Those working with steel often have requirments for custom parts that require multiple bends. Sometimes multiple machines are required to perform such a task. Using an experienced roller/bender with an extensive collection of rolling and bending machines can ensure accuracy and efficiency when bending steel.
A recent example occurred when a customer required custom brackets for pipe clamps. The clamp called for 1/2″ x 6″ material to wrap partially around a pipe, and then for the ends to be bent backwards to form a hat shape.
In order for this bend to be accomplished, first the part had to be laid out marking where each bend would take place. The first bending action was to form the larger radii on a press brake. Care had to be taken to leave the extra material tangent to the curve in order to be able to accurately bend them back. The second bending operation was performed on a smaller press bending machine more suitable for tight radii of that size material. Finally, every piece was checked against a template to make sure that the radii and height of pieces were within tolerance. The image below shows one of the parts which had to be bent to a 4.75″ inside radius for a 9.5″ OD tube.
