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Brake forming is a process which a sheet of metal or other material are shaped into V-shape, U-shape, or Channel shape along a straight axis.

Contents 1 Process characteristics 2 Process 3 Work piece geometry 4 Geometric possibilities 5 Process Results (Production rate) 6 Calculations 6.1 Production Rates 7 References

[edit] Process characteristics

- To shape a material it has to be ductile(bendable)
- It is used for low and medium production
- Does not require a lot of tooling
- It is very useful to produce small parts.

[edit] Process

In press brake forming, a work piece is positioned over the die block and the die block presses the sheet to form a shape. It is usual that the process has to be repeated again because the material may deform back to its shape again. Some of the press machine designed to over bend the material so no a second time pressing is necessary.

[edit] Work piece geometry

Material sheet thickness varies from1/32 to ½ in with length from 6in to 20 ft. Ductile materials are best suited for the pressing like aluminum, mild steel and new plastic materials (Todd 1994).

[edit] Geometric possibilities

The geometric possibilities are U-shape, V-shape, and Channels. The U-punch forms a U- shape with on single punch. For the V-shape, it depends on what the customer wants. A 90 degree bend is the most common one (Todd 1994).

[edit] Process Results (Production rate)

There are many factors that affect the rate of production and these are: • The tool geometry • What kind of material it is. • Spring back ( resistance to be formed)

[edit] Calculations

There is formula to find the rate of production how long it takes to finish a cycle for a material which also make a big factor for the cost production like setup time, load/unload time, and overheat rate(Todd 1994).

[edit] Production Rates

Production rates depend on the shape and type of the material. The thickness and other stuff play also a big role in timing.

workpiece material	Thickness (in.)	Required bending force (tons)	Production rate (bends/min)
steel	1/8	4	60
	1/4	15	60
	1/2	60	30
Aluminum	1/8	3	60
	1/4	10	65
	1/2	40	40

^[1]

[edit] References

• Todd, Robert (1994). Manufacturing Processes Reference Guide. New York: Industrial Press inc.. ISBN 0831130490.