Radius Parts and Stamping Mode

Radius profiles can be created with Pathfinder in two different ways, with Stamping Mode enabled or disabled. Stamping the profile is faster than individually clamping and bending each segment, but does not always yield the same results.

Stamping Mode is enabled using Parameter 703 – Allow Stamping Mode in Operator Preferences. After enabling Stamping Mode, Pathfinder must restart for the mode to become active. The Stamping Mode button will appear on the Status Bar if the Allow Stamping Mode parameter is set to YES. If Stamping Mode is active, the button will appear highlighted in green.

Note: When Stamping Mode is activated, all profiles with radius bends are run using the stamping mode.

A radius machine operation starts out the same as a normal bend by moving the backgauge to the correct starting Backgauge Position, and requiring the machine operator to fully close the clamping beam to clamp the profile. However, once he steps on the Bending Cycle Start foot pedal, one of two actions may occur depending on Pathfinder’s current Stamping Mode setting:

• With Stamping Mode disabled, the motion controller raises the bending beam to the incremental Bending Angle (including all overbend adjustments), then lowers the bending beam back to home. The clamping beam opens to the machine operation’s Minimum Opening Height, and the backgauge moves forward by the incremental backgauge step distance (determined by the radius Quality setting), just like a normal bend.
• With Stamping Mode enabled, the motion controller raises the bending beam to the incremental Bending Angle (including all overbend adjustments), then keeps it raised for all successive sub-steps. For each sub-step, the clamping beam opens to the machine operation’s Minimum Opening Height, and the backgauge moves forward by the incremental backgauge step distance, but the bending beam does not return to its home position until all sub-steps have been completed.

Note: When using Stamping Mode, if the Clamp rises above the Safety Stop, the bending beam will return to zero and Stamping Mode will not work as intended. You can adjust your Safety Stop in Parameter 317 – Safety Stop Height.

Once all sub-steps have been completed, the clamping beam opens to the programmed Clamp Open Position (or Parameter 312 – Minimum Opening Height, whichever is greater) to release the profile.