Real Production Case | Four-Side Panel Bending

A manufacturer producing large perforated sheet metal panels was looking for a more efficient way to handle repetitive four-side bending.

The workpiece measured approximately 1,200 × 1,200 mm and required four bending operations.

The original process relied heavily on manual handling and required two operators. KLD developed an automated robotic bending cell to improve the production flow and reduce repetitive manual operations.

The Production Challenge

The original bending process required operators to move the sheet from the raw material area to the bending machine, manually position the workpiece, complete the four bends, and transfer the finished panel.

Because the workpiece was relatively large, material handling represented a significant part of the production cycle.

Recorded manual cycle times for the first ten pieces ranged from 120 to 132 seconds per part, averaging approximately 126 seconds.

The customer also wanted to increase production capacity without simply adding more operators.

The KLD Solution

KLD integrated a CNC press brake with an automated handling and positioning system.

The robotic bending cell included:

• CNC press brake
• Industrial robot
• Automatic positioning mechanism
• Automatic loading structure
• Extendable gripping system
• Safety guarding

The system coordinates material positioning and bending operations automatically, reducing the need for manual repositioning during production.

Production Results

After automation, the recorded cycle time reached approximately:

66 seconds per part

Compared with the approximately 126-second average manual cycle, this represents a cycle-time reduction of about 48%.

Based on the customer's production records:

The automated process also provides the possibility of extended production with significantly less continuous manual intervention.

The Key Takeaway

This project demonstrates that robotic bending is not simply about adding a robot to a press brake.

The real improvement comes from integrating:

Handling + Positioning + Bending + Workflow

For repetitive sheet metal panels, this approach can improve throughput while reducing repetitive operator involvement.

KLD Machinery develops robotic bending cells around actual production requirements, including part size, bending sequence, cycle time, and material handling.