Neometrix / Metal Forming Machines / Hydraulic Press Brake / NMX-PHB-94

NMX-PHB-94 · ENGINEERED-TO-ORDER CLASS — PART · TOOLING · MACHINE · SAFETY · BUILD · PROVE

Hydraulic Press Brake. Same angle, end to end.

Name: Hydraulic Press Brake
Brand: Neometrix
SKU: NMX-PHB-94

A hydraulic press brake folds sheet metal along a line: the sheet lies on a die, a punch on the ram comes down into it, and the sheet takes the angle. Neometrix engineers it as a system around the part: the frame, the hydraulic drive, the tooling, the back gauge, the guarding, the controls and the proof.

So the machine has to bend the same angle along the whole length, keep the ram parallel to the bed, and put every bend where the drawing says, part after part.

Discuss a press brake Capability note (PDF)

A hydraulic press brake on a plain white studio background: two heavy pale grey steel side frames joined by a stiff bed at the lower front and a moving ram beam above, a long bright steel punch under the ram and a long bright steel die block with a V-shaped groove on the bed, a vertical hydraulic cylinder with a bright chrome rod on top of each side frame, a slim back gauge bar with two small finger blocks behind the die, a pale grey hydraulic power unit beside the left frame joined by two braided hoses, a plain blank control console on an arm, a bright steel sheet bent into an angle lying on the die, and no people

Fig · 01 — A hydraulic press brake: two side frames, a ram on two cylinders over a bed with a punch and a die, a back gauge behind the die, and a hydraulic power unit beside it, with a sheet already bent — illustrative render.

The result

the same angle along the whole benda flange that is straight and square to the line

The ram

two cylinders, kept levelthe ram stays parallel to the bed through every stroke

The bed

crowned against deflectionso that the middle bends as far as the ends

The back gauge

puts the bend where the drawing saysset for distance, and for height where it has the axis

Status

engineered to orderno delivered press brake claimed

ISO 9001ISO 14001EN 12622 reference for press brake safetyISO 13849-1 reference for control safety

Overview

What a press brake has to get right, and where a long machine goes wrong.

Because a long machine bends too, and a bend is only as true as the frame that holds the tools.

A set of press brake tooling laid out on a plain white studio background: a long straight punch bar of bright steel with a rounded edge along its bottom, a long die block of bright steel with a V-shaped groove along its top, a short punch with a curved neck, and two bright steel sheets bent, one into a right-angled L and one into a U channel, and no people

Fig · 02 — The tooling: a straight punch, a die with a V-shaped groove and a punch with a curved neck, beside a sheet bent into an L and another bent into a channel — illustrative render.

Same angle, end to end.

What the machine is for

It bends sheet to a drawing. The sheet lies on a die, a punch on the ram comes down into it, and the sheet folds along a line. A back gauge sets how far in the sheet lies, so that every bend falls where the drawing says. It serves fabrication shops, enclosure and panel makers and maintenance workshops.

How the angle is set

In air bending, the angle depends on how deep the punch goes into the die. A deeper stroke gives a sharper bend. The sheet touches only the punch tip and the shoulders of the die, so a change of depth is a change of angle, and the control sets the depth.

Why the sheet springs back

When the punch lifts, the elastic part of the bend relaxes and the angle opens a little. So the machine has to bend further than the angle it wants. How much further depends on the material, the thickness and the die, so it is learned from trial bends and kept with the part.

Why a long machine bends too

A ram and a bed carry a heavy load along a long line, so they deflect, and the middle of a beam gives more than its ends. The punch then goes less deep in the middle, and the angle there opens more than at the ends. A bend that is true at the ends and open in the middle is the commonest fault of a press brake.

Why two cylinders keep the ram level

The ram is driven by a cylinder at each end. Each is controlled on its own and has a position reading, so that the ram stays parallel to the bed through the stroke, and can be tilted on purpose where a part needs it.

Why the bed is crowned

Crowning lifts the middle of the lower beam by an amount that follows the load, so that it meets the deflection of the ram. The punch then goes as deep in the middle as at the ends, and the angle is the same along the whole length.

