Country Stoves chooses CINCINNATI CBII hydraulic press brake to ensure accuracy in lighter-gauge production

A choice of high, medium and low forming speeds and rapid return allows the most productive speed combination consistent with part quality and safety. Programmable stroke length and tonnage allow for forming thin sheets or heavy plate in a wide range of lengths and widths.

Country Stoves Inc., one of the nation's leading manufacturers of wood and gas stoves and fireplaces, has seen a significant shift in its market in recent years. While sales of wood stoves remain steady, sales of gas stoves have been growing 20 percent annually.

"Gas stoves are where the growth is," said Doug Weston, operations manager. "For many years we have used an older 90-ton CINCINNATI press brake for bending the quarter-inch plate for wood-stove production. We use lighter gauges for the gas models, and this makes accuracy very critical."

Country Stoves, based in Auburn, Washington, did some comparison shopping, then selected a 60-ton CINCINNATI CBII hydraulic press brake. "We decided to go with CINCINNATI for several reasons. We wanted to maintain consistency for the operators who use the larger 90-ton machine. We like the simplicity of operation for our new operators. We needed the capability to bend large pieces and we liked the price," Weston said.

Accuracy is essential

"Most important is the need for accuracy," Weston said. "Some of the pieces we bend are quite long, and if the accuracy is off at all they will not fit together properly."

Coupled with the necessity of accuracy, Country Stoves also needed improved speed. "With the growth in gas-stove sales, we are running two shifts," Weston said. "We needed the CBII to keep up with production demands. It is in operation 12 hours a day."

Performance boosts production

CINCINNATI press brakes are durable and reliable, delivering improved productivity resulting from fast setup, rapid cycling and increased accuracy. The CBII press brakes feature a microprocessor control that enables an operator to program all steps in a bending sequence for faster job setup.

A choice of high, medium and low forming speeds and rapid return allows the most productive speed combination consistent with part quality and safety. Programmable stroke length and tonnage allow for forming thin sheets or heavy plate in a wide range of lengths and widths.

Versatile with many gauges

"We bend premium-grade materials from 12 gauge to 20 or 22 gauge, and the machine works great on all of these gauges," Weston said. "We are able to bend large pieces and we have been very pleased with the accuracy of the CBII."

Weston said Country Stoves has not only benefited from the CBII's performance, the acquisition process was smooth as well. "Delivery was on time, setup was easy, and because we already were using a CINCINNATI press brake it was easy to go from our existing machine to the new one."