Metal Bending Services

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 is an advanced metal forming process that allows the production of highly precise bends in 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. In instances of prototyping or small-batch productions, 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.

While welding is inevitable in many cases and bending cannot substitute it 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 lack of weldments guarantees a nice 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.
• 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 laying around.

Metal bending online allows you to get instant quotes for prototyping and low-volume orders under £2000. 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.