Press brake tooling is used when metal forming to provide the manufacturer with greater flexibility. Although a press brake is a high-precision machine, the tooling is what touches the material during bending.
There are a range of tooling products on the market including a selection of dies and punches that are used to increase the press brakes versatility.
Press brake tooling punches allow the operator to create a range of different bends that may be more difficult or impossible without the specific tooling piece. Just some press brake tooling punches available include a standard punch, acute punch for sharp corners, narrow punch for tight spaces, gooseneck punch for making u-profiles and a sash punch for bending around a corner.
On the other side of press brake tooling are the dies. Most press brake tooling dies are V-grooves but there is still some variety. The single V press brake is the most common on the market, while a 2V die allows continuous work without retooling, and a multi V press die has 4 different grooves on each side and is meant for working on a range of different material thicknesses.
The type of press brake tooling you require will depend on the type of work you're doing. For example, a maintenance fabricator would require different tools compared to a custom fabricator. So, before you delve into specific press brake tooling pieces make sure you identify your needs and budget.
The easiest way to figure out what press brake tooling die will suit your requirements is to think about the range of metal thicknesses you want to bend. If you need to bend materials between 0.030in thick through to 0.250in thick then you'll want to multiply each number by 8 to find the smallest and largest die required for your materials. Generally, you'll want the V-die to be 8 times the material thickness, which is why it is known as the rule of 8 or the "sweet spot" for V-die selection. This ratio tends to give the best angular performance but as with anything it is hard to be 100% accurate, especially when working with different sheet metals.
Now, to find the right press brake tooling punch for you it's also important to look at the material thickness, but it's generally a better idea to speak to a material supplier for recommendations. This is because thicker and high-tensile materials can crack or split when using standard industry bending applications. So, speak to your local dealer or seller to find the right press brake tooling piece for your needs.