Why the back gauge has axes

The fingers of the back gauge set the distance from the bend line and, where the axis is fitted, their height as well. The sheet is pushed against them, and the bend falls where the drawing says.

Why safety is part of the design

An operator holds the sheet close to the tools. So the area in front of the tools is guarded by a light curtain or a laser device that stops the ram when it is broken, with a two-hand or foot control and an emergency stop.

The method

Part, tooling, machine, safety, build and prove.

Six steps in a fixed order. The tooling and the proof are the two that a quick job skips.

1 · Part

The parts and the sheet are noted: the material, the thickness, the length of the longest bend, the radius, the number of bends in a part, and what the part is for.

2 · Tooling

The punch and the die are chosen for the sheet and the radius, and the opening of the die is chosen from the thickness and the bend, so that the tools do not ask more of the machine than it has.

3 · Choose the machine

The length of the bed, the capacity and the axes of the back gauge are chosen to carry the longest bend with force to spare, so that the frame is never working at its limit.

4 · Make it safe

The area in front of the tools is guarded and stops the ram when it is broken. An emergency stop is fitted, and trapped hydraulic pressure can be released.

5 · Build

The frames, the ram, the bed, the cylinders, the power unit and the controls are built and fitted, with the hydraulics flushed and the ram set parallel to the bed.

6 · Prove

Trial bends are run on the customer's own sheet, the springback table is written, the angle is checked along the whole length, and the record is handed over with the machine.

Which fault, which cure

What you see	What causes it	What the machine does about it
The angle opens in the middle	the ram and the bed deflect under load	crowning of the lower beam, set to follow the load
The angle differs from one end to the other	one side of the ram is lower than the other	two cylinders under their own control, with a position reading on each
The angle opens after the punch lifts	the elastic part of the bend relaxes	an overbend taken from the springback table
A flange is the wrong width	the sheet was not against the gauge	a back gauge with fingers set for distance, and for height where the axis is fitted
Cracks along the bend	the radius is too tight for the sheet	a wider die opening, and a bend radius chosen for the material
Marks on the sheet	dirt or a sharp shoulder on the tooling	clean tooling with rounded shoulders, and a film where the finish matters

The step people underrate is the trial bend along the whole length. A springback table written from the customer's own sheet, and checked at both ends and in the middle, is worth more than one taken from a book.

Work content

What the machine contains, element by element.

Read it as a checklist: a machine missing a row will bend sheet, but it will not hold the angle from end to end.

The back gauge of a press brake seen from behind and slightly above on a plain white studio background: a long horizontal bar of bright steel on two upright pale grey columns with two small finger blocks and stop fingers sliding along it, the rear edge of a flat bright steel sheet resting against the fingers over a long die block with a V-shaped groove, the pale grey rear of the ram above, two bright braided hoses, and no people

Fig · 03 — The back gauge from behind: a bar on two columns with finger blocks and stop fingers, and the edge of a sheet resting against the fingers over the die — illustrative render.

Element	What it does	What matters
Frames and bed	carry the load	two stiff side frames and a bed in stress-relieved welded steel, stiff enough that the deflection under the full load is small and even
Ram and cylinders	drive the punch	a ram driven by a hydraulic cylinder at each end, each with a position transducer, so that the ram stays parallel to the bed
Crowning	answers the deflection	a lower beam that is lifted in the middle by an amount that follows the load, so that the angle is the same along the length
Tooling	forms the part	punch and die sets in holders with quick clamps, chosen for the sheet and the radius, with a spare set for the next job
Back gauge	places the bend	fingers on a bar that set the distance from the bend line and, where the axis is fitted, their height, with a stop that the sheet is pushed to
Hydraulic power unit	supplies the drive	a motor and pump, a reservoir, filters, relief valves and valves for each cylinder, with a heat exchanger where the duty needs one
Controller	runs the bend program	a controller that holds the depth, the back gauge positions and the springback correction of every bend, and runs them in order
Angle measurement	checks the bend	an optional measurement of the angle during the bend, and a check of the first part against the drawing at the ends and in the middle
Sheet supports	carry the sheet	supports in front of the die that follow the sheet as it rises, so that a long sheet does not drag on the tools
Guarding and emergency stop	protect the operator	a light curtain or a laser device in front of the tools, two-hand or foot control, an emergency stop, and a way to release trapped pressure
Testing & documentation	prove the machine first	trial bends on the customer's own sheet, the springback table, the guard and the stop exercised, and a record the customer can inspect

