How Is Metal Bent?

Given the unyielding nature of the metals around us, it seems strange to think how they can be moulded to an array of different shapes. For those who work with metal, there are a number of different ways metal can be bent.

Air Bending

There are a number of machines that can help in metal bending, such as Euromac bending machines. These machines are both speedy and accurate. This is the most widely used type of bending. For greater safety, many prefer to use computer numerically controlled devices such as CNC Euromac bending machines. Air bending brings the least amount of contact between the workpiece and the outside of the die.

Bottom Bending

Bottom bending has a different radius to air bending. Bottom bending is an accurate way to bend metal and has less spring-back when using the tooling.

Coining

In coining the workpiece and the punch bottom on the die. Thanks to the controlled angle, there is little spring-back, so the metal is less likely to return to its original state. This method is also a highly accurate method of bending metal.

Folding

As the name suggests, this method of bending metal involves folding the surface part of the sheet metal. This is done using clamps to hold the metal in place as the force is applied at the specified angle to get the required bend. A major advantage of this is that this means several folds can be created, making it ideal for squares, two-sided channels and tubes.

Wiping

In wiping the metal is held between a die and a pad before the force is then applied by sliding the wiping flange in a downward motion. This offers excellent provision with minimum surface damage. However, it is not suitable for angles over 90°.

Joggling

Joggling involves bending the metal in both directions using stringers and formers to create a ‘Z’ or ‘S’ shape. This method has low production costs and minimal spring-back as well as being ideal for creating a wide variety of shapes.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.