Bending: the route, the tolerances it holds, materials and design tips, with an indicative cost. One of 56 processes in the free finder.
Sheet formingFamily
+/-0.2mmTypical tol.
5Route steps
89Parts in finder
Sheet-metal bending (press braking) forms a straight bend in sheet by pressing it into a V-die, building a 3D part from flat stock through a sequence of bends.
At a glance
When to use it, and when not
Best for
Enclosures, brackets, panels and chassis in low to high volume.
Watch for
Springback and minimum flange and bend-radius rules; complex bends can collide.
Step by step
The typical route
Raw material to finished part. Steps vary with material, volume and tolerance; this is the free route from the finder.
Blank
Cut the flat blank.
Tooling Laser Tolerance - Lead -
Bend
Form flanges on the press brake in sequence.
Tooling Press brake Tolerance - Lead -
Tap/insert
Tap holes or press in clinch nuts.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Finish
Deburr, then plate or powder-coat.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Inspect
Check angles and flange dimensions.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Precision
Tolerances it can hold
TYPICAL TOLERANCE IT CAN HOLD
Where this process typically lands. Tighter is possible with extra operations like grinding, at higher cost.
Materials
Materials it suits
Grade
Why it suits this
Mild steel
Easy to form
Aluminium 5052
Formable, corrosion
Stainless 304
Springback higher
Design
Design tips
A few general pointers for Bending. The full, part-specific DFM list is in the dossier.
Bend radius too tight.Use >=1x thickness inside radius.
Flange shorter than brake minimum.Lengthen the flange.
Cost
What it costs
Press-brake forming; cost scales with number of bends and setups. Few bends, generous tolerance = cheap.
PER-PART COST vs VOLUME
Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for your part at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.
MODEL EST.
$5.9 to 10per part at 1 off
A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.
GET THE FULL DOSSIER
Everything you need to quote and source it
The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on this process and buy it well:
Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
A quote checker that tells you if a supplier quote is fair, and the red flags to watch
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Sheet-metal bending (press braking) forms a straight bend in sheet by pressing it into a V-die, building a 3D part from flat stock through a sequence of bends. The typical route is: Blank; Bend; Tap/insert; Finish; Inspect. Enclosures, brackets, panels and chassis in low to high volume.
What does Bending cost per part?
It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $5.9 to 10 per part at low volume and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. Model estimates, not quotes.
What tolerance can Bending hold?
Typically about +/-0.2 mm, tighter with extra finishing operations at higher cost.
What materials suit Bending?
Common choices are Mild steel (Easy to form); Aluminium 5052 (Formable, corrosion); Stainless 304 (Springback higher).
See the exact route and should-cost for your part
The free finder maps your part to its process and full route. Pro adds should-cost at your volume, sourcing and an RFQ draft.
