#pressbraketooling

Press brake tooling we made for JFY (member of TRUMPF)

Every press brake operator has encountered problems associated with galling. This is when small particles of sheet material or milling scale stick to bottom tools. Galling, which is also referred to as build-up, has a massive impact on bottom tools and sheet materials, which has a massive impact on productivity! 

Fox Machinery partnered with WILA Tooling to bring you a few solutions from the tooling experts. 

Here are five ways to prevent galling:

1 - MANUAL CLEANING

The first and most obvious method: regularly clean tools using cleaners such as Scotch-Brite. Although very effective, this approach is labor intensive and reduces overall productivity. And, of course, that’s what you want to avoid.

2 - OIL & TEFLON SPRAY

Galling can be prevented by applying oil or Teflon spray to the sheet material. Whatever you apply also needs to be removed resulting in additional time to clean the sheet material.

3 - FILM AND CLOTH

Sheet material often features a white/blue film that protects it during the entire process. However, the downside is that it only allows you to work with large entry radii,otherwise you will damage the sheet material. This damage can be prevented by placing a cloth between the tools and the sheet material. Unfortunately, this cloth is not fixed in place and can easily slide off the tool decreasing efficiency and productivity.

4 - MODIFY YOUR TOOLS

You could also decide to implement another type of V-groove. Tools with large entry radii result in a thinner scribe mark, which means plate material is more likely to unwind than slide (‘scraping’). This helps to reduce galling.

5 - USE A COATING

The most efficient and effective approach to avoid galling, when using galvanized sheet material, involves placing a coating on bottom tools., such as WILA’s OZUZN coating.

WILA’S ADVICE: