LVD makes bending automation affordable with D-Cell

Belgium-based LVD has introduced the D-Cell, its most competitively-priced robotic bending cell yet which makes robotic bending an easy choice for sheet metal-working businesses of all sizes and capacities. The system combines a 50-ton hydraulic press brake with Kuka industrial robot and LVD’s unique programming software.

With D-Cell, LVD makes bending automation an investment that is easily justified. As manufacturers look to balance costs, quality, throughput and agility, D-Cell offers the flexibility to handle production of a wide range of parts with fast throughput, in varying lot sizes, and at a minimised cost.

Versatile bending
At the heart of D-Cell is the versatile PPED press brake. A simple, cost-efficient design makes PPED practical and easy to use for a variety of bending jobs. Its rigid construction, welded one-piece frame and servo-controlled hydraulic system ensure consistent bending results. It delivers 50 tons of pressing force, has a 2,000mm working length, four-axis backgauge, and handles part sizes from
35 x 100mm up to 400 x 600mm with a part weight of up to 4kg.

D-Cell features the same powerful automatic programming software as LVD’s Dyna-Cell and
Ulti-Form robotic bending systems. Using Cadman software, D-Cell accelerates “art to part” production in 20min or less and generates the bending and robot program automatically in
10min and then takes just 10min for set-up and first part production. No robot teaching is needed, making D-Cell easy to program no matter the user’s experience level. Also simplifying its operation: The system uses one interface, one controller for both press brake and robot.

A universal gripper designed by LVD easily handles different part sizes, bends up to three flanges without re-gripping and easily moves between tool stations. Its universal application saves investment in custom grippers, reduces changeover time, and keeps production continuous.

D-Cell is a compact unit, requiring only 5,000 x 5,200mm of floor space. The cell provides four input pallets with inclined plane for different part formats, a center station and output pallets or boxes. With a high input of raw material and a high output capacity, long production runs are possible. D-Cell offers the versatility to operate in manual mode with backgauge fingers configured for both robotic and manual bending.