People with no background in metalworking would most likely associate the word “brake” with the part that stops vehicles from moving. Aside from this, there are also the brakes used for bending and shaping thin scraps of metal. Whether you’re intending to do metalwork for building a house or just for some simple repairs, there are many types of brakes to choose from.
Before heading off to a store to buy a Baileigh sheet metal brake, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the different options. By doing so, you would be able to make smart decisions when choosing the best one to buy. Here are some types of sheet metal brakes and their uses:
Box-and-pan brakes
The box-and-pan brakes are also known as “finger brakes” mostly because unlike other types of brakes, they have a series of steel fingers of different widths and do not have an upper jaw. They are the most commonly used types of brakes.
The finger brake can be used to create boxes, pans, and so on. In order to create these shapes, you only need to use the fingers required to build the bend and remove the ones that are not necessary.
Cornice Brakes
For creating very simple bends and folds, cornice brakes are enough. They are also specially designed to be able to bend larger sheets of metal. It is has a stop gauge, which is the part responsible for making multiple pieces with similar angles of the bend.
Cornice brakes could be adjusted to allow handling of metal of varying thicknesses. This type can be used to make single and double hems and lock seams, among others.
Bar brakes
Bar brakes or bar folders are smaller than cornice brakes. This type of brake is mainly used for creating bends along the ends of sheets of metal. They usually have the capacity to handle metals of up to 22 gauge thick and 42 inches long.
Bar folders can be used to make folds from small hems, seams, flanges, and edges to be wired. To use this type of machine, you are first required to make some adjustments, including those for the thickness of the material you are using. You should also consider and make the necessary alterations for the width, sharpness, and angle of the fold beforehand.
Press brakes
Unlike the ones enumerated above, a press brake or a brake press is a more complex form of bending machine. While more commonly used to bend sheet metal, it is also used for both sheet and plate materials. Press brakes use a matching punch and die to form bends by clamping the pieces together.
While there are plenty of tools and machines used by people when it comes to metalworking, brakes stand out as one of the major tools of the industry. With this in mind, it is imperative to familiarize yourself with the different types of sheet metal brakes, including the ones listed above. Most importantly, look for a reliable provider of these tools whenever you need one.
