What is on a press brake tooling drawing?
A tooling drawing shows the profile of the punch or die, the tang or shank geometry, the overall height and length, the material and hardness, and the rated load per metre. It is the document that lets a tool be made to fit a specific machine.
What information must a tooling drawing contain?
At minimum: the interface, the overall dimensions, the profile geometry, the material grade, the hardness and the rated load. Without the interface and the height, the tool cannot be guaranteed to fit the machine.
| Field | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Interface and tang | Whether the tool fits the machine clamp |
| Overall height | Tooling setup, die opening and shut height |
| Profile angles and radii | The bend angle and inside radius produced |
| Length and segment split | Bend length coverage and load distribution |
| Material and hardness | Wear life and rated load |
| Rated load per metre | The maximum force the tool can safely take |
How do I read the rated load on a tool?
The rated load is given in tonnes per metre and is the maximum force the tool may carry per metre of bend. Compare it with the calculated load per metre for the job, not with the machine's tonnage rating.
What should I send to get a special tool quoted?
Send the machine details, the part drawing, the material and thickness, and the profile you need. For a special profile, mark the angles, radii and any critical dimension on the part drawing.
- Machine make and model, or measured tang and punch height.
- Part drawing with the material grade and thickness.
- The bend angles, inside radii and any minimum flange.
- For a special profile, the section you need with angles and radii dimensioned.
- The production quantity, which decides whether a special tool is worth making.
Can a tool be made from a photograph?
A photograph helps identify the interface, but it cannot define the tolerances. Send the photograph for identification and the dimensions for manufacture, or send a sample tool to be measured.
For an existing tool that has to be reproduced, sending the physical sample is the most reliable route, because the tang and the seat are the features that matter most and they are the hardest to measure accurately by hand.
Related technical pages
Tooling compatibility guide
The measurements that identify the interface.
Custom tooling
How a special profile is made and what it costs to set up.
Tool holders
Holders and adapters, and why the seat is critical.
Catalogue
Standard profiles and their dimensions.
Next step
Send your drawing or a sample tool and we will measure it and quote a replacement made to the same interface.
Request a quotation