What Is Sheet Metal Bending?

Sheet metal bending is a common fabrication process that uses force to mold a piece of metal and is often referred to in the industry as die bending, press braking, flanging, or folding and edging. There are a variety of sheet metal bending techniques that can be used to accomplish the desired result.

Metal Bending Equipment

After a sheet metal part is punched or laser cut it often then moves to the Press Brake Department to be formed and bent. PMF is fully stocked in this department as well, currently fielding 8 machines. Our wide array of brakes range from a small 17 ton Diacro for light-duty work all the way up to a 125 ton Amada for large jobs.

In 2013 we added 3 new Amada HDS press brakes to our facility. Along with Amada programming software, these metal bending machines allow us to pre-program our bending operations through our engineering department, similar to our process for CNC punching and laser cutting. Doing this cuts our overall setup time by 70% and allows us to perfect and test the bending process in a CAD environment prior to a job even hitting the floor.

Trusted Expertise

More important than the equipment in the press brake department, however, is the experience behind it. PMF is fortunate to employ some of the best sheet metal bending operators in the business. Several of our top employees have been with us for over 15 years. While other metal bending processes have become more automated over time, running a press brake remains, largely, a skill. You can rest assured that no one is more skilled at forming your sheet metal parts than the operators at Precision Machine Fabrication.