Oct 11, 2009
Amrita School of Engineering, Bangalore
Lab staff from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s School of Engineering in Bangalore, have developed a mini bending machine from scrap material.
The low-cost machine is fully portable, table-mountable and hand-operated. It can be used for all types of sheet metal bending work.
The machine was developed by Mr. Shankar Murthy and Mr. Gurumurthy Sharma during break times between classes. While the machine was made at virtually no cost, similar machines in the market sell for around Rs. 5000.
Scrap materials available in the work shop such as U-Channels (80x40mm), L-Angles (15x15mm), Flats, Square Bars, Spindle Screws, M6 and M8 Screws were used. The machine was developed primarily for student sheet metal work practice classes. It can be used for bending sheets of maximum length of 350mm.
The machine features two guide pillars with a central spindle screw that assists in the parallel movement of a movable jaw. A fixed jaw is mounted on two side columns and a bending arm attached to the fixed jaw with two end pivots on a main bracket. Side supports support the main bracket.
“An important point is that the machine was developed without using any conventional machines, such as a lathe or a milling machine,” shared the duo. “We took up this work in order to enhance the learning experience of students here, at Amrita.”
Max Length of Bending – 350 mm
Bending Angle – 0-90°
Max Sheet Thickness – 0.5 mm
Height of the Machine – 470 mm
Width of the Machine – 125 mm
Length of the Machine – 440 mm
Weight of the Machine – 8-10 Kg
