Need some help with die design for HS shop project

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OK--- My High School Metals Class was approached by a local business that would like us to make 300 small group lockout boxes.  It is going to be built by my students in our welding classes, we do not have a brake that can handle bending the 14 ga metal I want to use to build them.  What I am thinking is to plasma cut the unfolded box and build a die for our 50 ton press to bend all four sides up at once.  The back of the box would be around 4x6 and the sides would all be 1 inch tall.  We would tack the corners after being bent and the add the cover by welding a hinge on with the front cover.  Am I on the right track or am I opening up a big can of worms? Any suggestions on the best way to fab up a die for the press? I am attaching a picture of a commercial version that is about as close to what we want to build as I can find.  There will be a few designs differences so we do not cross over into the copyright area!Any help and advice would be appreciated. Attached Images
Reply:While I know it's possible to build a die that will fold all four sides at once I believe that it might be difficult to make one that would do a good job.   I would think more along the lines of a simple press brake die to do each side individually. Something like the ones that most people build on this forum.   If you size it right and use it in the correct order then all four sides could easily be bent from the same die. Lets say you make it so that the top die is just shorter than the longest side of the box (say about 3/16" to 1/4" shorter than the inside). You then bend the two shorter sides first before bending the two longer sides.   Another possibility is to have slots in the top die to allow the sides to fit through. Here's a finger press brake I built a good while back. http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ht=press+brake  You wouldn't need to go anywhere near that elaborate but it's worked well for the jobs I've needed it for. Simply cutting slots in a solid top die would serve the same purpose.Millermatic 252XMT 304'sDynasty 280DXHypertherm PowerMax 1250Miller Trailblazer 302 EFIOptima PulserXR feeder and XR Edge gun and more athttp://members.dslextreme.com/users/waynecook/index.htm
Reply:If you are set on using a press and you only need a 1" deep box and your production run is only 300, is there any reason not to press a small 'dish,' instead of using the press to fold the sides (make smooth corners and edges, and let the press deal with squeezing the metal down in the corners...you will end up with the sides already formed).  Is there any reason you coudn't make that mold out of MDF or hardwood (with a run of only 300, you wouldn't need more than two or three molds...in fact, with fifty tons, you could likely run 2-4 molds at the same time.Do you have a shop press?  (an H press).  It would be a perfect welding project to make a press die for the shop press, then use it to manufacture these parts.KevKevin / Machine_Punk from The Aerodrome Studio - Lincoln PowerMIG 210 MP - Meco N Midget w/custom welding station - Vintage Victor 100Current Projects: The Aerodrome Studio
Reply:Have you considered making an angle iron frame  !/8 or 1/16 X1 X1 with a panel butt welded to the inner edge or rosette welded to the back side of the angle leg?John M