Reading the model code
A Cincinnati code starts with the tonnage and then names the series: CB or CBII, FM or FMII (Form Master), AF (Autoform), PF (Proform), MX, BX (Baseform) and GX (GoForm) all appear on KD Machinery’s record. The number at the end is not the bed length. On most machines KD Machinery has listed it is two feet less, for example:
- 175FMII8: 10-foot bed
- 350AF10: 12-foot bed
A few run further apart, so take the overall bed length from the listing, not the code.
Series by year
The CB, CBII and Form Master machines on KD Machinery’s record date from the late 1970s to 2000. Autoform brakes run from 1987 to 2008, and Proform from 2004 to 2018. The MX, Baseform and GoForm machines are the newest, from 2012 on, with the GoForm at the small end at 40 to 60 tons.
The control may be newer than the machine
Many of the older Cincinnati brakes KD Machinery has listed have had their control replaced or updated, and the listing says when: a 1983 machine with a PC800 controller fitted in 2017, a 1998 brake with a control new in 2023, Proform machines updated to the touchscreen Gen 5 control. Others carry an aftermarket Hurco Autobend backgauge control. An updated control can make an old frame a sound buy, so ask for the date and the invoice.
What to check on a used Cincinnati
Bend a test part across the full bed and check the angle at both ends and the middle; Autocrown appears on several of these machines and should be tested if fitted. Look at the cylinders and the pump for leaks, and run the ram at approach, forming and return speed. Check the light curtains or other guarding work, and that the palm buttons and foot switch control the ram as they should.
Finding Cincinnati brakes and other makes
On KD Machinery’s site, search the make Cincinnati within used press brakes; that leaves out the Cincinnati shears and lasers. For other makes, see used Accurpress press brakes or used Trumpf TruBend, and the press brake buying guide covers the checks for any brake.
