sense.I need to go and see the customer before putting in a firm price ,its the old problem of have to make a profit but have to be competative

 

[hotrodder]

How is your Edwards expressing it's dislike? Which model/what capacity is it? Are we talking about a wavy/wonky bend due to wonky fingers or something else that could be down to machine capacity or set up?

Have you adjusted the apron (bending leaf) and/or set back for the material thickness?

 

[mike os]

if you cant fold it or buy the machinary to do so.... sub it, its the only way you will get a decent job

 

[yarpap]

Hotrodder..not to sure about the model of my edwards ,the bends it does in stainless are not as sharp in the middle if that makes sense,Ive thought about trying to beef it up a bit.
also looks like the sheet slips in the clamp rather than being held and bent.
difficult to describe!
Mike I am going to see the customer and get the necessary info before looking at possibly subbing the work out..would still like to sort the folder or make / find something capable of neat reliable folds in stainless

 

[gavuk]

The old Edwards box and pan i used to use had all the adjustments Hotrodder mentioned and you could increase the clamp pressure for different thickness's...get some pics up maybe your folder can be adjusted or modified to suit ...we used to hand fold 7ft long by 1.6mm stainless by hand ,2 of us if we were lucky

 

[hotrodder]

As Gav said there'll probably be a way of adjusting the clamping pressure. Huge amount of variety with the different machines, larger ones typically have trussed beams which if messed with can produce crowned bends... intentionally or otherwise. Smaller machines typically loose 'crispness' in the middle of the bend when pushed too far as the clamping beam deflects

Vid showing typical adjustments, nothing indepth but straightness/crown adjustment mentioned at around 2.30... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X938VWFwkk