Keetona Hydroform

[smashweld]

Have found one of these going for a reasonable price...few questions if anyone could help

All I have is a pic that I can see Hydroform written on the machine and been told it's 8ft wide......

are they generally reliable...need regular service/maintenance?

would it be too rough for folding 1.5 and 2mm alu sheet?

I don't have 3 phase but see you can get single to three phase inverters/converters, would they be fine?



cheers

 

[500e]

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/keetona-hydroform.34159/

Expect it is a huf 100"

 

[Hitch]

They are okay to be honest, not really rough, but take some getting used to.
I seem to recall you had a set of shims you could put in to adjust for pinching the thickness of sheet somehow, then a second sliding limit switch to limit the bend angle.
Perhaps not as accurate as an upstroking pressbrake, but workable.

I seem to recall the way the bottom dies open out, you can bend polished sheet with minimal marking, as it doesn't drag the way air bending with standard tooling does.

Some are modified with electrics to set bend angle, then ran using a foot pedal....
Can you ask for a demo?

 

[smashweld]

Yeah....said he could let me see it working, not sure what to look for though

Do you control the clamp pressure each time it's let down or is it just on or off?

 

[smashweld]

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/keetona-hydroform.34159/

Expect it is a huf 100"

Yup.. looks like that anyway

 

[Hitch]

Its a limit switch, and a bar- the gap between the limit switch and bar is equal to the gap between the top blade and the bottom dies. If you re bending 2mm, you use a 2mm shim in there so it pinches down to 2mm.... i think it can probably be fine tuned.

 

[smashweld]

ahh right I see, cheers....wonder if something like this would work for the power https://www.acdcdrives.co.uk/415-Fr...-X9jXetvAACtr_0vhW8kQoIrJe027_yoaAkZ2EALw_wcB

also just found this...exactly how to use it!

I thought it worked differently tbh...thought the top bit came down was just a clamp and the front folded up like a manual folder...

 

[smashweld]

Trying to figure out what would be needed to run it from a single phase supply.

Are there 2 seperate motors or just one for the hydraullic pump that does everything?

http://www.drivesdirect.co.uk/how_to_choose.htm


http://www.framersequipment.co.uk/transwave_converters.htm

 

[smashweld]

Just updating ths for future reference

Got a reply from a company that makes phase converters. They said it would need to be a rotary converter for hydraulic pump motors as the static ones only start the motor then run on single phase...not enough HP for the pump motor...£1400+vat for the rotary converter, more than they're asking for the folder...

looking in to the possibility of building a rotary converter..

 

[500e]

If you dont buy SW could be interested where is it /

 

[smashweld]

Edinburgh mate...as long as it works I think I'll be buying it....if the price on the ebay listings etc I've looked at are right its a bit of a bargain...

Do you know much about them?
Like how easy it is to get spares
Looks like the makers are now a caravan park storage business!

http://www.keetonsbusinesspark.co.uk

 

[500e]

No Not a lot more than you but expect it could be fettle'd with a bit of thought but a long way for me in SW we run a biggish jenny for 3 Phase

 

[smashweld]

what's SW?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

what's SW?

South West?

 

[smashweld]

Went to see it today...its 2mm/14 swg capacity, assumed it'd be 3mm.
Couldn't get in to the motor without tools (thought there's be a hatch) but is it safe to assume it would use the same size motors as the 3mm capacity ones?
Found a few 3mm ones and a 125' wide 2mm on bidspotter etc listed as 5.5kw motors so assuming they all use the same?