Metal Bending Services

Metal folding services by Fractory ensure your growing needs never outpace your production capabilities. Our Project Engineers are ready to assist in planning and execution, making certain your projects are completed cost-efficiently and to high quality standards.

Capabilities

Metal folding capacity
Metal folding capacity Up to 1000 tons
Maximum bending length
Maximum bending length Up to 7200 mm
Maximum thickness
Maximum thickness Up to 60 mm

Get your sheet metal bending quote in seconds

Instant quote
Trusted by 62,000+ engineers

Why Order Sheet Metal Bending From Fractory?

  • Scale your production without switching suppliers, we can handle single orders upwards of 2 million pounds.
  • Discuss your metal folding project with Fractory’s engineers for cost-efficient solutions.
  • Fractory handles everything from quoting to delivery, including quality control.
  • A single point of contact simplifies project management, freeing up time for value-added activities.
  • We orchestrate your entire production path, seamlessly connecting initial cutting with finishing and final assembly.
  • Instant quotes and lead times for prototyping and low-volume orders.

Online Metal Bending Quote

Metal bending online allows you to get instant quotes for prototyping and low-volume orders under £5000. There are no limitations to the minimum order size. Just upload your 3D part files onto the platform to receive an instant quote and lead time. After confirming, we take care of the manufacturing side of things, using state-of-the-art machinery.

Online metal folding’s pricing algorithms make it possible to design parts keeping cost in mind already in the prototyping phase, facilitating scaling up the production later on. On the platform, you’re able to see how the prices change when playing around with different quantities and materials.

The process looks like this:

  • Go to Fractory’s platform.
  • Upload 3D models in STP, SLDPRT or IPT format to the platform, as our system can read bending info straight from models.
  • Select your material and address for an instant price and lead time.
  • We organise transportation all over the UK, including all the larger cities like London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, etc.

If you have any questions, turn to our engineers via email or use the chatbox in the lower right corner.

What Is Metal Folding?

Sheet metal folding is a very common forming method used to give the desired shape to structural steel, stainless steel, aluminium, etc, parts. A press brake is used to give the final shape to a part. It is important to bear in mind that bending is performed after the cutting process. Therefore, you have to keep some design tips in mind.

Metal bending is possible for sheets (up to 6 mm) as well as plates (anything above). The possibility of executing a job depends on the manufacturer’s capabilities – maximum bending edge length and pressing force. Thicker materials and longer bending lines need more force. Whereas a 200-ton pressing force is enough for most jobs – it can, for example, bend a 2 m line with a 10 mm thickness – you sometimes need more. Fractory’s metal bending capabilities reach up to 1000 tons.

Fractory metal folding chart, bending force chart

The calculations for tonnage requirements are based on the bending force chart above.

Different Bending Methods

A variety of bending methods exist to do the job. Although most of them are suitable for the average job, each has some specific use-cases and needs different press brake tooling. Here’s a list of possibilities to make your life easier when looking for a metal folding service.

  • V-bending – The most widely spread folding method where a punch presses the sheet metal onto a die. V-bending has 3 divisions – air bending, bottoming and coining. Air bending is the most common of them. There, the sheet is not pressed onto the die but rather some way towards it until the desired angle is achieved.
  • U-bending – Quite similar in terms of using a punch and die. Instead of a V-shape, it uses a U-shape. Thus, its main use is to produce U-channels.
  • Step bending – Uses successive V-bending to achieve large-radius bends. Smaller steps assure better and smoother quality.
  • Roll bending – A bending method that uses rolls instead of punches and dies. Great for producing parts with large radii or conical sheet metal details.
  • Rotary bending – Another bending technique to produce angular bends. The big advantage over other methods is the lack of bending marks (usually left by the V-shaped die) on the part.

CNC Bending

CNC bending is an advanced metal forming process that allows the production of highly precise bends for sheet metal. This technology utilises computer-controlled machines to automate the bending of metal sheets, ensuring consistent, high-quality results. The machine follows a predetermined program, directing a set of press brakes to exert force on the metal sheet at specific locations, thereby creating desired angles and shapes.

Unlike manual bending, where there might be variations due to human error, CNC bending machines ensure that each bend conforms to specified parameters, guaranteeing uniformity across mass-produced parts. With CNC bending, intricate and complex designs can be achieved with high repeatability and efficiency.

The initial setup and programming costs of CNC bending can be relatively high, making it more economically viable for larger production runs. For prototyping or small-batch production runs, these upfront costs might outweigh the benefits, rendering manual methods more cost-effective. However, for high-volume production runs, the precision, consistency, and efficiency of CNC bending provide substantial cost savings and quality advantages over time.

Metal Bending Advantages

While welding is inevitable in many cases and cannot be replaced by bending everywhere, we recommend choosing metal bending services whenever possible. The advantages of metal folding are:

  • Aesthetics – Although in engineering functionality comes first, design follows closely behind. The absence of weldments ensures a clean visual for your project.
  • Coating – A smooth surface is a great canvas for coating procedures, leaving a better result.
  • Fewer mistakes – Welding needs more manual labour. Manual labour, in turn, leaves more room for mistakes. Automatic CNC bending systems provide accurate results every single time.
  • Fewer parts – It is more convenient to re-work your parts in CAD, if needed. But it’s also easier to keep your workfloor nice and tidy with fewer parts lying around.

Our Multi-Stage Connected Manufacturing Approach

  • Upload & configure

    Upload & configure

    Simply upload your CAD files, choose your materials and processes, and receive a comprehensive quote for your entire project.

  • Multi-Stage Manufacturing

    Multi-Stage Manufacturing

    Our MSCM platform orchestrates a bespoke production path through our network of manufacturing partners, balancing speed, cost, and quality to meet your project's unique demands.

    • Intelligent planning
      Intelligent planning

      The core of MSCM. Our platform creates a complete production blueprint, mapping the original sequence of processes and identifying specialist partners.

    • Specialist production
      Specialist production

      Core manufacturing processes are routed to the ideal manufacturing partner. On completion, parts undergo rigorous quality checks before moving to the next stage.

    • Partner coordination
      Partner coordination

      Our platform manages all partner logistics and communication, orchestrating the production flow and adapting to real-world situations to eliminate delays.

    • Finishing
      Finishing

      We coordinate all secondary processes, from heat treatments to surface finishes, applying targeted quality checks to ensure they meet your exact requirements.

    • Assembly & kitting
      Assembly & kitting

      We manage the final assembly process. Parts are configured to your required level, from kitted components and sub-assemblies to complete units, ready for final validation.

  • Quality checked & delivered

    Quality checked & delivered

    Your completed parts are checked against your specifications to ensure quality before being packaged for on-time delivery.

Let us ease your workload! Order metal fabrication from Fractory and experience the benefits yourself: 1-1 engineering support, payment terms for companies, a single point of contact, competitive pricing, on-time deliveries and quality control.
Get a Quote