Sheet metal bending
Press-brake forming alongside the cutting. Send us the flat pattern or the folded part — either works — and we will come back with a price within one working day.
Send your drawingWhy this one is quoted by a person
Cutting is arithmetic. We measure the outline, count the pierces and multiply by a rate — which is why a laser quote appears in seconds.
Bending is not. The price depends on how many hits the part takes, what tooling each one needs, whether the flanges are long enough to hold, whether the operator can physically reach the last bend without the part fouling the ram, and how many times the job has to be set up again with different tools. None of that falls out of a 2D outline. A machine guessing at it would be confidently wrong, so a person reads the drawing instead.
What we bend
| Material | Thickness | Minimum inside radius |
|---|---|---|
| Mild steel (IS 2062) | 0.8–12 mm | ≈ 1.0 × thickness |
| Stainless 304 / 316 | 0.8–6 mm | ≈ 1.5 × thickness |
| Aluminium 5052 | 0.8–6 mm | ≈ 1.0 × thickness |
| Aluminium 6061-T6 | 1.5–6 mm | ≈ 2.5 × thickness, and it may still crack |
| Galvanised (GI) | 0.8–4 mm | ≈ 1.0 × thickness, coating will craze |
Air bending, so the radius follows the die opening rather than the punch. Tell us if a specific inside radius matters and we will pick tooling for it.
Designing for the brake
These are the things that most often send a drawing back:
- Flange length. A flange shorter than about 4 × thickness plus the radius has nothing to sit on and will not form cleanly.
- Hole-to-bend distance. A hole closer than about 2.5 × thickness from the bend line distorts into an oval. Move it, or let us drill it after forming.
- Bend relief. Where a bend stops partway along an edge, it needs a relief notch or the metal tears at the corner.
- Grain direction. Bending along the rolling direction cracks far more readily, especially on 6061 and heavier stainless. Where it matters, say so.
- Bend allowance. If you send a flat pattern, tell us the K-factor or the allowance you used — otherwise the folded part comes out the right shape and the wrong size.
If you are unsure about any of it, send the 3D model or a sketch of the folded part and we will work the flat out. That is a normal part of quoting, not an extra.
What to send us
- A drawing — DXF, DWG, PDF or STEP. A photo of a hand sketch is a fine start.
- Material and thickness, if you know them.
- Quantity, and when you need it.
- Anything critical: a tolerance, a fit, a mating part, a finish.
Cutting and bending together
Most bent parts are laser cut first. Upload the DXF for an instant cutting price, then send the bending requirement — we will quote the forming and combine the two into one order.
Get an instant cutting quote Ask about bendingSend us the part
A drawing and a quantity is enough to start. One working day for a price.
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