Flat blanks become functional parts at the press brake. Lasertech's CNC press brake equipment forms precise bends, complex multi-bend profiles, and tight-tolerance angles across mild steel, stainless, aluminum, and galvanized steel — in-house, in sequence with laser cutting, finishing, and welding.
A press brake forms sheet metal by pressing a punch down into a V-shaped die, bending the material to a precise angle. The CNC system controls punch depth to hit the target angle — accounting for material springback through programmed compensation — and a servo-controlled back-gauge positions the blank accurately for each successive bend.
The result is a repeatable, dimensionally consistent bent profile. A part that requires four bends gets formed four times in sequence, with the back-gauge repositioning between each hit. Complex enclosure pans, channels, Z-profiles, and hat sections are all products of this process.
Bend geometry, material, gauge, and tolerances are reviewed. Bend sequence is planned to avoid tool collision and ensure each flange can be formed without interference from previously bent geometry.
Press brake programs are generated offline using CAD/CAM software. Springback compensation is applied per material and gauge. Programs are verified before machine time is committed.
Punch and die tooling is selected and staged for the bend sequence. CNC back-gauge positions are loaded from the offline program. Setup is verified against the part drawing before production begins.
The first part is formed and measured — angle, flange length, and overall profile geometry checked against drawing requirements before production quantities are run.
Production parts are formed to the verified program. In-process angle checks maintain consistency across the run. Finished parts are inspected and moved to the next operation.
Servo-driven back-gauge positioning holds flange length dimensions consistently across a production run — no drift, no operator-to-operator variation. The gauge goes where the program says, every hit.
Programs are built and verified in software before the machine is touched. This compresses setup time, reduces scrap on first articles, and means complex multi-bend parts are ready to run correctly the first time the blank hits the tooling.
Every material springs back differently after forming. Lasertech's programming accounts for springback per material, temper, and gauge — overbending to the calculated angle so the part arrives at the target after the punch withdraws.
Forming at Lasertech runs immediately downstream of laser cutting — no re-quoting, no inter-vendor transportation, no scheduling gap. A blank cut Monday can be formed Tuesday and move to welding or finishing the same day.
Lasertech maintains an in-house tooling library covering standard 90-degree V-dies, acute angle tooling, gooseneck punches for deep box forming, hemming tooling, and specialty profiles — reducing the need for custom tooling orders on most part geometries.
Press brake forming produces a wide range of bent geometries from simple single-bend angles to complex multi-bend enclosure profiles. These are the primary bend types and profiles Lasertech forms regularly.
The most common press brake operation. Right-angle bends for flanges, brackets, enclosure sides, and structural profiles. High repeatability across large production runs using standard V-die tooling and CNC back-gauge control.
Standard ToolingBends less than 90 degrees — 60°, 45°, 30°, and custom angles — using acute angle punch tooling. Common for sheet metal hooks, retaining clips, angled brackets, and parts that mate with sloped or angled assemblies.
Acute ToolingBends greater than 90 degrees for sloped panels, roof profiles, and parts that require a gentle angle rather than a right-angle flange. Formed using standard V-die tooling with adjusted punch depth programming.
Standard ToolingTwo parallel bends forming a U or C profile — structural channels, wire management trays, cable guides, and enclosure tracks. Formed in two hits with back-gauge repositioning. Available in a wide range of flange heights and overall widths.
Multi-BendA raised channel with outward flanges on both sides — used for stiffening, structural members, and mounting rails. Requires four bends formed in sequence. The hat profile significantly increases section stiffness over flat sheet of the same gauge.
Multi-BendTwo opposing bends creating a step or offset in the material. Used for mounting brackets, transitions between levels in assemblies, and parts that need to clear obstacles while maintaining a flat mating surface on both ends.
Multi-BendFour-sided enclosure pans and boxes formed by bending all four flanges up from a flat blank. Requires gooseneck or offset tooling on deep box profiles where standard punches would contact previously formed flanges. Common for electrical enclosures, equipment housings, and trays.
Gooseneck ToolingA folded-back edge — either open (with a gap) or closed (flat against itself) — used for edge reinforcement, eliminating sharp cut edges on exposed surfaces, and adding stiffness to thin-gauge sheet. Common on panels, covers, and parts with visible edges.
Hemming ToolingCurved bends and custom bend sequences for specialty profiles, architectural components, and parts that don't fit standard V-die geometry. Consult Lasertech's engineering team for radius-formed and non-standard profile requirements.
Consult EngineeringEach material has different forming characteristics — springback, minimum bend radius, and risk of cracking vary by material type, temper, and grain direction. Lasertech's programming accounts for these differences for each material and gauge combination.
Typical operating tolerances for CNC press brake forming at Lasertech. Specific tolerance capability varies by material type, gauge, bend radius, flange length, and part complexity. Contact us with your drawing requirements for a definitive assessment.
These are the most common design factors that affect press brake formability. Addressing them in the design stage avoids rework and tooling surprises at quoting.
The minimum bendable flange length is approximately 4× material thickness for standard V-die tooling. Shorter flanges may require specialty tooling or are not formable — confirm with Lasertech before designing very short flanges.
Where a bend runs to a notch, slot, or cutout at the sheet edge, a bend relief — a small rectangular or radius cutout at the bend terminus — prevents tearing and distortion. Minimum relief width is equal to material thickness.
Holes placed too close to a bend line will distort during forming. Minimum distance from hole edge to bend line is typically 1.5× material thickness plus the bend radius. Features closer than this should be punched after forming or relocated.
On 6061-T6 and other harder aluminum alloys, bending parallel to the grain direction increases crack risk significantly. Orient bends perpendicular to the rolling direction where possible, especially on tight radii.
On box and pan geometries, the punch must fit inside the partially-formed box to form the final flanges. Standard punches have clearance limits — deep boxes require gooseneck or offset tooling. Flag deep boxes at quoting so tooling can be confirmed.
Lasertech operates three CNC press brakes covering the full range of material gauges, part sizes, and tonnage requirements our customers bring. Machine selection for each job is based on part length, material thickness, and required bend force.
TRUMPF's high-capacity press brake for heavy-gauge and large-format forming. Handles the most demanding forming jobs in Lasertech's shop — thick mild steel plate, long parts, and high-tonnage bends that exceed the capacity of lighter-duty machines.
TRUMPF precision press brake for light-to-medium gauge work. The go-to machine for enclosure panels, brackets, and multi-bend profiles on standard material thicknesses. High positional accuracy and fast back-gauge repositioning for efficient production on complex parts.
Bystronic CNC press brake adding additional capacity and flexibility to Lasertech's forming department. Handles the mid-range of material gauges and part sizes, and provides scheduling flexibility on high-volume forming runs alongside the TruBend machines.
Send us your flat blank drawings — DXF, DWG, SolidWorks, or PDF. We'll review your bend geometry, confirm formability, and quote the complete job including laser cutting if you need blanks cut too.