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A Brief Description of the Process Used for Kansas Sheet Metal Bending

Oostas • April 14, 2020

Processes that are used to form sheet-metal involve applying force to the point where the geometry of the metal is modified but no material is removed. The goal is to stress the metal in order to reach its desired shape without taking it to the point that it fails. Sheet-metal can be stretched or bent into many complex shapes. Some of the processes for forming sheet-metal include roll forming, spinning, stretch forming, and bending.

Sheet metal bending is typically performed using a press brake. This machine can be operated automatically or manually. Some refer to the process as press brake forming. When bending metal using a press brake, a sheet of metal will be placed above the die. It is held in place using a back gauge. A punch will lower and force the metal to bend into the desired shape.

In order to keep costs at a minimum for low volume sheet metal bending production, standard tooling may be used for the punch and die. Custom tooling may be used for special projects, but this will add to the cost. The material that is used for tooling will depend on the sheet-metal material, the degree of bending, and the production quantity. When harder sheet-metal is used and severe bends are needed, a stronger tool will be required. Common tooling materials include low carbon steel, hardwood, and carbide steel.

Learn about the broad range of manufacturing and assembly capabilities, including fabrication, machining, and electronics, offered by Vista Manufacturing by visiting their website at www.vista-mfg.com.

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What are CNC Machining Services?

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Want to know what CNC machining services are? Also known as CNC machining, computer numerically controlled machining refers to a manufacturing process where pre-programmed computer software tells the machinery and factory tools how to move and operate. This type of machining is a commonly used manufacturing process that uses high-speed and automated cutting tools to create designs with metal or plastic stock material. These widely used CNC machines include three-axis, four-axis, and five-axis milling machines, lathes, and routers. The machines might differ in terms of how the parts are cut. For example, the workpiece could stay in place while the tool moves, the tool could stay in place while the workpiece is rotated and moved, or both the workpiece and the cutting tool could move together in unison. Skilled machinists typically operate CNC machines by programming the tool paths based on the geometry of the final part or piece. The computer-aided design model, or CAD model, provides the part geometry information. CNC machines can cut nearly any metal alloy and rigid plastic with repeatability and high precision, which makes CNC machined parts suitable for almost any industry, including industrial, electronics, robotics, medical, and aerospace. You will see increased production speeds, improved accuracy, enhanced safety, improved efficiency, and cost savings with CNC machining services. The advantages of CNC machining services include:  CNC machines are very safe for machine operators. Using CNC machining services is also much safer for the operators of the machinery than manually operated machines. They usually work behind a guard or even a closed or transparent safety door. CNC machining services are more cost-effective than manual machines. CNC machining services are also much more cost-effective than manually operated machines. Manual machining services usually require at least one operator per machine. CNC machining requires fewer machine operators since one skilled operator is able to run multiple machines at the same time. The accuracy of the CNC machine leads to consistent product quality. The CNC machine process is more accurate than manual machining services, which means that it can be repeated in exactly the same way over and over again, leading to consistent product quality. Increased efficiency and production speed with CNC machining services. Computers are used to control the CNC machines, so the process is highly automated, which improves the quality and speed of the manufacturing process. These machines don’t get tired or need breaks, which makes them much more efficient than manual machining services.

Customer Electronics Solutions Case Study

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At Vista Manufacturing we constantly search for ways to help our customers find solutions to old, new, and emerging problems. For example, we observe that our customer’s products use may change or expand; new capabilities become desirable; the original design has obsolete components.  In the following case study, Vista makes a Control Circuit Board that supplies warnings triggered by a much larger piece of equipment, by way of lights and a buzzer. Vista first addressed an issue of expanding capabilities. When the customer requested us to utilize a strobe light in place of the warning buzzer, we easily accomplished this by modifying the board to accept the current buzzer or a terminal that a strobe could be connected to. In this way we ended up with 2 different boards that could be produced utilizing the same bare board to hold costs down. As time went on, more capabilities were added and many components become obsolete, but without sufficient replacements. The board became more difficult and expensive to make. So, Vista advised the customer to create a new solution. A new, updated board could handle all the added capabilities and update to new components, resulting in a cost savings with no obsolete parts for the foreseeable future. Vista’s solution, a completely new design, updated old components while adding several key improvements: The screw terminals were replaced with low profile cage clap style connectors to speed up assembly and add reliability to the connection by eliminating the chance of a screw terminal coming loose. Next, we added terminals for extra LEDs and a terminal which allowed our customer to connect a strobe light or utilize the onboard buzzer. Finally, Since the metal housing that our customer mounts this board in is made right here at Vista, Electronics and Metal Fabrication departments worked seamlessly to devise a more reliable mounting solution for this board. This is a KEY BENEFIT that separates Vista Manufacturing from our competitors! In the end, the new product met the needs of the customer, added more features and flexibility, AND lowered the both the initial and future costs!
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