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The central control element of the new pipe bending machine is the compact Power Panel 320, which handles the calculation of complex algorithms for controlling movements.

With a cycle time of 200 µs, the X20 CPUs enable extremely fast processes with the highest level of precision.

Today, the market requires flexible machine concepts in addition to more and more productive and precise machines. Scalable hardware is a crucial feature in order to meet these increased requirements. In addition, time-to-market is also reduced through the use of an integrated software tool, which provides a decisive competitive edge.

Since 2003, the development and production of economical bending machines has been the core business of the Indian machine manufacturer Naveen Hydrocontrols Pvt. Ltd. At the headquarters in Pune, over 50 qualified employees implement customer-specific solutions and generate an annual sales volume of approximately 60 million INR. In addition to servo-hydraulic CNC pipe, square, rod, angle and wire bending machines, the broad product line also includes reliable solutions for the production of various metal profiles.

Integrated technologies from a single source

The long development times and poor economic efficiency of the previous solutions caused Naveen Hydrocontrols to make fundamental changes to its supply strategy. Purchasing various machine components from a large number of different suppliers made it practically impossible to implement cost-efficient bending machines within the short times required. A technology partner that provided expert support for the machines over the entire product life cycle was needed.

The Indian machine manufacturer decided to use high-performance B&R components because of the comprehensive line of modern automation devices offered as well as the expert support provided when developing the concept and implementing the solution. Using scalable hardware, all machines can be optimally adapted to the customer's specific needs. Annoying interfaces are a thing of the past when using Automation Studio as the programming tool. In addition, the uniform automation platform greatly reduces development times and significantly decreases maintenance costs.

Precise movement control

The task of converting YBC coordinates to machine coordinates on the pipe bending machine was handled effectively using a high-performance Power Panel 320. The visualization device is also capable of calculating complex algorithms in addition to the standard task of handling process visualization. Also, the machine operator profits from simple and intuitive input of all necessary process parameters.

The special challenge of synchronizing the movements of the trolley (push axis) and bending tool was able to be mastered in a very short time using ACOPOS servo drives. With an X20 controller, the cycle time was able to be clearly reduced. The result was a machine solution that meets the customer's high demands regarding precision and productivity. Depending on the requirements, the machine can be operated in different modes - manual, semi-automatic and fully-automatic.