Setting Up a Sheet Metal Forming Line
Cutting, punching, bending and rolling have to be specified together. A line where the shear and the brake disagree about sheet size wastes capacity at both ends.
Where This Usually Goes Wrong
The most common fault in a fabrication shop is a mismatch: a 3 m brake behind a 2 m shear, or a brake rated for material the shear cannot cut square. Both ends of the mismatch cost money every day.
Stage by Stage
Fix the sheet envelope
Problem. Machines specified separately end up with different working widths
How we handle it. Largest sheet size and thickest material in your hardest grade set both the shear and the brake at the same time.
Choose the cutting route
Problem. Tooling cost per profile makes short mixed runs uneconomic on a punch
How we handle it. Guillotine shearing for straight cuts, fibre laser where profiles change often and tooling would have to change with them.
Set the bending repeatability
Problem. Manual folding cannot hold an angle across a batch
How we handle it. Manual folder, electric folder, hydraulic brake or CNC brake selected by batch size and how many bend positions each part has.
Add rolling and tube work
Problem. Cylinders and tube frames sent out hold up the assembly they belong to
How we handle it. Pyramid plate rolls for shells and cones, CNC tube bending for frames and handrail, specified against plate width and tube diameter wall and radius.
Plan surface preparation
Problem. Blasting needs media containment and disposal that small shops cannot justify
How we handle it. Laser cleaning removes rust paint and coating without media or chemicals, which suits refurbishment and tooling work.
Tooling and commissioning
Problem. A brake with the wrong punch and die is a machine you cannot use
How we handle it. Standard punch and die sets ship with the brake; special forms are quoted from your drawings.
Machines Involved
Hand Guillotine Shear Machine GS-1000
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Foot Power Shearer Q11
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WS Series Manual Sheet Metal Bending Machine
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FD Series Electric Type Folding Machine
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Rolls Pyramid Mechanical Plate Bending Machine W11-120*3000
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CNC Pipe Bender
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CNC Fiber Laser Cutting Machine for Metal and Stainless Steel
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Laser Cleaning Metal Paint Coat Rust Removal Machine
View Machine →Setting Up a Sheet Metal Forming Line Questions
How do I avoid mismatching the shear and the brake?
Specify them together from the same two numbers: largest sheet width and thickest material in your hardest grade. We quote both from those figures.
Do I need a laser as well as a shear?
Only if your profiles change often. If you cut mostly rectangles, the shear is the cheaper and faster machine.
What tooling comes with a press brake?
A standard punch and die set for the machine. Special forms are quoted against your part drawings.
Work Through It With an Engineer
Send us what you already have and what you are trying to do. We will tell you what is missing and in what order to buy it.