Brake Tooling

When you upload a sheet metal part, our system will use your model to select appropriate tooling and simulate your part. If there are any collisions, you can watch the bend simulation to see why. To get a head start, it can help to understand the shape and size of our punches, since they have a big impact on possible shapes.

Avoiding Tooling Collisions

Use a Bend Limit Graph - Tooling catalogs often contain "bend limit graphs" that show the tooling profile on grid paper. You can often get a rough idea of what will work by printing the graph and aligning your part or a scale mockup on the punch, checking for collisions. Bend limit graphs for our punches are available here.
Use a DXF Tool Profile - Download a DXF profile of a punch, import it into your CAD software, and check it against the 3D model of your part. DXF profiles of our punches are available below.
Upload and Check - Once you have a sheet metal design, you can upload it to our website and watch it bend. If there are any issues, you can see them, tweak your design, and try again.

Swan Neck Punches

Swan neck punches allow for deeper channel bends. Our swan neck punches support bend angles of 90 degrees or greater (from the perspective of the punch). Acute bends require acute punches.

The maximum flange height on a sheet metal part depends on the base length and the punch profile.

Swan Neck DXF Profiles

61086010 - 1mm tip radius, for thin metals

61086040 - 4mm tip radius, for 0.188" thick plate and up

Swan Neck Max Channel Depth

When produced on a press brake, the maximum channel depth of a sheet metal part is dependent on the base width and the punch profile. Material thickness and type can have an impact as well, since slight overbending may be required to compensate for springback. The numbers shown below are for 0.075" A1008. Actual results may vary slightly from these computed estimates.

Maximum flange length vs base length on 61086010 swan neck punch

Acute Punches

Our acute punches will be used by default, even for bends greater than or equal to 90 degrees. Swan neck punches are only used when required for deep channels or return flanges.