This Niagara Press Brakes blog post offers an overview of the Mechanical Power IB, L, HBM, Hydraulic HD, and Tandem Brakes including features available in each series. This can be helpful if you are looking to buy a Niagara Press Brake on the secondary market. Niagara Press brakes, controls, and backguages are no longer being manufactured, but you can still retrofit them and/or buy OEM press parts.
Do you need a Niagara Press Brake Upgrade or Retrofit?
If your Niagara Press Brake needs a retrofit, modernization, and/or a new press brake control system you should contact one of our account representatives at (781) 893-3403.
Niagara Mechanical Power Series IB and L
Capacity Range: 55-3000 tons.
Max. Length Bed & Ram: 40 Ft.
Principal Features:
- Fabricated steel, thermally stress-relieved construction.
- Double reduction gearing.
- Heat-treated, alloy steel adjusting screws with self-locking worm drive.
- Laminated, nonmetallic ways.
Niagara Series IB Press Brakes
- Clean, uncluttered, center-mounted, inboard drive with a wrap-around crown.
- Adjustable speed drive (Models IB 36 thru 901)
- Mechanically-actuated, independently mounted, friction clutch and brake. Treadle-operated.
Niagara Series L Press Brakes
- In-line construction with twin end drive.
- Two-speed transmission.
- Air-actuated, disc-type, friction clutch, and brake. Independently mounted, low inertia units never need adjustment. Foot-switch-operated.
Optional Features and Equipment:
- Hi-Lo drive, including Ram Arrest, with electric foot switch and palm button operation, provides maximum production rates with minimum operator skill, minimizes whip-up and back-bending (Models thru 600 tons).
- Press type control with palm button operation.
- Variety of conventional and deflection compensating filler blocks.
- Automatic centralized pressure type lubrication.
- Adjustable speed drive (Models 55 thru 225 tons).
- Two-speed transmission (Models 300 tons and larger).
- Load measuring and control instruments
- Variety of dies, as well as conventional and programmable gaging equipment.
Niagara Hydraulic Marathon Line Press Brakes, Series HBM
Capacity Range: 55-350 tons
Principal Features:
- Bed-referenced stroke control provides consistent repeatability within ± .0015″.
- Convenient, electromechanical stroke control.
- Series hydraulic system, inherently self-leveling.
- High strength, all-steel cylinders with multiple guided pistons.
- Cylinders interlocked to housings, providing direct frame loading and low profile.
- Precision, spherical, piston rod connection.
- Fully manifolded hydraulics.
- Self-lubricating, nonmetallic gibs.
- Multispeed operation (Normal, Rapid Advance to Normal, Rapid Advance to Anti-Backbend)
- Front-operated, micrometer type, tilt adjustment.
- Thermally stress-relieved bed and ram.
Optional Features and Equipment:
- Conventional and deflection-compensating filler blocks.
- Tonnage indication gauge.
- Tonnage limiter,
- Hydro-Touch control actuates ram reversal at preselected bottoming tonnage.
- Bed adaptors or angle brackets.
- Additional, ram-mounted operator’s station.
- Micrometer, multiple depth control.
- CNC 1000 “Y” Axis Programmable Stroke Control.
- CNC 3000 Multi-Axis Programmable Control.
- High-Speed Hydraulics.
- Automatic crowning, built-in, deflection compensator.
- Powered Quick-Clamp for upper and/or lower dies.
- Special bed and ram extensions, throat depth, stroke lengths, and die heights.
- Variety of dies and certain other conventional and programmable gaging equipment.
Read more about the Niagara Hydraulic Marathon Line Press Brakes, Series HBM
Hydraulic, SERIES HD: Capacity Range: 400-3000 tons.
Max. length Bed & Ram: 40 Ft.
Principal Features:
- CNC 1000 “Y” Axis Programmable Stroke Control. 255-program capacity facilitates fast setup.
- Bed-referenced stroke control provides consistent repeatability within ± .0015″.
- The parallel hydraulic system features servo-controlled, pressure-additive leveling.
- High strength, all-steel cylinders with multiple guided piston.
- Cylinders interlocked to housings, providing direct frame loading and low profile.
- Self -aligning alloy steel connections with renewable bronze seats.
- Fully manifolded hydraulics.
- Self-lubricating, nonmetallic gibs.
- Multi-speed operation.
- Thermally stress-relieved construction.
Optional Features and Equipment:
- Conventional and deflection-compensating filler blocks.
- Tonnage indication gauge.
- Tonnage limiter.
- Hydro-Touch control actuates ram reversal at preselected bottoming tonnage.
- Angle brackets and bolsters.
- Additional ram-mounted operator’s station.
- Micrometer, multiple depth control.
- CNC 3000 Multi-Axis Programmable Stroke Control (in place of CNC 1000).
- High-speed hydraulics.
- Powered Quick-Clamp for upper and/or lower dies.
- Special bed and ram extensions, throat depth, stroke lengths, and die heights.
- Automatic crowning, built-in, deflection- compensator.
