Bending machines are used to create sheet metal through a mechanical brake. There are many different kinds of bending machine breaks depending on the type roll bending machine manufacturers of sheet metal desired. Obtaining the perfect kind of bending machine will increase press brake productivity.
A brake is a metalworking machine which allows for the bending of sheet metal. The brake has a flat surface where the material is placed. A clamping bar comes down to hold the material firmly during a bend. The clamping action can be manual, automatic, or operated with a foot pedal.
The machine has a front, gate-like plate which is hinged. It is lifted in order to force the material to extend over a straight edge in order to bend to follow the plate. The bends can be any angle, but the practical limit is 120 degrees. If the area to be bent is narrow enough, a sharper bend can be made by inserting the bend under the clamping bar and lowering it.
Bending produces V-shape, U-shape, and channel shaped sheet metal along a straight axis. For press brake forming, the sheet metal piece is positioned over the die block. The block presses the sheet to form one of the previously mentioned shapes.
Usually bending has to overcome tensile and compressive stresses. After bending, those residual stresses cause the sheet metal to spring back towards its original position. This means the sheet metal must be over-bent to achieve the appropriate bend angle. The amount of spring back is dependent on the material and type of forming.