Everything You Need to Know About Press Brake Fundamentals

1. Introduction

The press brake can achieve precise multi-angle bending of metal sheets according to the requirements of drawings, which is an irreplaceable and important equipment in modern manufacturing, and plays a central role in the processing of metal sheets and profiles.

From household appliance shells to auto parts, aviation parts and other industries, almost all industries that require metal precision forming are inseparable from brake presses.

The basic knowledge of press brakes is not only a necessary skill for novices, but also the basis for experienced operators to ensure the safety and quality of the production process. Only by mastering these basic knowledge can we avoid equipment losses caused by mistakes and achieve the goal of intelligent manufacturing and lean

2. What is a press brake?

2.1 Definition of press

A press brake is a machining tool that uses a punch and die to bend sheet metal into specific shapes and angles.

2.2 Working principle of press brake

The working principle of the brake press is to apply pressure to the downward movement of the upper die according to the parameters of the die and the plate, and press the plate fixed in the backgauge into the lower die and bend it into the angle and shape required by the design.

3. The main components of the press brake

3.1 Frame

The frame is mainly used to support the pressure load during the processing process and prevent the entire equipment from deforming or falling apart under high pressure.

3.2 Press brake tools

3.2.1 Upper die (Punch)：The upper die has V-shaped, U-shaped and other shapes, and its main function is to apply downward force to guide the plate into the lower die.

3.2.2 Die: On the one hand, the die supports the sheet metal, and on the other hand, it determines the final shape of the plate. Concave molds are the most common lower mold models.

3.3 Back gauge

During the bending process, the function of the press brake back gauge is to correctly position and fix the plate to prevent the plate from shaking off the track during the bending process.

3.4 Operation panel and control system

3.4.1 Operation panel：The operation panel is the link between the operator and the brake press directly. The operation panel is a platform for the operator to input processing parameters and monitor the processing status, and it is also the guarantee of high-precision bending.

3.4.2 Control system: The common control system is the CNC control system, in bending, the press brake control system plays the role of accurately controlling the pressure, angle, backgauge position and other parameters during bending.

3.5 The difference between hydraulic system and electric system

3.5.1 Hydraulic system: The hydraulic system mainly provides pressure through the flow of hydraulic oil, with greater flexibility and pressure output of up to hundreds of tons, suitable for metal processing with large thicknesses. The disadvantage is that the hydraulic system is relatively complicated to maintain and is very noisy.

3.5.2 Electric system: The electric system is driven by an electric motor to bend the workpiece, which has better accuracy and faster working speed. There are many advantages, not only easy to operate, but also save energy and low maintenance costs. However, the disadvantage is that it is only suitable for bending of low to medium tonnage, and is helpless against large tonnage and large thick plates.

3.6 Slider (Ram)

The slider moves according to the set trajectory, and by the way, drives the upper die to move vertically, so as to realize the bending of the metal sheet. As the source of pressure on the sheet metal of the entire press brake, the accuracy of the slider is directly related to the final accuracy and quality of the product.

3.7 Bed

The worktable is a platform used to place metal sheets, from which the metal sheets are processed into the desired shape by the upper die. The worktable is usually used in conjunction with the backgauge to achieve the positioning of the sheet metal.

4. Type of press brake

4.1 Hydraulic press brake

The hydraulic press brake can provide hundreds of tons of pressure stably, and its good flexibility can adapt to various molds, various thicknesses, and large quantities of metal production scenarios.

4.2 Mechanical press brake

The mechanical press brake exerts force through the rotational movement of the mechanical system, compared with the hydraulic press brake, its driving speed is faster, more responsive, easy to maintain, not as cumbersome as the hydraulic brake press, especially suitable for bending tasks that do not require high precision.

4.3 Electric press brake

The electric system is the foundation of the electric brake press, which directly drives the mechanical part to perform bending work. Electric press brakes are not only known for their high precision, but also high efficiency and energy efficiency, but they are only suitable for small batch production of low to medium tonnage.

