Novelty Steel provides a comprehensive set of steel bending services for various industries and applications.
Tube / Pipe Bending
Steel Section Bending
Metal Stamping
Deep Drawing
Overcoming Steel Bending Challenges
Press Brake Bending: Control Angle Variation
The challenge: Parts open to different angles after bending, or a long bend measures correctly at the ends but differently in the centre.
- Establish spring back compensation using a trial part from the production material, measured after the bending load is released.
- Keep the tooling, blank orientation and material specification consistent once the setup is approved.
- Measure long bends at both ends and the centre. If the angle varies along the length, check tool alignment and crowning—the adjustment that compensates for machine deflection.
A correct reading at one position should not be used to approve the entire bend.
Plate Rolling: Reduce Flat Ends and Uneven Curvature
The challenge: A rolled shell has flat areas near the joint, or its edges do not meet with the required curvature.
- Plan how both plate ends will be pre-bent before starting the main rolling sequence.
- Confirm the machine’s pre-bending capacity for the actual material, plate width and thickness; it can differ from its rolling capacity.
- Where the required end curvature cannot be achieved directly, assess separate end forming or an allowance for trimming before cutting the blank.
- Check the released shell at several positions, including the joint, rather than relying on one diameter measurement.
Flat ends at a rolled shell joint
Tube and Pipe Bending: Diagnose Wrinkles, Flattening and Wall Thinning
The challenge: The inside of the bend wrinkles while the outside flattens or becomes too thin.
- Select the tooling using the tube diameter, wall thickness, material and bend radius together.
- For rotary draw bending, assess whether an internal mandrel and a wiper die are required to support the tube.
- Inspect mandrel position, tooling fit, lubrication and wear before changing forming pressures.
- Distinguish wrinkles along the whole bend from a hump near its end: these can indicate different setup problems.
Steel Section Bending: Protect the Cross-Section
The challenge: A beam, channel or angle reaches the required curve but develops flange distortion, web buckling or twist.
- Show the bending axis and section orientation clearly on the drawing.
- Use rolls shaped to support the profile, with supplementary restraints where needed to control local distortion.
- Check the section shape and twist as well as the overall radius during forming.
- If distortion remains unacceptable, review the required radius, section proportions and bending method with the designer before proceeding.
Metal Stamping: Keep Material Flow Balanced
The challenge: Formed parts twist or dimensions drift during a production run, even though the drawing remains unchanged.
- Keep blank positioning and lubricant application consistent.
- Check die alignment, tool wear and the condition of features that restrain material flow.
- Where blank holders are used, investigate uneven restraint if one side of a component deforms differently from the other.
- Check dimensions after any trimming or piercing stages that may release residual stresses.
Inspect finished parts at planned intervals so changes in the process are detected before they affect the whole batch.
Deep Drawing: Balance Wrinkle Control Against Tearing
Flange wrinkles (left); wall tear (right).
The challenge: Increasing restraint removes wrinkles but causes thinning or splits elsewhere.
- Review blank-holder pressure together with lubrication, tool radii and punch-to-die clearance.
- If the flange wrinkles, check whether the blank is adequately and evenly restrained.
- If the wall tears, investigate excessive restraint, poor lubrication, unsuitable radii or an excessive draw in one stage.
- Consider multiple drawing stages where the required shape exceeds the material’s practical forming limits.