The elements that decide the result are the crowning and the two level cylinders, and the one that decides whether the result lasts is the springback table. The first two make the angle the same along the length, and the third lets the next job start where the last one ended.

Full specification — expand

System	Two side frames and a bed with a crowning system; a ram driven by two hydraulic cylinders under their own control, with position transducers; a punch and die set with holders; a back gauge with fingers set for distance and, where the axis is fitted, for height; a hydraulic power unit with a reservoir, filters, relief valves and valves for each cylinder; a controller that holds the bend program and the springback correction; sheet supports; guarding with a light curtain or a laser device and an emergency stop; and trial bends and documentation before handover
The One Idea	Same angle, end to end.
Why The Angle Drifts Along The Bend	A long ram and a long bed deflect under load, so the punch goes less deep in the middle and the angle there opens more than at the ends; two ram cylinders kept level and a crowned bed make the angle the same along the whole length
Why The Machine Bends Past The Angle	When the punch lifts, the elastic part of the bend relaxes and the angle opens a little, so the machine bends further than the angle it wants, by an amount learned from trial bends on the customer's own sheet and kept with the part
Standards	EN 12622 covers the safety of hydraulic press brakes, and ISO 13849-1 covers the safety-related parts of control systems. This page prints none of their limits or requirements, and no edition year: those come from the standard the customer names. Approval of a machine rests with the customer and the authority they name; none is claimed here
Configurations	A hydraulic press brake with a crowned bed, a CNC press brake with a multi-axis back gauge, and a bending station with sheet supports and checking
Scope Boundary	This page is the hydraulic press brake, which folds sheet along a line between a punch and a die. It is not a hydraulic press, which forms a part between dies (see hydraulic press machine), not a tube bending machine, which bends tube and pipe round a die (see hydraulic tube and pipe bending machine) and not a stretch forming machine, which stretches a section or a sheet over a form (see stretching and stretch forming machine). It does not decide the design of the part, and it does not replace the fabricator's own procedure. No certification or accreditation is claimed here
Status	Neometrix engineers hydraulic press brakes to order, and no delivered hydraulic press brake is claimed.

Configurations

One method, three ways to build the machine.

The method, the safety design, the tooling logic and the proof are shared. What changes is the length of the bend, how many axes the back gauge has, and how much of the shop's flow the machine carries.

Hydraulic press brake with a crowned bed

Two level ram cylinders, a crowned bed and a back gauge for distance

For a shop that bends a range of parts by hand-fed sheet: a stiff frame, a ram kept parallel to the bed, a bed crowned against deflection, and a back gauge that sets the distance of the bend line.

CNC press brake with a multi-axis back gauge

The same frame, with a back gauge for distance and height and a program for every part

For parts with several bends: a controller that holds the depth, the gauge positions and the springback of every bend, and runs the bends in order, with an optional measurement of the angle.

Bending station with sheet supports and checking

A press brake with supports that follow the sheet and a place to check the first part

For long sheets and repeat batches: supports in front of the die that carry the sheet as it rises, a checking position for the angle along the whole length, and the program kept for the next batch.

And the part that is not equipment at all, yet decides all three: the tooling and the springback table. They are written from the customer's own sheet, bends and parts, not from the machine.

The drawings

A reference set, drawn as real CAD sheets.

Two sheets of one reference configuration: the hydraulic circuit of a hydraulic press brake, and its general arrangement with three details. They show the power unit with the two ram cylinders and the crowning cylinder, the machine in elevation, the section at the tools, deflection and crowning, the angle along the bend and the back gauge. They carry tags and letters only. Every force, pressure, size, thickness, angle limit and time is fixed by design for the customer's parts.

