Galvanised mild steel bracket
Galvanised mild steel brackets to mount electrical connectors.
These brackets were CNC punched using standard CNC tooling that we had on the shelf. The holes and slots around the folded flaps were all CNC punched out first and then the complete disk was punched down a die the correct size in one hit. The punched out parts did not require any edge de-burring before a simple single bend operation on one of our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. These brackets are typical of the sheet metal work that we produce with standard CNC punch and CNC bend tooling everyday of the week for our customers.
Zintec coated mild steel brackets
Zintec coated mild steel brackets to support light fittings in an office ceiling grid.
These small plates have been CNC punched out using a custom made L shaped CNC tool to produce the U shape that can been seen in the picture. The final outer profile was also punched straight down a die using tooling that was specially made for these plates. We had to check out the cut size by cutting strips of metal and bending them up to accurately calculate the blank size needed for the CNC tooling. The part had several bends to produce the final shape and the cut size was critical.
Stainless steel mounting brackets
Stainless steel mounting brackets used to secure children’s playground equipment to posts.
When we originally started to manufacture these stainless steel mounting brackets we CNC punched them out using one of our Trumpf CNC punch presses. Once we had the laser cutting machine in place we moved the job over to that machine. The laser cutter enabled us to produce a cleaner outer edge profile straight from the machine without specific edge deburring operations. It also enabled us to squeeze a few more from each sheet which helped to offset a rise in stainless steel material price keeping the part cost the same for the customer. As a by-product it also enabled us to produce the parts without as much noise in the workshop, always a bonus when working with stainless steel. The brackets were then formed with the curved section and tight V bend on our CNC press brake machines. The final operation was to give them all a gentle tumble in our de-burring barrel to remove any sharp edges around the outer profile, slots and holes. The volumes these brackets are manufactured in are 500 to 1000 so they perfectly suit CNC laser cutting and CNC bending.