Our New Sheet Metal Bending Service

Until recently, we have offered exclusively laser cutting services, but in January 2024, due to the expansion of our Essex based premises, we were pleased to be able to expand our operations to offer the secondary service of sheet metal bending, for one-off, batch and bulk laser cutting orders.

Combining laser cutting and sheet metal bending services with the same company streamlines the production process by reducing the lead time and delivery costs.

Laser cutting allows for the creation of highly accurate, intricate and complex shapes in sheet metal. If you combine this with bending sheet metal, this enables the transformation of flat sheets into three-dimensional components for a vast array of applications across a range of sectors.

The materials we can bend are the following: 

• CR4
• Zintec
• Galvanised Steel
• S275
• Aluminium
• Stainless Steel

We are not currently bending any prefinished material or tread plate.

We can fold sheet metal between 0.5mm to 20mm however, the fold suitability is entirely dependent on the design, the radius of the bend and length of the part.

About Sheet Metal Bending

Bending sheet metal is the process of permanently transforming a flat metal sheet into a curve or angle. In processing, bending, sometimes also called folding, creates a permanent deformation of the material. The basic principle for sheet metal bending is that you need a force for influencing a permanent deformation in the material, and a support for the sheet metal. For press braking, terms commonly used are punch and die.

We can bend sheet metal between 0.9mm to 20mm and up to 3 metres in length. The largest leg length we can achieve is 550mm. The smallest piece of metal we can fold is as small as 15mm x 15mm x 0.9mm.

The angle of the bend in sheet metal is measured between the bent flange and its original position, or as the included angle between perpendicular lines drawn from the bend lines. Sometimes specified as the inside bend radius. The outside bend radius is equal to the inside bend radius plus the sheet thickness.

The maximum bend angle depends on how ductile the material is. A very ductile steel workpiece can be folded like a piece of paper, whereas a brittle one may crack at minor bend angles.

Bending sheet metal will somewhat increase the original length of the workpiece, perpendicular to the bending line. Bend allowance is the extra material required to accommodate the bend in the metal. The angle of tolerance we work to is ±1°

For anything over 8mm thick, our capability is entirely dependent on the design, the radius of the bend and length of the part.

Watch our press brake in action, our machine is a Bystronic Xpert Pro 100 tonne, 3 metre press brake.

Technical Specifications:

• Pressing Force: 100 tonnes
• Folding Length: 3 metres
• Distance Between Side Frames: Specifically optimised for 3-metre length
• Stroke: Adjustable, with settings for diverse material thicknesses
• Operational Speed: Calibrated for rapid yet precise bends