5. How does a press brake work?

5.1 Setup

The press brake operator should first check the status of the machine, including the voltage system and hydraulic system, to confirm that the system is running without debris interference. The second is to select the appropriate punch and die based on specific production requirements and set the bending parameters.

5.2 Positioning

The operator should not only place it on the workbench, but also adjust the position of the backgauge, only when the backgauge firmly against the metal plate material and keep the plate not shaking at will is called to complete the positioning.

5.3 Bending

The bending work is performed by the punch and the lower die. The bending speed and pressure should not be too large or too small, and with the completion of the setting, the punch will fall with the movement of the slider, pressing the metal into the die and bending it into a specific size and shape.

5.4 Release

After the bending is completed, the operator releases the clamping device, and the punch is immediately returned to its original place for subsequent sampling and inspection.

5.5 Inspection

After release, the operator will remove the product and use professional evaluation tools to measure the bending angle and accuracy of the product in detail. If it fails, it is necessary to continue to adjust the parameters and process again to ensure that the finished product meets the process quality standards required by the design.

6. How to set up the press brake

6.1 Selection and installation of molds

According to the required bending angle, material thickness and material, select the appropriate upper and lower molds. During installation, it is necessary to ensure that the die is fully docked and maintained parallel to the press brake to avoid deformation or loss of use in subsequent production.

6.2 Adjust the position of the backgauge and set the parameters

First, after the mold is installed and shaped, the position of the backgauge is adjusted first to make the metal sheet firmly controlled by the backgauge. Next, consider the setting of parameters, and the operator should comprehensively measure the thickness, length, and bending tools of the metal sheet, and convert these data into corresponding parameters.

6.3 Testing and adjustment

After all preparations are completed, the brake press will start the simulation test. The purpose of simulation testing is to compare the physical object with the predetermined model to get the final product needed. Therefore, the operator should compare the actual bending effect with the set data, and if there is any unreasonableness, adjust it and test it many times until it can meet the requirements.

7. Bending technology of press brake

7.1 Introduction to commonly used bending techniques

7.1.1 Air bending: Leave a space between the upper die and the lower die, so that the plate can recover the elastic deformation caused by the pressure applied by the upper die. It is suitable for bending a wide range of materials, especially for thin plates and bends within 120 degrees.

7.1.2 Bottom die bending: Bottom die bending is a bending method in which the upper die completely presses the plate into the mold, which has the advantage of ensuring high-precision angle and depth, but will lead to very serious mold wear.

7.1.3 Embossing and bending: The complete shaping and processing of the material is very suitable due to its high refinement bending of parts that require high precision in small sizes, especially for some small specifications but delicate crafts.

Related technical reading : The Complete Guide to Press Brake Techniques:11 Types of sheet metal pressing process Explained

7.2 Factors affecting the choice of bending technology

7.2.1 Material type: The material of the metal itself has a great influence on the selection of bending methods, such as aluminum and steel in metals, because the hardness of steel is greater than that of aluminum, it is possible to choose a bending method with a larger thickness and hardness range.

7.2.2 Material thickness: Two metals of different thicknesses of the same material, the thicker one is suitable for the technology related to heavy molds such as hydraulic press brakes.

7.2.3 Precision: Embossing and base die bending are more suitable for high-precision products, while the requirements for precision are not so high, and other technologies such as air bending can be used.

7.2.4 Production efficiency: For simple but efficient bending, air bending is the most advantageous and more suitable way. However, if you require fast mass production and pay attention to speed, three-point bending may be a more suitable choice.

7.3 Important technical parameters of press brakes

7.3.1 Pressure capacity and table length: The pressure capacity determines the processing capacity of the brake press, how much metal it can handle and how thick the plate is. The length of the table is more about the maximum machinable length and width.

7.3.2 Maximum bending angle and working speed: The maximum bending angle specifies the maximum number of workpieces that the press brake can bend, so the pre-estimation can avoid the load caused by the machine due to processing exceeding the limit. The speed of work accounts for the efficiency of mass production, which is directly linked to the delivery cycle of the enterprise, customer satisfaction and production profit.

