In order to improve its mechanical properties, tools need to undergo heat treatment such as quenching and hardening.

Quenching:

This is a type of heat treatment that includes heating and subsequent cooling of the steel to reduce internal stress in the material. During the heating process, martensite is generated, which has a very hard structure and high ultimate tensile strength, but low resilience.

Therefore, the material is prone to cracking; To avoid this issue, the steel is then tempered through controlled cooling. The cooling rate during tempering has a significant impact on the residual stress of the steel. The slower the cooling rate, the weaker the residual stress.

The steel grade that can undergo this treatment contains 0.4-0.6% carbon, hence it is called quenched and tempered steel.

Hardening:

The purpose of this treatment is to increase the hardness of the material, which includes heating the steel to a certain temperature and then rapid cooling.

The commonly used method for measuring tool hardness is the Rockwell hardness test, which is performed using a conical (HRC) or spherical (HRB) indenter.

It involves gradually increasing the load on the instrument. The hardness is determined by the depth of penetration of the indenter into the workpiece.

Induction hardening:

This is the most common heat treatment for press brake machine tools, but as it is a surface treatment, it only affects the outer layer of the tool.

This quenching utilizes the principle of electromagnetic induction: a conductive material (coil) is placed in a strong alternating magnetic field, the tool is heated to a high temperature, and then rapidly cooled by a flow of coolant.

Induction quenching can form a very hard surface with wear resistance and fatigue resistance, without affecting the toughness of the core.

Core hardening:

Some press brake machine tool manufacturers use core hardening to achieve consistent hardness throughout the tool, while the surface hardness value is low, and the surface is usually subject to wear.

Length and precision

 

In the past, press brake machine tools were produced as single pieces, and their length was the same as that of the press brake machine or the profile to be bent. These steel tools are planed because hardening and grinding can cause them to deform due to their length. Due to the inability of the cutting tool to process, its accuracy is quite low, approximately 0.1 millimeters per meter.

With the emergence of new technologies, the accuracy of press brake machine tools has significantly improved. Today's tools are parts that are produced, hardened, and machined, ensuring higher accuracy (0.0 millimeters per pallet) and better mechanical performance than before. The length of the press brake machine tool varies depending on the type, for example, the Shinite tool has a length of 835mm.

The segmentation tool has several advantages: standard modular length, so that operators can purchase tools to form the required total length;

Easy to operate, saving time when installing the press brake machine;

Save costs because only worn or damaged parts of the tool need to be replaced, rather than the entire length;

The machine can be set up using different workstations and installation tools with different profiles that are used in sequence.

It is important that the tool dimensions are correct and can be fully interchangeable and aligned to utilize modern press brake machines and ensure high-quality press brake and repeatability.

Thanks to the surface finish generated by grinding machines, modern press brake machine tools can produce molds with radii in V-shaped molds and punch tips.

This allows for uniform press brake without marking the metal sheet and understanding the exact contact points between the tool and the metal sheet. This is important information for the CNC system of the press to automatically set press brake parameters to achieve maximum repeatability.

The cost of press brake molds usually depends on various factors, such as market conditions, customer psychology, competition, and manufacturer's situation.

The press brake mold manufacturer will conduct a comprehensive analysis of these factors to determine the cost of their punch and mold.

They may start with a base price that will increase by 10-30% to consider valuation, but this quotation can be negotiated and reduced based on specific circumstances. The final price shall be agreed upon by both parties and outlined in the contract.

It should be noted that the mold price may be higher or lower than the initial estimate, which only estimates the basic production cost and does not consider additional costs or profits.

It should be noted that the initial quotation for the press brake mold is not the final price, but only serves as an estimate of development costs.

After the product development is successful and profits are generated, the additional value of the mold fee is extracted as compensation to form the final mold price.

This price may be higher than the original estimate, and the return rate is also high, ranging from tens to hundreds of times the normal mold price. However, the return rate may also be zero.

For manufacturers, it is important to prioritize the quality, accuracy, and service life of press brake molds over cost. Pursuing low prices should not compromise the quality of high-tech products.

It is worth noting that due to factors such as equipment technology, personnel concepts, and consumption levels, mold valuation and prices vary among different enterprises, regions, and countries.

In more developed regions or larger and technologically advanced enterprises, the focus may be on high quality and high prices, while in regions with lower consumption levels or smaller enterprises, mold prices are expected to be lower.

It is also worth mentioning that mold prices will change over time, and the direct impact of mold prices may be poor.

Different time requirements and manufacturing cycles result in different mold prices. A pair of molds at different times have different prices, and molds with different manufacturing cycles have different prices.