Getting a new piece of metal cold bending(rolling) equipment for your workshop can be sometimes puzzling, despite significant advances in cold bending equipment(plate rolling machine and profile bending machine/angle roll) technology the multiple forces and directions of inertia that occur as the forming takes place in a metal rolling plate or profile rolling still require a high level of skill as well as a comprehensive knowledge of materials and rolling practices. Your choice of plate rolling machines or profile bending machines is equally imperative for effective and precision production. With a wide range of plate rolling machines and profile bending machines(angle roller) now available on the market which one should you choose, and what are the factors that could, or should influence your choice?
We have a fantastic amount of experience and expertise in plate rolling machines and angle rolls to help your workshop’s productivity, which is why it is advisable to consult experts with a lot of experience with cold bending machines to save you money and end the confusion.
Make 4 rules for yourself before purchasing
Metal plates or profiles
It is important to determine the metal material you need to bend, the sheet metal material determines the type of bending machine you need.
Usually, our bendable metal materials are divided into two categories: plates and profiles.
Plate generally refers to carbon steel or stainless steel plate.
Profile refers to angle iron, steel pipe, square pipe, H and I steel beam, channel steel, hollow aluminum, flat steel, square steel, etc.
- Sheet Metal: If it needs to be rounded, then you need a plate rolling machine.
- Metal profiles are very simple, and a corner roll can solve the roll bending requirements.
Note: For aluminum with hollow sections, we usually recommend using our dedicated PBA aluminum bending machine.
Yield Strength
The difference in metal materials determines the capabilities of the machine.
The yield strength is the strength of the material you are rolling, or better put, the strength of resistance to bending that the material has.
The harder the material the higher the yield strength and the larger/stronger the steel plate roller or angle roller must be to roll the material. Yield points vary greatly from Aluminum to Stainless and other materials in between.
For the same thickness as steel plate, carbon steel requires a larger machine than stainless steel. Because the yield strength of stainless steel is much greater than that of carbon steel.
For the bending of aluminum, we recommend using a special aluminum bending machine – the PBA series CNC aluminum bending machine.
Make sure you know the Yield strength of your material as plate rollers or angle rolls are all offered on mild steel (30,000 PSI) yield strength rating but can be sized in accordance with your needs.
The Thickness of Material
Firstly, be sure of the machine size and the operations you need it for, the thickness of the material you will be using, and the closeness of the diameter you want to acquire. Weighing these options will work as a good start to deciding the size of the rolling machine you need.
It will be unpleasant to end up with a plate rolling machine/angle roller that is too big for your operation, yet, you will not want to use up the machine’s ability after every operation. Exhausting the machine’s ability can result in a technician flop and is particularly strenuous to the shafts, hydraulic-equipped type, and gears.
Minimum bending radius
The minimum diameter is the smallest diameter you desire to roll your material into because it is a great driving factor for the size of the machine that will be appropriate for your workshop’s certain needs.
There’s a rule of thumb to determine a steel’s minimum bend radius: Divide 50 by the material’s tensile reduction percentage as specified by your supplier. This value will vary by grade.
If the steel has a tensile reduction value of 10 percent, divide 50 by that value: 50/10 = 5. Next, subtract 1 from that answer: 5 – 1 = 4. Now, multiply that answer by the plate thickness. If the material is 0.5 in. thick: 4 × 0.5 = 2. So in this case, the minimum inside bend radius is 2 times the material thickness.