Press Brake for Large Steel Fabrication

This fabricator was able to grow its business by investing in a rugged press brake that uses the latest in optional fabricating equipment numerical controls to increase reliability and capacity and reduce operating costs.

Northeastern Manufacturing and Sales, Inc. (Standish, MI) had grown weary of being unable to bid on big steel fabrication project contracts and wanted to do something about it. In addition to mainstay types of builds such as conveyor equipment, racks, carts, machine bases, they wanted to get into tower fabrication and other large scale projects.

The problem was that large fabrication projects of this scale required longer bends than the plant’s 12 ft press brake could effectively handle. This meant the company needed to invest in a longer press brake. Considering this new machine as an investment for future business, the search began for a flexible machine and included reviews of various equipment manufacturers.

It was during the search for new equipment that management noted how the shop had also been well-served by that 12 ft press brake (and service) in the past from the builder, Pacific Press Technologies, LLC (Mt. Carmel, IL). So Northeastern decided to purchase a new 1000 ton, 22 ft Pacific Press K Series press brake for its rugged design, reliability and additional features that include the latest in optional fabricating equipment numerical controls.

“We purchased this Pacific unit in 2010 and have had no issues with the equipment,” said Tom Rowell, the president of Northeastern. “We are very happy with our investment. This is a great piece of fine machinery.” The decision paid off because the new brake can perform 22 ft full length bends in one pass that eliminates secondary operations. Production is simplified because the technicians just punch a few buttons, call up previous bending programs in the CNC, and that’s about it.