7.3.3 Precision requirements: Accuracy is the most important parameter for a brake press, which determines what kind of metal sheet the press brake can process, and is the most important criterion for enterprises to purchase.

8. Safety measures for press brakes

8.1 Press brake safety device

8.1.1 Emergency stop button: designed in a conspicuous position on the operation panel, which can allow the operator to react quickly and disconnect the power supply in the event of a sudden failure or accident of the machine, stop all mechanical activities, and ensure the safety of personnel.

8.1.2 Press brake safety light curtain: mainly used to capture any items flying into the light curtain, at this time the function of the press brake safety light curtains is to stop the press brake immediately to prevent the machine from failing due to unknown objects.

8.1.3 Two-hand control: Limit the number of hands used by the operator during work, so that the operator must operate with both hands, reducing the possibility of accidental injury with one hand.

8.2 Necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

8.3 Common operating errors and avoidance methods

8.3.1 Neglect of safety equipment inspection: Before starting the machine, the production team can send a representative to supervise and record each inspection in the inspection log, which can ensure that all safety facilities are working properly to a certain extent.

8.3.2 Inaccurate material placement: Operators must be trained on material placement to ensure that they can find the location of a given place smoothly and familiarly, and avoid bending deviations caused by material slippage.

8.3.3 No regular maintenance and inspection: The enterprise must formulate a system of regular inspection and maintenance of the brake press, and implement it, and the superior leader can check the maintenance records from time to time to reduce equipment failure and operation risk.

Related technical reading : The Ultimate Guide to Press Brake Safety Devices and Guidelines for 2025

9. Common applications of press brakes

9.1 Application examples in different industries

9.1.1 Automobiles: mainly used in the manufacture of related positions of the automobile body, including side frames, roof frames, chassis and other components that provide strength and safety for the car. Most of the parts manufactured by press brakes can withstand certain external impact and extrusion force to ensure a certain safety of the personnel in the vehicle.

9.1.2 Aviation: Components that require high strength and toughness, such as wings, base components, and built-in frames used in the manufacture of aircraft. Press brakes not only ensure the production of wear-resistant, complex and high-hardness metal parts, but also reduce manufacturing costs compared to other equipment.

9.1.3 Construction: Press brakes are good at manufacturing structural components that play a supporting role and meet specific load-bearing and compression requirements, and the building parts manufactured by press brakes are usually affordable and durable, providing a boost to the development of the construction industry.

9.2 Types of bending tasks in actual production

If you actually need a metal part with a horizontal or vertical bending effect, try creating a V-shaped part. If you need to make closed or curved structures in the home field, such as the structure of a sink and metal edges, you may wish to try making U-shaped parts.

10. Maintenance and maintenance of press brakes

10.1 Common maintenance measures

10.2 How to extend the service life of brake presses

First of all, operators must strictly abide by the operation manual and must not make some mistakes in principle. Secondly, after each high-intensity and high-load production, the press brake must be lubricated, cleaned and maintained, and check the machine on time for problems in misoperation. Finally, using high-quality equipment is also important to reduce wear and tear on a daily basis.

10.3 Regular inspection and troubleshooting

The electrical system and hydraulic system are the two main systems of brake presses, and their normal operation is related to all production and processing. Once a fault is found, no matter how small, it must be paid attention to and investigated step by step to ensure that it will not cause more serious damage to the equipment. In addition, enterprises can make records related to equipment failure and maintenance, which is convenient for testing machine performance and evaluating maintenance effects.

Related technical reading : Ultimate Guide to Hydraulic Press Brake Maintenance: Top Tools, Schedules & Expert Tips

11. Conclusion

This article summarizes the basics of press brakes, including how they work, how to use them, and maintenance measures.

Standardized operation and reasonable maintenance management are necessary means to achieve efficient production and ensure the safety of workers. Choosing the right equipment for production, reinforcing and improving the parts of the press brake according to the needs, and strictly following the prescribed procedures for production are effective means to improve production efficiency and quality.

12. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)