Flux Reference Manual

  • Welcome to Flux
  • Introduction
    • Installing the Software
    • The User Interface
    • Part Workflow
    • The Machine Database
  • Cut
    • Basic Workflows
      • Part Workflow
        • Load Part
        • Sketch Mode
        • Measure
        • Modifying Laser Part
        • Nesting
        • Sequence Navigator
        • NC Code Generation
      • Job workflow
        • Create Job
        • Set Laser Technology Table (LTT)
        • Nesting
        • Automatic Part Placement
        • Manual Part Placement
    • Advanced Topics
      • Geometry Import Options
      • Advanced Tooling Options
        • Editing Microjoints
        • TwinLine
        • FlyLine
        • Dimple Approach
        • Remainder Sheets
        • Pie-Slug Circular Holes
        • Avoid Retooling Pierces
        • Finishing Rules
        • Clone LTT
      • Advanced Nesting Features
        • Mirrored Parts
        • Find a Part in Nest Layout
        • Filler parts in Nest Layout
      • Advanced Tooling Optimization
        • Contour Quality
        • Optimizing Stability with Scrap Cutting
        • Optimizing Tilting Behaviour
        • Space Out Slice Cuts to Avoid Collision
        • Minimize Number of Different Layouts
        • Dynamic Level Setting
      • Advanced Menu Options
        • Context Sensitive Menus
        • Hierarchy of Settings
        • Multi-Selections
        • CSV Output
      • Manual Sheet Slicing Cuts
      • Text on Parts
    • Application Settings
      • Cut CAM
        • Layout
          • Nest Settings
          • Sheet
          • Sheet Handling
          • Skeleton Cuts
          • Work Support
        • Laser CAM
          • Sequence
      • Cut Outputs
      • Cut View
  • Bend
    • Basic Steps of Flux Bend
    • Basic Workflow
      • The Main Panel
      • The Workflow Panel
      • Batch processing
      • Modifying the Geometry
      • The Bend Navigator
      • Editing the Bend Solution
        • Editing a Bend
        • Changing the Bending Sequence
        • Editing a Tool Mount
        • Editing a Bend Setup
        • Editing the Back-Gauges
        • Angle Measurement
        • Using a Pre-Bend
        • Editing multiple mounts
        • Adding a Tooling station
      • Recomputing the Bend Solution
      • Generating Bend Outputs
      • Export Bend Report
    • Design of bend parts
      • Min Radius and Flange Length
      • Corner Design
      • Bending Tolerances
      • Selection of Tools
    • Advanced Workflow
      • Preparation of Bend Parts
        • Preparing a 2D drawing
        • Editing a Drawing
        • Add Bending Information as Text to DXF
        • Measuring and changing Outer Dimension
        • Preparing 3D models
        • Preparing an Assembly
        • Component Detection
        • Form Detection
      • Edit Tools
        • Changing Tool Map
        • Change Tool Segmentation
        • Editing Tool-mount Segments
        • Adding a Gap into the Tool
        • Use a Double-V Adapter
        • Tool Priority
        • Creating a Tool
      • Using Bend Deductions
      • Control Visibility
      • Comment Section in Bend Panel
      • Tools/Machine Tonnage Check
    • Settings
      • Application Settings
        • Bend CAM
          • Bend Outputs
          • Bend View
          • Bend Cell
      • Database Settings
        • Materials
        • Machines
        • Bend Tools
        • Bend Deductions
        • Bend grippers
        • Forms/Components
      • Bend Settings
      • Machine Defaults
  • Robotic Bending
    • Overview of Robotic Bending
    • Basic Steps of Robotic Bending
    • Workflow
      • Part Pickup
        • Pickup from a Pallet
        • Pickup from a Dispenser
      • Insertion Strategy
      • Bending Strategy
      • Regripping (RG) Stations
        • Re-Grip Stations
        • Methods of Regripping
        • Adding ReGrip
        • Modify ReGrip Position
        • Remove ReGripping
        • Regrip with a Jaw Gripper
        • Gripper Panel & Suction Panel
      • Extraction Strategy
      • Part Deposit
        • Adapt Part Deposit
        • Adding Parts & Stacks
          • Deposit Panel
          • Add Separator Sheets
          • Lock Part-Rest
          • Repeat Grid Field
          • Deposit Sequence
        • Deposit Pattern Types
      • Waypoints
        • Adapt WayPoints
        • Display Waypoints
        • Simulate Waypoints
        • Modify WayPoints
        • Properties of Waypoints
    • Advanced Topics
      • Cell Configuration
        • Track Setup
        • Gripper Inventory
        • BendCell settings
      • Gripper Configuration
        • Create/ Edit a Gripper
        • Import Gripper from DXF
    • Troubleshooting Bend Errors
      • Part Pickup Error
      • Collisions with Machine
      • Overtravel of Axis
      • Modifications of Waypoints
      • Collisions while Insertion and Extraction
  • Fold
    • Switching to Fold CAM
    • The Fold View
    • Editing Operations
      • Editing a Bend-Op
      • Editing a Side/Section
      • Changing the Sequence
      • Editing the Blank-holders
      • Editing the Gauging
      • Editing the Blades
      • Editing the Loading
      • Editing the Unloading
    • Tool Management
    • Fold CAM Summary
  • Generic Application Settings
    • Drawing
      • Layers
      • Dimensions
      • View
    • Environment
    • Import/Export
  • Flux Reports
    • Report Designer
    • Fields, Pictures and Tables
    • Bands (sub-reports)
    • Labels, Bitmaps and Shapes
  • Appendix
    • Supported 3D Formats
    • Separator Sheet DXF
Bend
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Basic Workflow
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Editing the Bend Solution
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Editing the Back-Gauges

Editing the Back-Gauges

The back-gauge positions for each bend can be adjusted by just clicking on the back-gauge - this opens the Gauge panel, which is shown alongside.