Fig · 04 — Sheet 01, the hydraulic circuit: one power unit feeding the two ram cylinders with their counterbalance valves and position transducers, and the crowning cylinder, in the style of the graphical symbols of fluid power. Reference configuration, tags only.

Reference drawing sheet two, the general arrangement and details of a hydraulic press brake. A front elevation shows the two side frames, the ram driven by a cylinder at each end, the bed with the die, the punch, the back gauge behind them, the power unit, the control console with its emergency stop and the light curtain. A section at the tools shows air bending: the sheet touches only the punch tip and the two shoulders of the die. An item list numbers eleven parts. Detail A is deflection with and without crowning, Detail B the angle along the bend, the same at the ends and in the middle or open in the middle, and Detail C the back gauge with the distance of the bend line and the height of the finger. A title block stamped reference configuration, not for construction

Fig · 05 — Sheet 02, the general arrangement and details: the machine in elevation, the section at the tools, deflection and crowning, the angle along the bend and the back gauge. Reference configuration, letters only.

Every real machine is drawn for its own sheet, its bends and its shop. These sheets are the arrangement and the order of working that a project set starts from. Approval of any drawing rests with the customer and the authority they name; none is claimed here.

PDF · two sheets

Reference drawings — schematic and arrangement

PDF · capability sheet

Hydraulic press brake — what Neometrix engineers

Where it is used

Wherever sheet is folded to a drawing, and the flange has to be true.

The common thread is a flat blank, a bend that has to be the same along its whole length, and a shop that cannot afford a part that was almost right.

Fabrication and job shops

Where many different parts are bent in small batches, and a quick change of tooling matters as much as the bend.

Enclosure, panel and cabinet makers

Where long flanges and square corners have to line up, so that a door closes and a panel sits flat.

Structural and section fabricators

Where plate is folded into sections and channels, and the angle must hold from one end of the length to the other.

Maintenance and repair workshops

Where a replacement part is bent from a pattern or a drawing, and has to fit without being forced.

Watch

See it in motion.

A short walkthrough video of the Hydraulic Press Brake.

FAQ

Common questions.

Longer answers, for readers who want the reasoning.

Q · 01 What does a hydraulic press brake actually do?

It folds sheet metal along a line to a drawing. The sheet lies on a die on the bed, and a punch on the ram comes down into it. Two hydraulic cylinders, one at each end of the ram, drive the stroke, and a controller sets how deep the punch goes, which sets the angle. A back gauge behind the die places the bend line, and a light curtain or laser device in front of the tools guards the operator. The machine does not choose the design of the part. That comes from the customer's drawing, and the machine is built, tooled and proved to carry it.

Q · 02 Why does the angle drift along a bend, and how is it held?

Because a long ram and a long bed carry a heavy load along a line, so they deflect, and the middle of a beam gives more than its ends. The punch then goes less deep in the middle, and the angle there opens more than at the ends. Two things answer it. The ram cylinders are controlled on their own, with a position reading on each, so that the ram stays parallel to the bed from one end to the other. And the lower beam is crowned: it is lifted in the middle by an amount that follows the load, so that the punch goes as deep in the middle as at the ends. The check is made on the first part, at both ends and in the middle, and not at one point only.

Q · 03 What is springback, and how is it corrected?

Springback is the difference between the angle the punch bends to and the angle the sheet keeps when the punch lifts. A bend is partly elastic, and the elastic part relaxes, so the angle opens a little. In air bending the correction is to go deeper than the angle wanted, and how much deeper depends on the material, the thickness and the die opening. It cannot be taken reliably from a book, so it is learned. Trial bends are run on the customer's own sheet, the angle is measured, and the extra depth is written into the springback table beside the part. A change of material or thickness is a reason to run the trial bends again. Where the controller measures the angle during the bend, it can trim the depth on the spot.

Q · 04 What do the back gauge and the controller do?

