Bending machines are a popular and effective way of creating useful products from sheet metal. They are used in multiple industries where precise shapes are crucial. There are several different types of bending machines available, three of which are outlined below.
Manual Bending Machines
Manual bending machines are specialist tools that can be used to manually bend sheet metal into a variety of shapes and curves and at various angles. They can be mechanical or hydraulic. The key components are the clamping bar, the handle and the bending blade.
Manual bending machines are cost-effective, portable, quick to set up and versatile. However, they are labour-intensive, have limited capacity and are dependent on the skill of the operator.
These machines are suited to one-off jobs or making small batches of simple parts.
Hydraulic Press Brake Machines
These bending machines are powered by hydraulics. They use cylinders and hydraulic fluid to generate the force that is required.
The advantages of these machines are that they provide high levels of control and precision, they have various safety features, they are capable of dealing with large and complicated parts, and they have adjustable speed and force.
The main disadvantages are that they use a lot of energy, and they require regular maintenance.
Bending Machine Specialists
If you are considering investing in a bending machine for your business, there are a number of expert companies such as Cotswold Machinery which offer a range of bending machines from leading brands, including Euromac.
CNC Bending Machines
CNC bending machines are controlled by computers. The instructions are entered into the computer and are then sent directly to the bending machine itself. Many industries utilise CNC bending machines: notably aerospace, construction, automotive and electronics.
The main advantages of CNC bending machines are that they reduce the need for human operators, they are consistent and accurate, they produce less waste, and they are able to deal with highly complex designs that would be impossible to manually complete.
The main drawbacks are that these machines are expensive, need skilled programmers and require regular maintenance.
