How Do Press Brakes Work?

About Press Brakes

A press brake is a machine that can bend metal to nearly any shape or design. The press brake will "press" or shape the metal by force, using the power of the hydraulic motor to compress certain sections of the sheet metal and bend it into another shape. The press brake pushes metal into dies, which do most of the precision shaping. The press brake is different from a bending machine in that it does more than just put a curve into a metal sheet. It can make more complex shapes.

How it Works

The press brake works by stamping "cold" steel into a mold called a die. The sheet is fed into the machine and aligned over a special mold. The press brake lowers a boom or press to force the metal into that mold. This creates a cold-formed metal object. The press brake uses any number of electronic machines to align the sheet metal. Some incorporate the use of CNC-type arms that position the metal over a die. In almost all cases, the hydraulics are timed using a computer and compress via an electronic motor.

Materials it Uses

A hydraulic press molds metal sheets that are 1/16 to 1/4 inch thick. Other materials can also be shaped in them, however. It is important to note that the steel is not heated. The pressure and force of the press cause enough heat and friction to change the shape of the metal. This means that only metals with a malleable quality can be used in press brakes. This includes aluminum, soft steels, tin, pewter, copper, brass and other softer metal varieties. One common use for a press brake is to shape sheet metal into corrugated aluminum siding, for instance.

Resources

• A press brake
• Buying a press brake