The back gauge places the bend. Its fingers set the distance from the bend line to the edge of the sheet and, where the axis is fitted, their height, and the operator pushes the sheet against them. The controller holds the program for the part: for every bend, the depth of the stroke, the positions of the gauge and the springback correction. It runs the bends in order, and the program is stored with the part number, so that a repeat batch is a recall and not a new set-up. Position transducers on the ram and the gauge tell the controller where each axis is, so that the program is run the same way on the first part and on the last.

Q · 05 Is this the same as a hydraulic press, a tube bending machine or a stretch forming machine?

No, and the differences are worth stating precisely. The hydraulic press machine page covers the general frame press, which forms, straightens and assembles a part between dies. The hydraulic tube and pipe bending machine page covers bending tube and pipe round a die. The stretching and stretch forming machine page covers stretching a section or a sheet over a form. This page is the hydraulic press brake, which folds sheet along a line between a punch and a die. It does not replace any of them, and it does not claim what they claim a second time.

Q · 06 Has Neometrix built one of these?

We would rather answer this plainly than let a page imply otherwise. Neometrix engineers hydraulic press brakes to order, and no delivered hydraulic press brake is claimed. What stands behind the offer is adjacent: Neometrix engineers a general frame press (see the hydraulic press machine page), a tube and pipe bending machine (see the hydraulic tube and pipe bending machine page) and a stretch forming machine (see the stretching and stretch forming machine page). The pump, valves, cylinders, motor, position transducers, controller and light curtains are catalogue items, bought in, not invented. What Neometrix engineers is the machine around them: the frame, the ram and the bed, the hydraulic circuit, the tooling, the back gauge, the guarding, the controls and the proof. So the honest position is that the machine is engineered to order, the neighbouring disciplines are in the building, and the first press brake of this exact kind will be tooled and proved on the customer's own sheet rather than taken off a shelf.

Q · 07 Which standard applies, and what can the machine not do?

EN 12622 covers the safety of hydraulic press brakes, and ISO 13849-1 covers the safety-related parts of control systems. This page prints none of their limits or requirements, and no edition year: those come from the standard the customer names. The machine folds sheet cold, between a punch and a die. It does not decide the design of the part, it does not replace the fabricator's own procedure, and it is not a cutting machine. This page claims no certification or accreditation. No force, pressure, size, thickness or quantity figure is printed here, and approval of a machine rests with the customer and the authority they name; none is claimed here.

Q · 08 What do you need from us to quote?

Six things, and most of them describe your parts rather than the machine. First, the sheet: the material and the range of thickness. Second, the bends: the longest bend, the radius, the number of bends in a part, and the angles, ideally as a drawing. Third, the tooling: the punches and dies you already own, if any, and the shapes you need to form. Fourth, the quality: the tolerance on angle and flange width, and how the angle is to be checked along the length. Fifth, the batch: how many parts, how often, and how many different parts. Sixth, the shop: the space, the power, and whether you want sheet supports and checking built in. From that we come back with a machine concept, a tooling list and test plan you can check, and a budgetary price.

The neighbouring pages, and how they differ from this one.

Three neighbours: one forms between dies, one bends tube, one stretches over a form.

↗ The press

Hydraulic Press Machine

The general frame press that forms, straightens and assembles between dies - where this page folds sheet along a line.

↗ The tube

Hydraulic Tube and Pipe Bending Machine

Bends tube and pipe round a die with a mandrel and a wiper - the same fight with springback, in a round section instead of a flat sheet.

↗ The stretch

Stretching and Stretch Forming Machine

Stretches a section or a sheet over a form - a different way to curve a part from folding it between a punch and a die.

Browse all Neometrix product lines.

Get a quotation

Tell us the sheet,
and the bend it has to make.

The projects desk replies within two working days with a machine concept, a tooling list and test plan you can check, and a budgetary quotation. Write to [email protected] or use the form.

Enquire — hydraulic press brake Capability sheet (PDF) +91 7777 876 876

ISO 9001 / 14001 ENGINEERED-TO-ORDER CLASS — HYDRAULIC PRESS BRAKE PART · TOOLING · MACHINE · SAFETY · BUILD · PROVE — SAME ANGLE, END TO END. ENGINEERED IN NOIDA · INDIA