Bending in a Nutshell
Whether producing simple folds or complex formed components, modern press brake technology delivers fast and accurate results with minimal set-up time.
How Does a Press Brake Work?
A press brake works by using an upper punch tool to force flat metal sheets or blanks into a lower die tool, creating precise bends that form the material into 3D shapes.
The lower die is mounted on a table connected to the lower beam of the press brake. This lower beam is static, and therefore the table and die tools also remain static, providing a stable base for bending the metal.
The upper punch tools are loaded into the upper beam of the press brake, and this upper beam is then forced downwards by the press brake’s hydraulic or electrical system to cause the upper and lower tools to form the metal to the desired bend angles. Complex, 3D shapes can be produced by forming multiple bends into the metal blank.
The Two Ways to Bend
There are two main methods of bending metal to create the required shape:
Air Bending
Air bending is the most common metal bending method. The punch pushes the metal into the die until the required angle is achieved. In this instance, the metal will not make contact with the bottom of the die, instead, the angle is determined by the depth to which the punch is pushed into the die.
Modern press brakes use precise positioning and compensation controls for flexing and crowning, allowing air bending to deliver highly accurate and repeatable results.
Coining
Coining uses much greater force to compress the metal fully into the die and the punch forces the metal to take on the exact shape of the die. While this method can achieve even higher degrees of accuracy, it requires dedicated tooling for every individual job and significantly greater press force, making it a more costly and less practical option for many applications.
Efficient
Quick set-up, using a range of standard punch and die tools, allows production to begin quickly, helping to maximise efficiency. Specialist tooling is also available for more complex or precision metal bending applications.
Versatile
Press brake bending is suitable for a wide range of materials, thicknesses, and component sizes. Whether you need a one-off prototype or a high-volume production run, the process can be adapted to meet your requirements.
Accurate
Modern press brakes can compensate for material spring back, machine deflections and even variations in material thicknesses, helping to deliver highly accurate and repeatable bend angles across every component.
Productive
Today’s press brakes can handle a wide variety of component shapes, sizes, thicknesses and material types on any given day. After adjusting the tooling, the machine can be set and ready to produce parts in a very short period of time. After that, every single stroke of the machine creates a new bend in the required part.
What Can Be Produced
Our press brake setup includes a wide range of tooling and machine capability, allowing us to handle everything from simple folds through to more complex formed parts.
With tooling options covering a broad range of nose radii and vee widths from 6mm to 100mm, plus machines designed for greater stroke and open height, we’re able to produce components that go beyond standard metal bending limitations.
This includes heavy-duty parts, safety edging, corner box folds and deep channel sections, all produced with consistency and accuracy.
What We Offer
Laser Cutting
Fast, precise laser cutting for a wide range of metals. Using advanced technology, we deliver clean, accurate parts with excellent repeatability, whether you need one-offs or large production runs.
Accreditations
Quality, compliance, and security are central to how we operate. By merging ISO 9001-2015 and BSEN 1090 Class 2, we’ve created a comprehensive Integrated Management System, always available for customers to review.
We also take cybersecurity seriously. Our Cyber Essentials accreditation helps to keep customer data and communications secure.
Our consistent growth was recently recognised in the Yorkshire’s Fastest Fifty Awards, placing us among the region's fastest-growing businesses. We’re proud to be part of such a diverse and successful group.
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