Need Help!- die forming a metal box?

[andrew888]

Hello All:

I want to die form a 16ga. mild steel sheet metal box 6" x 6" x 1".

I have a hydraulic bending brake. I want to build a hydraulic die forming press to do the bending all at once. The die is used to fold the sides.

A hydraulic bottle jack will power the press. What size bottle jack I need, 20, 30, 50 ton?

Best regards,

Andrew

[andrew888]

Hello All:

Maybe a deep drawing die will work. I want to do polygonal metal boxes with 1" depth sides

as well as square. I am new to die forming but I learn easy. I waiting for help.

Thank you for future help,

Andrew

[andrew888]

Hello All:

Still talking to myself I found out how to bend one side with a bending die which is what I have already. Can I make polygonal boxes all at once.

Thank you,

Andrew

[holbieone]

how many box's are you making?

sounds to me you already have a press brake

you will need to make fingers the size of the inside of the box sides

and set up stations on your press

i don't think bending all four sides will work the way you want it to

you wont be able to over bend the side, they will spring back slightly

[andrew888]

Hello holbieone and all:

Now I can talk to someone real.

100's of boxes square, pentagonal hexagonal, etc. You say "will spring back

slightly", and I know that you are correct.

How do manufacturer make metal boxes?

Being a newbie what are stations? If this process is fast I will go that way.

Thank you the dialogue, any help will be appreciated,

Andrew

[chan luci]

bend 2 L shaped plate and spot weld all unwelded sides. If you want in one go, use what is called as goose neck or swan neck die.Put the word in Google and you'll get hoards of pictures. Still you want the boxes to be made and sent, can contact me

[andrew888]

Chan Luci and All:

Could you send pics of L plate and their arrangement. I have googled the

gooseneck dies. I need to see the process of making the boxes all at once

using the above arrangement. This is diy appropriate technology. In other

words I don't have much money. Ingenuity and little help from my friends like

you.

Thank you,

Andrew

[PhoenixMetal]

I'm bascially in the business of making metal boxes. Unless you need rediculously large quantities (and if you do, a bottle jack powered press isn't the thing to do it with), the way to go with with segmented tooling (normal V press brake tooling) on a press brake. This will be done in 4 hits.

Basically, you need a small segment of a top punch that is just under 6" long. You need to create a backgauge that positions the workpiece so that the flange ends up at 1" high.

If you don't have a 6" segment, consider taking an old longer piece of press brake tooling, and cut a segment off of it. You can buy used tooling on ebay and cut it to the length you need.

If your press is a shop press (bottle jack type) and not a press brake, consider making a die holder in it to hold normal press brake tooling.

This method is much faster and requires much less upfront costs than deep drawing, or making a die to bend all 4 sides simultaneously.