Otinus OT-41 is our most popular controller. In this article, we will discuss its functions, operation, and use. You may have already decided that a press brake equipped with this controller is the best choice for you. If you want to refresh your knowledge, this article should also interest you. As a reminder – OT-41 enables CNC control of Otinus press brakes. It provides user-friendly management of the bending process, including creating and saving programs, independent control of each cylinder, and the height position of the backgauge fingers. The described functions allow you to implement complex projects in practice.

Main functions of the OT-41 controller

  • 10-inch TFT touch screen

  • Ability to store up to 2000 programs, each with a sequence of up to 40 steps

  • Creating program backups on a USB drive

  • Automatic angle and compensation calculation based on bending length

  • Calculation of dimensions before / after bending

  • Support for managing a database of dies, punches, and safe backgauge beam travel paths

  • Support for safety systems such as light curtains and limit switches

  • Material database for bending / parameters for automatic compensation calculations

  • Control of axes X, Y1, Y2, R, and automatic crowning compensation (crowning – axis C/V)

  • Language selection: Polish / English

Screen of our controller

On the touch screen interface, after startup, the user-friendly graphic panel appears. It displays the current program (by default – the program used before the machine was turned off).

On the screen fields, we can see the positions (graphic below) allowing programming of the following press parameters:

  • program name position: “P 1 Name” – you can enter a name

  • number of steps in the program: “S/N”

  • number of repetitions of the current bending step: “Cir”

  • material icon – possibility to choose the material type from the database: “L”

  • thickness of the processed sheet in millimeters: “Thickness”

  • punch selected for work: “Upper die V01”

  • selected die: “Lower die D01”

  • sheet width in millimeters, which combined with the material selection allows automatic angle compensation calculation: “Width”
    this function does not control crowning – crowning is available in the “More” submenu

  • selected backgauge finger for axis X; in presses with axis R, it allows choosing one of three positions, increasing the bending length range: “Block finger”

  • target bending angle “Angle” and in the same row the correction value – e.g. 1° means underbending by 1°, while –3° means overbending by 3°: “AngleCorr”

  • dimension to which the sheet is to be bent, expressed in millimeters; you can enter the bend line “Inner ruler”, or the finished dimension after bending “Outer ruler”, with correction value in millimeters: “InnerCorr”

  • height value for backgauge beam “R Axis” – defines the position the fingers should take during bending, useful for bending various Z-profiles or referencing non-90° surfaces.

  • start button for positioning the axes: “Start”

  • access to additional options such as backgauge retraction or bending time: “More”

Other buttons allow the following commands:

  • turn on the oil pump: “Oil Pump”

  • go to next bend step / settings card: “PgDn”

  • go to previous bend step / settings card: “PgUp”

  • machine status: “State” – submenu showing the working state of the machine’s components

  • dropdown “Menu” – allows choosing automatic or manual mode and access to machine parameters

  • work area light switch: “light”

  • raise the ram using the on-screen button: “Rise”

E21 press brake controller screen showing a bending program with material thickness, die selection, bend angle, backgauge position, and correction values. The interface allows quick parameter adjustment and program start from a single control panel.

OT-41 Programming

The graphic below describes all functions of the main screen once again.

To correctly program a bending step, we must define:

  • thickness and material type of the sheet (in millimeters, e.g. 1.80 mm, and material – L)

  • select the appropriate punch and die (from 30 stored positions, based on the rule: die width = 8 × sheet thickness)

  • sheet width (allows automatic depth adjustment for maintaining the target angle on wider/narrower parts)

  • choose the backgauge finger depending on the needs – “block finger” (three positions available with axis R presses)

  • enter the target bending angle (correct deviations using “AngleCorr”)

  • define the dimension to be achieved after bending (correct deviations using “InnerCorr”)

After entering the desired parameters (as in the sample screen), press the Start button. The controller will automatically set the machine to the selected parameters and axis positions. This allows you to run the newly created program and bend the prepared parts.

Control panel of a press brake with a clear HMI interface displaying bending parameters such as angle, length, axis positions, material thickness, and the machine’s current operating status.

Additional program options – “More” button

Under the (More) button you will find additional options that can be used for every bending step.

Options include:

  • “Thickness” – thickness of the material currently being bent

  • “Concede distance” – backgauge retraction distance during bending

  • “Concede time” – delay before backgauge retraction

  • “Dwell time” – time the press should hold the sheet in the die under pressure

  • “Deflection” – crowning compensation value in millimeters

  • “Plank bdth” – sheet width used to automatically calculate crowning “Deflection”

  • “Product count” – piece counter; in place of 9999 you can enter the number of repetitions

  • “Select mode” – bending mode:

    • “Dynamic” – bending and return via foot pedal

    • “Single mode” – bending via pedal, automatic return after finishing the step

  • “Ret” – returns to the main bending program screen

  • “Sen” – opens another submenu

E21 controller – Bending parameters screen

“Sen” – axis parameters in OT-41

After pressing “Sen” in the “More” submenu, the following settings screen appears:

This screen allows configuring several important parameters, including step transitions and pauses.

  • “Continuous interval time” – pause between bends in automatic mode

  • “Point move (dwell time)” – reduces hydraulic pressure caused by material springback

  • “X axis” – reference mode for axis X; “absolute” means absolute positioning

  • “Pause time (clamping point)” – ram pause time when switching from fast approach to working speed

  • “Step delay” – time after which the controller switches to the next program step

  • “Buzzer” – enables/disables controller sound alerts

  • “display comments” – allows displaying comments and error messages

  • “display boardwidth” – hides the sheet width parameter on the main screen

  • “Changing positioning condition” – determines step transition logic:

    • “At once” – step changes after bending

    • “Step again” – step must be confirmed with the pedal

E21 controller – Constant parameters screen

Summary

We hope that after reading this article, operating the OT-41 controller will be even easier. We have described all of the controller’s functions and their practical use with our press brakes.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. At Otinus, we help match the right solution to your needs. In line with our motto “We serve You”, we believe that customer satisfaction is the key to our shared success.