The Gauge Panel

Gauge Panel
  • Use the Gauge selector to select the gauge you want to edit (you can also just click on the gauge, and the panel is displayed to edit that gauge.

  • The Z, X and R inputs are used to adjust the position of the gauges in three dimensions. For most press-brakes, the axes are as indicated in the image below:[1]

Gauge direction
  • The Surface selector is used to engage a different surface of the gauging finger to the part. The set of surfaces available depends on the machine, and not all surfaces may be applicable for all bends (Flux Bend will inform you when a particular surface cannot be used). The image below shows different surfaces being used:

Gauge Panel-2
  • The Retract setting is used to set the gauge-retraction distance before bending. For some bends, the gauge has to be retracted (in the +X direction) by some distance after the part is pinched by the punch, but before it is bent (to avoid a collision). This setting is used to control the retraction distance. When you are editing this, Flux Bend actually retracts the gauge by the specified amount as a preview, so you can judge whether the retraction may be sufficient.

  • Use the Auto-Place button to ask Flux Bend to compute a position automatically for the specified gauge. In general, Flux Bend will have multiple gauging possibilities, and repeatedly clicking the Auto-Place button will cycle through those possibilities. To revert back to the default, close the gauge panel, click on the gauge again, and then click Auto-Place - the first position then selected is the default (that would also be the result of the original auto-sequencing and tooling).

  • Use the Flip Part button to insert the other side of the part into the machine and compute gauging afresh. This is similar to the Flip Part button in the bend panel.

Editing Gauging for Multiple Bends

It is possible to edit the gauge positions for multiple bends at the same time. To do this, first select multiple bends by Shift+Click on the bend numbers in the bend navigator. Then, click on a gauge. The image alongside shows the gauge positions for bends 1, 2 and 4 being edited together:

Gauge Panel-3

In this example, the bends all use the same Z position for the gauge, and editing this position will adjust the Z position for all the gauges. The X and R position values are blank, since they are different for each bend. You can, however, type in an X or R value and it will be applied for all bends.

In general, you will rarely need to use this functionality. The gauge panel is aware of the limitations of a particular press-brake and will enforce all constraints required. For example, the R positions of the two gauges must be the same for some machines (they do not have independent R1 and R2 axes) - Flux Bend will ensure that when you edit the R position for one gauge, the other one is also adjusted immediately to track.

For some machines with 2-axes gauging systems, the Z positions of the gauges are set manually, and are not typically changing from bend to bend (since that would involve the operator having to manually adjust the gauges after each bend). For such machines, when Z position is set for one bend, it is set to the same for all bends. The collision status, gauge-engaged status etc are computed for all bends immediately, so it is very easy to find common Z1 and Z2 positions that may be acceptable for all bends.

Dragging Gauges

Though the exact gauging positions can be set by typing in Z, X and R values, it is often more simple to position the gauges just by dragging them into contact with the part.

  • Click once to select the gauge you want to drag.

  • Click on the selected gauge and drag to position it. Depending on the viewpoint, the gauge is dragged along either a horizontal or vertical plane.

Typically, you start with the gauge away from the part, and drag it towards the part until it touches. You can continue dragging further (pushing the gauge into the part), and a wireframe will continue moving, but the actual gauge stops when it touches the part.

Drag Gauge

The image above shows this in operation - we start dragging the gauge towards the sheet in the direction indicated by the arrow. As soon as the gauge touches the sheet, it stops, and just a wireframe representation continues moving (to show you where you are attempting to drag the gauge). This makes it easy to position the gauge so it is just touching the part without any gaps, and without any collisions.

In this image above, we are looking at the gauge from a viewpoint that is close to top down. So, the gauge moves in the XZ plane, and the R value of the gauge is kept constant. If you rotate the view to a more end on view, the gauge will move in the XR plane, and the Z value will be constant.

Clamp-Snaps while Dragging

By dragging the gauge, it is easy to precisely position the gauges when you are using one of the Stop type surfaces. When you are using one of the Clamp type surfaces, this is more difficult, since you have to engage both surfaces of a clamping finger against the part.

Flux Bend makes this easy by providing automatic snaps when the gauge is close to a possible clamping position. To use this mechanism, first rotate the view so you are seeing the gauges from top-down. Then, drag the gauges so the corner you want to clamp fits near the aperture of the fingers:

Drag Gauge-2

The image above shows a clamping operation in progress. As we drag the gauges close to a clamping position, they snap into position at the Clamp 1 position (see image above, center). Dragging further, the gauges then snap into the Clamp 2 position (see image above, right). Note that the R value of the gauge is automatically adjusted up or down as we move to these different clamping snaps.


1. Depending on the press-brake in use, the names of these axes may be different.

Contents

  • The Gauge Panel
  • Editing Gauging for Multiple Bends
  • Dragging Gauges
  • Clamp-Snaps while Dragging
Editing a Bend Setup Angle Measurement

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