The Model 54 has been designed to make it easy to obtain repeatable bend angle. You do not need to worry
about springback calculations, mechanical tolerances and so on. The bender doesn’t even need the computer to
home the spindle upon powering on.
The main operating principle is simple. Where does the spindle need to rotate to in order to achieve the
desired degree of bend? It seems obvious, but how is this accomplished?
A key feature of the Model 54 is that it uses an absolute position encoder on the spindle. It has been factory
set to read zero when the spindle is rotated to the start position. When the spindle is rotated to any arbitrary
position, even if the bender was previously turned off and back on, it will always display the same value within
the encoder’s .1
o
error range.
The other key principle is that the toggle mechanism must ALWAYS
be set to the EXACT same position every time a particular die set is
used. Before we explain further, it will be much easier to understand if
you learn to adjust the toggle mechanism as described next. After that
we will continue.
Adjusting the toggle mechanism for bending
When the toggle mechanism has been properly adjusted, the tube
will protrude straight out the back of the bender at 90
o
to the frame
during bending. Follow these steps to accomplish this.
1) Load the die set, tube and u-strap components as described earlier.
2) Install the pressure die as also described earlier.
3) Lift the index wheel lever to disengage it from the slot.
4) Push the pressure die forward until it wraps over the tube completely
as shown in the picture in the upper right.
5) Push the toggle lever to the full forward locked position. The safety
bar will engage. Note, you may need to unscrew the index wheel to
achieve this.
6) Adjust the index wheel to the rear of the screw as far as it will go.
7) Pull rearward on the right side of the tube as shown to the right. If
the tube does not stop at 90
o
to the frame, push the pressure die
forward again and readjust the index wheel a little further rearward.
Disengaging the toggle to the rear position makes this much easier.
8) When you’re satisfied, lower the index wheel lever into the nearest
slot.
9) For this particular die set you should ALWAYS return the pressure
die to this EXACT setting every time it is installed. We recommend recording the below setting as 8.3.7 and
then stamp it into the top of the die. The 8 is the major number from the side scale as shown in the below left
picture. The 3 is the number of WHOLE increments past the 8 and the 7 is the slot used in the index wheel
as shown below and to the right. It may appear we’re at 8.4 but in reality the reading is slightly less because
the wheel has 8 slots and we’re all the way to slot 7, just shy of the 4th increment.
Pressure die pushed onto the tube.
Side scale shown at 8.3
Index wheel shown at slot 7
Index wheel lever
Index wheel set
to slot 7
Side scale
reading 8.3
Pulling tube rearward
Page 11
Adjusting the Toggle Mechanism