- Variety of dies and certain other conventional and programmable gaging equipment
TANDEM PRESS BRAKES: Hydraulic and Mechanical
Capacities: To 3000 tons.
Principal Features:
• Practical, less expensive way to formwork of 30 Ft. length or more.
• Lower first cost for double the length versus a single unit of the same length.
• Built-in precision and accuracy.
• Both units can still be operated independently for forming shorter workpieces.
• Butted end-to-end and connected electrically and hydraulically or mechanically.
• Rams synchronized throughout the stroke.
Niagara Press Brake Gauges
The information below is for used Niagara press brake controls and gauges. However, did you know you can get a new Gauge or CNC control with a Warranty that will work with your used press brake? You can buy modern CNC controls and backgauge systems for your used press brake directly from Automec. Contact one of our account representatives at (781) 893-3403.
Two Axes, Heavy Duty, Universal Gage Brackets
- Mounted in dovetail slots of press brake for front or backgauging.
- Vertical and lateral (F-to-B) adjustment s enable positioning close to die.
Plain & Micrometer Back Gages
- Plain gaging stops, micrometer adjustment for gaging stops, and heavy-duty gaging stops available for brackets.
- Stops reversible for a thinner gaging edge.
Crossbar & Swivel Back Gages
- Crossbar mounted between brackets provides a third axis (R to Ll movement.
- Adapters provided for crossbar when gaging stops are to be used.
- Swivel gages, plain and magnetized, available for the crossbar.
Front Gage
- Mounted on brackets.
- Adjustable, inlaid steel scale.
- Choice of either plain or micrometer-adjusted, disappearing stops.
Front-Operated, Precision Back Gages, Parallel Adjustment
- Manually-operated.
- Power-operated.
Y-Axis Depth Controls
- Multi-Bender Depth Stop permits bends at two different ram positions on mechanical models.
- Multiple Depth Control with micrometer stops provide bends at four different ram positions on hydraulic models.
CNC System 1000 “Y” Axis Control
(For factory installation on most new Niagara hydraulic press brakes).
- Quick simple set-up of all ram functions.
- Stores 255 programs, up to 99 steps per program.
- Data entry by keypad or ” Teach” method.
- LED displays for all ram functions.
- One-time calibration for each program.
- Programmable Stroke reversal by linear depth position.
- Selective display of Program No. and Step No. or actual ram position.
CNC System 3000 Multi-Axis Control
- (For factory installation on most new Niagara hydraulic press brakes)
- Full information, nine-inch CRT screen gives direct
dialogue between operator and control. - Key pad data entry.
- Stores up to 100 programs, up to 25 steps per program.
- Stores specific machine data.
- Stores 20 upper and lower tool parameters.
- Cassette operation provides infinite data storage.
- Multi-axis control capability.
- Counts completed parts,
- Automatic calculation of bending tonnage.
- Bottom stroke position programmable by entry of bend angle, linear depth, or desired tonnage (Hydro
Touch ) - Automatic calculation of material contact point for
back gage retraction on reverse bends. - High-speed twin-screw backgage of rugged construction.
- Automatic Tonnage Limiter – limits tonnage to protect delicate tooling.
Is it possible to replace your Niagara Press brake Control without replacing the entire press brake?
Many times, a press brake is programmable, so without working controls, the entire press brake will need to be replaced. However, not all press brakes act in that way, as some can work with only manual control, instead of programmable control. Therefore, if you do not need an entirely new press brake control for your press brake to work, then you can retrofit your press brake machine in an inexpensive efficient manner, such that you could get decades more use out of your machine. If you do need to replace your press brake control, you do not need to replace the entire machine, as the mechanical aspect of the machine likely still works. In replacing your press brake control, there are options for the extent of the capabilities you would like to have. The press brake control can be retrofitted to have a certain position that it will return the machine to, or it could be much more advanced and be a PC-based control that has more capabilities, from networking to offline programming of the machine. The entire press brake should generally only be replaced if the mechanical components of the machine are not working, though a retrofitted and new press brake control can be very beneficial and eventually lucrative for your company.
Do you need a Press Brake Retrofit or a New Press Brake?
There are good reasons to retrofit your used Niagara Press Brake in this down market instead of purchasing a new press brake. These are challenging times, and budgets for large ticket items can be tight. However, you can save significantly by retrofitting to the Automec backgauge control system, both in initial and future expenditures. Modern control systems will increase efficiency and allow you to expand your product line. Moreover, they will increase production in your existing line. Read this article to learn about the benefits.
Are you ready to get help with your Niagara Press Brake from an Automec expert?
Automec, Inc. can help! We are the industry leader in retrofitting press brakes and shears. Our positioning systems consist of a programmable control where the operator enters a dimension and a motorized gauging mechanism automatically moves through a sequence of programmed dimensions. These systems can be retrofitted to press brakes, shears, cut-off saws and punches.
Whether you need a press brake retrofit or a new press brake, contact us at (781) 893-3403 for help.