Sheet Metal Brakes
Sheet metal brakes bend flat metal workpieces by folding them against a beam or pressing them into a die. Also called sheet metal benders, they are commonly used to bend panels and form pans in metal fabrication applications. Straight brakes have a solid top beam to make one or two simple bends along the length of a sheet. Box-and-pan brakes have a segmented top beam with removable plates to make multiple bends in workpieces and form boxes, pans, and trays. Magnetic brakes use an electromagnet to secure sheet metal during bending and allow open-end clamping to form complex bends and shapes. Press brakes orient their punch vertically and drive it into a die to bend sheet metal. They provide more control of bend profiles than straight or box-and-pan brakes. Horizontal press brakes orient their punch horizontally and drive it into a die to bend sheet metal. They shape narrower sheets than vertical press brakes.