Using A Cnc Press Brake Machine For Custom Roll Forming

A press brake is a machine used in secondary forming of laser cut or punched sheet metal. The biggest advantage of press brake is the enormous sizes of work pieces that it can handle. It is amazing to note that the bed length of a press brake can range from 4 to 14 feet and it can roll the sheet metal with a force varying from 25 tonnes to over 250 tonnes.

Almost all the tools used in press brake rolling are standard and these standard tools can be used for almost any formed shape and part size. A press brake is an ideal machine for rolling medium and small run steel fabrication services. A CNC press brake is the most popular machine being used for rolling sheet metals these days. CNC stands for Computer Numerically Controlled which brings high level of precision in finished product. Although hybrid electric and hydraulic machines are the latest in the industry right now, CNC continues to be the most popular machine.

A CNC press brake machine is programmed with automatic back gauging that can go up-down and in-out. It provides depth stops for accuracy and repeatability. A CNC press brake has multiple tools, both stock and separate for handling various bends with just a single setup. This advantage of a CNC machine makes it an obvious choice for custom roll forming operations. An operator can set multiple tool stations over the bed of one press brake, which allows the whole process to be carried out at a better pace as compared to other press brake machines. A CNC press brake forming machine can make the whole process more competitive in the industry. A CNC press brake can also be used to form ribs in different parts of the material without having to change the gauge of the material.

A CNC press brake forming brings high degree of precision in the entire process. The tolerances achieved in the process are however similar to forming or cutting processes that were used to make blanks before press brakes came into operation. A CNC machine can be used to handle large production volumes and complete the finished product along with a high degree of precision. Spare parts for a CNC press brake machine are easily available with local vendors and hence the overall operations cost of the machine is not high.