Selecting the right equipment may be the hardest decision. While high-tonnage press brakes offer high-speed, repeatable precision for general bending applications, their punches and dies limit their ability to work with sheet metal. This is why sheet metal benders are often necessary. Press brakes are preferred for their ability to work with workpieces of varied sizes and thicknesses, and their versatility for high-speed, repeatable precision bending in products used in dozens of industries. And while they’re a standard inclusion in almost every fabrication shop, these machines do show their limitations when punches and dies get in the way of bending sheets into intricate shapes.
This is the domain of panbrake folders (also known as pan brake folders) simple, affordable, and versatile machines that complement press brakes when shaping sheet metal into sheet metal boxes, pans, enclosures, and other products with raised, polygonal sides. A pan folder or pan brake is essential for making those critical four-sided bends that traditional press brakes cannot handle due to interference. These sheet metal folders provide the necessary clearance for intricate, closed shapes.
What Are Panbrakes?
Also known as panbrake folders and box-and-pan brake machines, these are precision sheet metal benders designed specifically for bending sheet metal into boxes, chassis, panels, trays, and other parts with multiple adjacent vertical sides. The machines consist of three basic parts: beds or tables that accommodate the workpiece, a top clamping bar that presses and holds the workpiece against the bed, and a bending leaf (or apron) located in front of the clamping bar, which the operator lifts via handles or levers to bend the workpiece.
Getting specific angles and bending profiles is down to removable fingers or the segmented tooling attached to the clamping bar. These can vary in number and shape for bends in different profiles. Additional parts, such as backgauges, help in adjusting angles relative to the length of the workpiece.
How Can a Pan Brake Benefit You?
Pan brakes are the go-to machine when bending flexibility is key, especially with flanged workpiece ends that press brakes can’t handle without the tooling and rams colliding with workpieces when shaping final bends and raised sides.
By re-arranging fingers along the clamp bar and using fingers in varied profiles (straight, box, radius, angled/acute and reverse apron) and in varied widths and lengths, operators can achieve complex, angled bends while also preventing surface damage from the exerted tonnage. You’ll appreciate this when shaping dimensional parts in polished or brushed stainless steel, aluminium or brass while retaining the finish and skipping further processing.
In short, these sheet metal folders can create bends in flat metal sheets as well as partially formed pieces to achieve three-dimensional forms with no tooling marks, scuffs or scratches, ready for use.
A fully-fledged CNC press brake with high tonnage is a considerable financial decision that also requires a dedicated space and adjacent power supply. Pan brakes, by comparison, come at a fraction of the cost, require little to no maintenance, and have shorter operator learning curves in getting respectable results.
Most are also manually operated and compact compared to straight presses or larger press brakes. This opens opportunities for smaller workshops or DIY projects in low-volume and custom jobs, including ease of use, efficiency, and time, floorspace and operating savings without forgoing precision.
The Different Types of Pan Brake Folders
Like press brakes, pan brakes are categorised by their driving mechanism and overall capacity. This leads to several types:
- Manual: These are operated by hand, are easy to set up and use and don’t require a nearby power supply. They can bend most common metals with thicknesses ranging between 1 and 2.5mm. Simple, affordable, small and ideal for smaller workshops or complementing box-bending tasks in larger operations. Durable examples include the Steelmaster’ SM-PBB1270/2 and, for thicker workpieces, the ASSET INDUSTRIAL FM-2X2440B.
- Hydraulic: For more force and improved control, opt for hydraulic pan folders. These can comfortably bend 2mm stainless steel and up to 4mm mild steel sheets. The machines use pressurised hydraulic fluid that exerts a bending force via a motorised hydraulic system. They require a nearby 240V or 415V power outlet. A versatile example is the Steelmaster SM-FHPB2502.
- Programmable pan brakes: While significantly more expensive than manual types, programmable pan brakes are comparable to CNC press brakes for bending capacity, automated operation and versatility. Bending sequences can be stored as programs, ensuring automated finger die changes in each step for hands-free production. Choose these for the higher efficiency, repeatable precision with consistent bends across multiple workpieces and faster overall bending. Without the need for direct operator control, they’re also safer. Good examples are single-axis machines like the SteelmasterSM-FHPB1304NC1 and the SM-FHPB3204NC2 for automated bending and angle depth along both y- and x-axes.
What to Consider When Buying Pan Brakes?
Capacity Requirements
The capacity of press brakes is determined by tonnage, but for pan brakes, capacity refers to the metal sheet and plate thickness that the machines can repeatedly bend at defined angles. This, to a large extent, depends on the material you commonly use.
As an illustration, 2mm stainless steel requires machines in the same capacity as those that bend 4mm mild steel or thicker aluminium sheeting, due to stainless’s higher compressive and tensile strength. In the same context, panbrakes that can accommodate larger workpieces (some with folding lengths of 3200mm) and bending angles of 135 degrees will provide more versatility across different materials and bending tasks.
Power Source
A consistent power supply and a dependable hydraulic system not only warrant the bending of thicker metals but also reduce operator fatigue. That doesn’t mean that simpler and cheaper manual pan brakes don’t have their own place within the workshop.
Several smaller manual machines can be used for simpler jobs, with more expensive equipment often used in the finishing phases. Decide where and how pan brakes will be used and how they simplify or complement more complex equipment to streamline operations.
Features
Programmability and automation are where the industry is heading. Consider whether programmable NC pan brakes with automated angle settings, backgauge position, and bending sequence (among other possibilities) are necessary in your daily operations. This incurs higher operating and maintenance costs, and machines that compete with entry-level NC press brakes for purchase price.
Safety
Controlled clamping mechanisms, adjustable pressure and height settings and protective guards and shields in manual pan folders,combined with emergency stop buttons and safety interlocks in powered types, should be combined with proper training to prevent possible injuries and accidents.
Service and Parts Availability
Once you’ve settled which pan brake meets your box and pan fabricating needs, consider essential service and replacement parts. This includes everything from packaged sets of pan brake fingers and backgauges used across all machines, to hydraulics, pumps and pressure gauges in high-capacity pan brakes in the hydraulic and NC Steelmaster and ASSET INDUSTRIAL range. Spare parts ensure operational efficiency and durability, while maintaining your panbrake folder in top condition.
To access further product information, get pricing details, submit service forms, or just browse our extensive catalogue of metal fabrication machinery, visit the Asset Plant and Machinery website.