Magnetic press brake tooling engagement system

1. A punch or die component for a press brake apparatus, the punch or die component comprising:

a tool body having a coupling end adapted for coupling with a holder and a working end adapted for operation on a workpiece; and

one or more magnetic elements adapted for selective engagement of the punch or die component with an adjacent punch or die component within the press brake apparatus, wherein the one or more magnetic elements are configured for magnetic coupling with the adjacent punch or die component along a lateral side of the tool body;

wherein the working end of the tool body is configured for forming the workpiece by operation of the press brake apparatus; and

wherein the one or more magnetic elements are disposed along the lateral side of the tool body with a pole of each respective magnetic element oriented toward the lateral side and configured to induce the magnetic coupling with the adjacent punch or die component secured along the lateral side.

2. The punch or die component of claim 1 , wherein the one or more magnetic elements comprise one or more magnets disposed in the tool body and adapted to generate magnetic flux with the pole oriented toward the lateral side to induce the magnetic coupling with the adjacent punch or die component.

3. The punch or die component of claim 1 , wherein the one or more magnetic elements comprise one or more ferromagnetic guides disposed in the tool body and adapted to guide magnetic flux to induce the magnetic coupling with the adjacent punch or die component.

4. The punch or die component of claim 1 , wherein a strength of the magnetic coupling with the adjacent punch or die component is adapted for insertion of the punch or die component and the adjacent punch or die component into the holder together as a unit, in adjacent relationship via the magnetic coupling along the lateral side.

5. The punch or die component of claim 4 , wherein the strength of the magnetic coupling with the adjacent punch or die component is selected to maintain the adjacent punch or die component upright in the holder upon operation of the press apparatus to form the workpiece, absent mechanical engagement of the adjacent punch or die component to the holder with a set screw or clamping mechanism.

6. The punch or die component of claim 4 , further comprising a tang or a flat bottom surface defined on the coupling end of the tool body and adapted for mechanical engagement with the holder.

7. The punch or die component of claim 1 , wherein the lateral side of the tool body is a first lateral side and further comprising a second lateral side of the tool body, opposite the first lateral side, and wherein the one or more magnetic elements comprise first and second magnets disposed along the first and second lateral sides of the tool body, with the poles of the first and second magnets oriented toward the respective lateral sides for inducing magnetic couplings with one or more of said adjacent punch or die component disposed along one or both of the first and second lateral sides.

8. The punch or die component of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more magnets horizontally disposed in the coupling end of the tool body, such that poles of the one or more horizontally disposed magnets are oriented toward a front or back surface of the tool body when engaged with the holder; or

one or more magnets vertically disposed in the coupling end of the tool body, such that poles of the one or more vertically disposed magnets are oriented toward a top or bottom surface of the tool body when engaged with the holder.

9. The punch or die component of claim 8 , further comprising a load-bearing surface defined on the coupling end of the tool body to bear a mechanical load between the holder and the tool body upon operation of the working end, wherein the one or more magnets are disposed in the load-bearing surface.

10. The punch or die component of claim 8 , further comprising a release mechanism comprising a lever coupled to the tool body and configured for selective disengagement of the coupling end of the tool body from the holder, wherein the lever is configured to engage between the tool body and the holder to urge at least a portion of the coupling end of the tool body from the holder to define an air gap therebetween.

11. A press brake apparatus, comprising:

a tool body having a working end configured for operation on a workpiece and a coupling end configured for selective engagement with a holder, the working end spaced from the coupling end along the tool body, wherein the working end of the tool body defines a punch or die surface adapted for forming the workpiece by operation of the press brake apparatus; and

an adjacent tool body having an adjacent working end; and

one or more magnetic elements disposed along a lateral side of the tool body with a pole oriented toward the lateral side to induce a magnetic coupling with the adjacent tool body secured along the lateral side, and with the respective working ends adapted for cooperatively forming the workpiece upon operation of the press brake apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the magnetic coupling is adapted to maintain the adjacent tool body upright in the holder upon operation of the press brake apparatus, absent engagement of the adjacent tool body with a set screw.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more magnetic elements disposed along the lateral side of the tool body comprise one or more magnets, and further comprising one or more additional magnets disposed along a lateral side of the adjacent tool body, wherein the magnets disposed along the lateral side of the tool body and the additional magnets disposed along the lateral side of the adjacent too body are adapted for inducing the magnetic coupling of the tool body with the adjacent tool body along the respective lateral sides.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the magnets disposed along the lateral side of the tool body are offset from the additional magnets disposed along the lateral side of the adjacent tool body, the offset selected for non-overlapping engagement of the respective magnets disposed along the respective lateral sides of the tool body and the adjacent tool body.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising one or more magnets disposed in the coupling end of the tool body to induce an additional magnetic coupling between the coupling end of the tool body and the holder, and further comprising a release mechanism comprising a lever coupled to the tool body and engaged between the tool body and the holder, the lever being configured to selectively urge the coupling end of the tool body from the holder to define an air gap therebetween.

16. A method comprising:

disposing at least first and second tool bodies in an adjacent relationship along respective lateral sides thereof, each of the tool bodies extending from a working end configured for operation on a workpiece to a coupling end configured for selective engagement with a holder of a press apparatus; and

magnetically engaging the first and second tool bodies, wherein a magnetic coupling is defined along the respective lateral sides by one or more magnetic elements disposed in one or both of the lateral sides with a pole oriented toward the respective lateral side in which each of the one or more magnetic elements is disposed, securing the first and second tool bodies along the lateral sides;

wherein the first and second tool bodies are configured for forming the workpiece by cooperative engagement with punch or die surfaces defined at the respective working ends.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising engaging the first and second tool bodies with the holder at the respective coupling ends.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first and second tool bodies are engaged with the holder together as a unit, the first and second tool bodies being secured together in the adjacent relationship via the magnetic coupling defined along the respective lateral sides.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising securing the coupling end of the first tool body to the holder with a set screw and operating the press apparatus to form the workpiece, absent securing the coupling end of the second tool body with such a set screw.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

magnetically engaging at least one of the first and second tool bodies with the holder, wherein a magnetic coupling is defined between the holder and the respective tool body by one or more magnetic elements disposed in the tool body or tool holder; and

manipulating a release engaged with the respective tool body and decoupling the respective body from the holder thereby;

wherein manipulating the release comprises manipulating a lever or rocker member adapted for urging the coupling end of the respective tool body from the holder and defining an air gap in a magnetic flux path therebetween.