Mike Ruediger Talks Robotic Press Brake Automation in The Fabricator

Mike Ruediger, Senior Robotics Application Engineer at SafanDarley North America, was featured in The Fabricator's recent piece on robotic press brake automation. The article walks fabricators through the practical decisions that follow once a robotic press brake is on the table - from end-effector design to motion programming to the surface conditions that quietly shape cycle performance.

What the article covers

Press brake work asks for finesse, not pick-and-place. The article frames automation as a way to redirect skilled operators away from repetitive, physically taxing handling - and toward higher-value work - without giving up bend quality. Ruediger walks through how end-effector geometry, vacuum zone layout, workpiece surface conditions, and smooth robot motion through the bend cycle all interact. The throughline: engineer out the causes of process variation before they reach the shop floor.

Why it matters

Robotic press brake cells succeed or fail on the details that get designed in early. SafanDarley's approach to automation - flexible cell configurations, open programming, and offline simulation through RoboBend - is built around minimizing the variables that compound across a production run.

"Engineer out as many causes of process variation as possible." - the principle threaded through Ruediger's guidance in The Fabricator.