When do I need custom press brake tooling?
Custom tooling is needed when no standard profile can reach the part, when the drawing demands a profile that is not catalogued, or when the volume justifies a tool that forms the part in one operation instead of several.
What situations call for a special tool?
The most common triggers are a collision that no standard profile avoids, an unusual section, an offset or joggle, a hem or a curl, and a production volume where setup time dominates the cost.
| Situation | Why a standard tool will not do |
|---|---|
| Collision with a formed flange | No catalogued reach is deep enough |
| Unusual section or a closed box | The punch has to enter a space a standard profile cannot |
| Offset or joggle | Standard profiles form only one bend at a time |
| Hem, curl or a special edge | The geometry is specific to the part |
| High volume, long setup | A single-operation tool removes setup time |
What do I need to send to have custom tooling made?
Send the machine interface, the part drawing with the material and thickness, the section you need with angles and radii dimensioned, and the production quantity. The quantity decides whether a special tool pays for itself.
- Machine details, or the measured tang and punch height.
- Part drawing with the material grade and thickness.
- The profile required, with angles, radii and critical dimensions marked.
- The length and any segment requirements.
- The annual quantity, so the tool cost can be set against the saving.
How is a special profile designed?
It is designed around the machine, not the part alone: the tool has to reach the bend without colliding, fit the clamp, and carry the load without exceeding its rating. Those three constraints set the shape as much as the part does.
| Constraint | What it limits |
|---|---|
| Machine interface and clamp | The tang, height and seating |
| Ram and die geometry | How far the tool can travel and how deep it can reach |
| Load per metre | The section thickness the tool can have |
| Shut height | The overall height available for the tool set |
| Part geometry | The profile shape itself |
How many parts justify a custom tool?
The break-even is the tool cost divided by the saving per part, and the saving comes from fewer operations, less handling and less scrap. There is no single quantity that applies to every part.
Can custom tooling be made for any tooling system?
Yes, custom profiles are made to whichever interface the machine uses, provided the interface and the clamp are known. A sample tool or a measured tang and clamp photograph is enough to specify it.
For high-volume jobs it is also worth considering a tool that forms several bends in one stroke, which can remove a whole operation from the process.
Related technical pages
Offset and Z tooling
A common form of special tool.
Hemming dies
Another purpose-made tool family.
Tooling drawing guide
What a tooling drawing contains and what to send.
Aftermarket tooling
Standard tooling from a source other than the machine builder.
Next step
Send the part drawing and the machine details and we will design and quote a tool that forms the part, with the load checked against the tool rating.
Request a quotation