Strengthening ribs are ideal for adding strength to sheet metal parts. Using Mate’s Rollerball™ tooling, punch press operators can quickly and easily create stiffening ribs and decorative beads in sheet metal without secondary operations.
Mate’s Rollerball tool forms the rib by pinching the metal between two, omnidirectional ball bearings in the upper tool assembly and a single ball bearing in the tool’s lower assembly. The shape of the rib is created by the punch press programming system and can be placed anywhere on the part surface.
The Mate Rollerball tool is designed to be used in machines that can hold the ram down while simultaneously moving the sheet around the X and or Y-axis. When used in machines with accurate stroke control, a simple adjustment to the machines stroke length can create a deeper or shorter form. In other thick turret machines, using the Mate Rollerball in a Mate Ultraform holder offers easy adjustability by simply changing the length of the holder with just a few clicks of the tool.
Using the Rollerball tool is also a better option than using a standard forming tool to make the ribs. Standard forming tools may require tens to hundreds of hits and several minutes to produce strengthening ribs over the length of a sheet. Mate Rollerball reduces machine time to just a few seconds and produces a much better looking end result.
Stiffening ribs are particularly helpful in large unsupported metal panels typical in ductwork for heating and air conditioning systems. Also, fabricators like the versatility of the Rollerball tool because it can create an emboss to provide additional clearance for a feature or hardware. Another nice feature – it can add visual or cosmetic enhancements to fabricated products.
Mate Rollerball is available in most popular tool styles including Mate Ultraform for Thick Turret, Trumpf Style, Murata Wiedemann, Thin Turret, Salvagnini punch presses and more.
