Pressure Die Assist

Pressure Die Boost is a term that is used in the industry to for pressure die actuator that moves forward, under pressure, with the tube in a rotary draw bender. An alternative term is Pressure Die Assist. This feature is often used in bending applications that are more difficult - like tool setups with small ratios of centerline radius to tube diameter. This ratio is referred to as the " "D" of bend ". The "Pressure Die Boost" term has been around for a while. For example, the term can be found in Eaton Leonard patent documents from the 1990s.

Pressure die boost is is often actuated using hydraulics and flow-control valves. Some bender manufacturers offer programmable PDB features in which the pressure and/or the velocity can be controlled at the operator station - and set uniquely for each part program. Electric benders may use electric servo motors to control the PDB motion.

Its Value

PDB has great value when tool friction on the tube is at the edge of the envelope for material strain ( Click here for a defintion for strain) I've seen the extra several hundred pounds of pressure from pressure die boost make a bend setup succeed where it failed without it.

Used in CNC Bender

CNC Bender software is designed so that it can store programmable pressure die boost PRESSURE and VELOCITY values. If you have this feature on your SMT/ATT CNC Bender, then the values can be programmed in the BEND option cells in the FRB (Feed Rotate Bend) menu.