How Automation Improved a Repetitive Four-Side Bending Process
Cycle time is one of the most important indicators when evaluating sheet metal production efficiency.
In one KLD automation project, a manufacturer was producing 1,200 mm square perforated panels requiring four-side bending.
The original manual process recorded cycle times between 120 and 132 seconds per part.
After automation, the cycle time was reduced to approximately 66 seconds per part.
Manual Production
The original process involved two operators.
One operator handled the material between the raw material area and bending machine, while another operator handled the finished parts.
The first ten recorded pieces showed the following cycle times:
121, 120, 123, 121, 125, 125, 128, 130, 131 and 132 seconds.
The average was approximately:
126 seconds per part
This relatively long cycle was influenced not only by bending itself, but also by repeated manual handling and positioning.
Automated Production
KLD integrated automated loading, positioning, robotic handling and CNC bending into one production cell.
After the first automated piece, the system reached a stable cycle time of approximately:
66 seconds per part
This means the bending cycle was reduced by approximately:
48%
The improvement came from optimizing the complete process rather than simply increasing the speed of the press brake.
Why Cycle Time Matters
A reduction from 126 to 66 seconds may appear simple, but the impact becomes much larger when multiplied across thousands of parts.
At an 8-hour production schedule, the customer’s recorded output increased from less than 200 pieces manually to approximately 435 pieces with automation.
This represents more than double the recorded 8-hour output.
For repetitive production, even a relatively small reduction in cycle time can therefore have a significant effect on annual capacity.
What Created the Improvement?
The automated cell reduced several manual steps:
- Manual positioning
- Repeated workpiece movement
- Manual rotation
- Operator coordination between bending steps
- Transfer between processes
The result was a more continuous production flow.
The Key Takeaway
When evaluating automation, manufacturers should not look only at the rated speed of the press brake.
A better approach is to calculate the complete production cycle:
Loading → Positioning → Bending → Handling → Unloading
Reducing non-value-added handling can be just as important as increasing machine speed.
KLD approaches automation projects from this process perspective, designing the bending cell around the customer’s actual production requirements.