If you’re in the business of manufacturing, press brakes are likely to be crucial to your operation. Ensuring your press brakes are kept in optimum condition is pivotal in ensuring production continues without a hitch. If you put good maintenance and upkeep on the backburner, the results can be potentially catastrophic to your business. Ensure your press brakes sees out its shelf life, and prevent unscheduled downtime and costly work stoppages by instilling best practice maintenance and inspection measures within your business.

A Guide to Good Press Brake Maintenance

When it comes to press brake maintenance, cleanliness is key. You’ll want a dedicated cleaning schedule to ensure machines are kept free of oil, grime and dirty as regularly as possible. Pay special attention to components like die tables, and make sure slides are oiled and greased at least once a week. You’ll also want to make sure your filters are replaced at least once every 12 months to ensure smooth running of your press brakes. Mechanical failure is a recurrent problem when it comes to press brakes, so make sure each individual part is working as it should be. For moving parts, check to see if things are operating as they should be. You’ll also want to ensure screws and bolts are thoroughly tightened so housing and structure isn’t compromised.

Press Brake Maintenance: Best Practice

For smaller businesses with less manpower and busier workloads, finding the time for press brake maintenance can be a challenge. However, if you’re serious about preserving your equipment and machinery, you’ll need to establish a firm and thorough approach to inspection and maintenance. First and foremost, make sure you’re conducting visual inspections of your machines as regularly as possible. A quick scan of the eye can detect tell-tale signs of significant problems. Basic overview inspections should become a part of your daily routine, no matter what the size of your business. Ensuring smooth-running of the hydraulic circuit is another cornerstone of best practice maintenance. Keeping the oil you’re using clean, and ensuring optimum levels of oil are provided are crucial. Connections and components like hoses and lines are prone to wear and tear. Be sure to inspect these at least once a year, and be sure to replace as soon as you see issues that might compromise the overall integrity of your system. Electrical examinations need to be carried out at least once annually. Check manufacturer recommendations for temperatures and other settings, and always ensure any disassembly and reassembly of electrical connections is carried out with precision and in a sterile environment, reducing the chance of contamination.

Preventative Measures

There’s no better way to keep your press brake in tip-top condition than preventative maintenance. Whenever possible, consider drafting in a third party to carry out preventative maintenance inspections for you to compensate for any shortcomings in your own quality control. They’ll be able to advise on the best oil and electrical maintenance levels, giving your own personnel indispensable advice and further guidance on ensuring everything is working as it should be. Using an outside agency to carry out this work will also encourage you to take the necessary steps required to resolve problems as soon as they arise. It might seem like an investment at first, but it’s a small price to part with to offset catastrophic failure and the high cost of recovery down the line.