(Grant Hagedorn in Fabricator) Images courtesy of TRUMPF Inc.

Redesigning the bracket eliminates welding and, to varying degrees, eases overall manufacturing. 


(Image source)

Simple designs are not always the most cost-effective to manufacture. In the below, Design A shows a seemingly simple bracket. Found throughout manufacturing, the design requires two vertical welds to attach the backplate. Its workflow is as follows: laser, press brake, welding, finishing, and then assembly and shipping.

Design B shows the bracket redesigned with flat tops to ease bending, but the welds are still there. Design C has no welds and requires five bends, three of which are performed simultaneously. Design D also removes the welds and requires only four bends, and the first two again can be formed at the same time. So, in both C and D designs, the brake ram would cycle just three times. It is all a matter of the designer understanding shop floor practices properly.