Metal cutting and bending tools
Metal is cut with saws, shears and guillotines, or with thermal tools such as plasma, oxy-fuel and laser, and it is bent on press brakes, folders and rolls, with the right tool chosen from the material, its thickness and the edge the job needs. Cutting and bending are the two operations that turn a supplied section, sheet or plate into a finished part, and each has a family of tools behind it. This guide explains the main cutting and bending tools, where each suits, and how the cut edge is protected. For the cutting methods in more depth see our guide to how steel is cut.
What cutting and bending cover
A fabricator takes stock material, the beams, sections, tubes, bars, sheet and plate that a supplier delivers, and cuts and bends it to shape. Cutting divides the material to length or profile, and bending forms it to an angle or a curve. Between them, these two operations account for most of what happens between the stockyard and the finished frame or panel. The tools differ by whether the work is a long section or a flat sheet, by the thickness, and by how clean the finished edge or bend has to be. ULAMEX supplies the material that goes into these tools; the cutting and bending are the fabricator’s work.
Saws for sections and bar
Sections, tubes and bar are usually sawn to length. A bandsaw runs a continuous toothed blade and is the workhorse for beams, hollow sections and solid bar, giving a square, accurate, cold cut that needs little cleaning up. A circular cold saw does the same for smaller sections and gives a very clean end. Because sawing is a cold process, it does not change the metal at the cut, so the material keeps its properties right up to the face. For structural sections that are sawn to length see our guide to black steel structural sections.
Shears and guillotines for sheet
Flat sheet is most often cut on a shear. A guillotine shear brings a moving blade down against a fixed one to shear the sheet along a straight line, giving a fast, clean, burr-free edge with no heat and no waste of material. Bench shears and nibblers do the same job at a smaller scale or on a curve. Shearing is quick and precise for straight cuts in sheet up to a fair thickness, which is why a guillotine is the first cut in most sheet-metal work before the parts move on to bending. For the sheet itself see our guide to steel plate and sheet.
Thermal cutting: plasma, oxy-fuel and laser
Where a shape is more than a straight line, or the plate is thick, thermal cutting takes over. A plasma cutter drives an ionised gas jet through the metal and cuts steel, stainless and aluminium quickly, including curves and holes. Oxy-fuel cutting burns through thick carbon steel and is the tool for heavy plate, though it does not suit stainless or aluminium. Laser cutting gives the finest, most accurate edge on sheet and light plate, with a narrow cut and clean holes. Each puts heat into the cut edge, so a small heat-affected zone is left that may be dressed back on critical work.
Waterjet cutting
Waterjet cutting is the cold alternative for shaped cuts. A high-pressure jet of water, mixed with an abrasive, erodes through the metal without any heat at all, so it leaves no heat-affected zone and no distortion, and it cuts almost any material and thickness. This makes it the choice where the metal must not be heat-affected, or where a very thick or awkward material has to be cut cleanly. It is slower and costlier than plasma, so it is used where its cold, clean edge is worth it rather than for everyday cutting.
Press brakes for bending
The main bending tool is the press brake. It clamps sheet or plate between a shaped punch and a matching die and presses a bend along a straight line, and by working along the sheet it forms boxes, channels, angles and complex profiles from flat material. The bend angle is set by how far the punch drives into the die, and the tooling is changed to suit the radius and the material. A press brake is the most widely used forming machine in fabrication because it produces precise, repeatable bends across a wide range of thicknesses.
Folders and rolls
Two other tools cover the bends a press brake does less well. A folding machine grips the sheet and swings a beam to fold the edge up, moving the metal rather than pressing it, which protects a coated or polished surface from marking and suits large, thin panels. A roll bender, or plate roll, passes the metal through three or more rolls to form a smooth curve or a full cylinder rather than a sharp angle, which is how tube, curved sections and rolled plate are made. Choosing between a brake, a folder and a roll comes down to whether the job needs a crisp angle, a clean-faced fold or a curve.
Hand and portable tools
Not every cut is made on a shop machine. On site and in small work, portable tools do the job. An angle grinder with a thin cutting disc slices bar, section and sheet quickly, though it leaves a rough, hot edge to be dressed afterwards. A portable bandsaw gives a cleaner, cooler cut on tube and section away from the shop. Tin snips and hand shears cut light sheet by hand, and a jigsaw with a metal blade follows a curve in thin material. These tools trade the accuracy and finish of a machine for reach and flexibility, so they suit fitting, repair and one-off cuts rather than production runs.
Punching, notching and holes
Beyond cutting the outline, metal is often worked to take a fixing or a joint. A punch press drives a tool through sheet to make a hole or a slot faster and cleaner than drilling on thin material, and it can punch a whole pattern of holes in one pass. Notching removes a corner or a shaped piece so a section can be folded into a box, or so two members can meet cleanly, and it is a routine step before bending. Holes for bolts are punched or drilled to suit the fastener and the standard. These operations turn a plain blank into a part ready to assemble, and they are planned alongside the cutting and the bending.
Matching the tool to the material
No single tool suits every job, so the choice follows the material, the thickness and the finish. Thin sheet is sheared and folded; thick plate is thermally cut and pressed. Stainless and aluminium are kept off oxy-fuel and are cut cold or with plasma or laser so the metal is not spoiled. A visible or coated surface calls for a folder rather than a marking press. The bend radius has to respect the material, because too tight a bend cracks the outside of the curve, more so in a hard temper. Matching the tool to the metal is what gives a clean part rather than a spoiled one. It also decides the cost and the speed of a job, since a shear and a fold are quicker and cheaper than thermal cutting and machining wherever the material and the shape allow them, so the tool choice is an economic decision as much as a technical one.
Protecting the cut and bent edge
Cutting and bending both expose fresh metal, so the edge is finished to last. A sheared or sawn edge is deburred so it is safe to handle and ready for coating. On galvanised steel, any cut or drilled edge has lost its zinc, so it is re-protected with a zinc-rich paint to restore the sacrificial cover, and a bend that has stretched a coating may need a touch-up. Aluminium and stainless do not rust, so a cut edge needs only cleaning and deburring. Finishing the edge is the last step that turns a cut and bent blank into a durable part. For the galvanised case see our guide to galvanised steel and DX51D.
Material for cutting and bending from ULAMEX
The cleanest cut and the truest bend start with sound, consistent material, which is what ULAMEX supplies. ULAMEX delivers the sheet, plate, sections, tubes, bar and profiles that the trade cuts and bends, in aluminium, stainless, structural and galvanised steel, all to European standards with documentation on request. The cutting and bending are done by the fabricator with the tools above; ULAMEX provides the raw material and, in its own carport, PV and fencing products, the cold-formed profiles it makes in-house under EN 1090.
| Operation | Common tools | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Sawing | Bandsaw, circular cold saw | Sections, tube, bar, cold and square |
| Shearing | Guillotine, bench shear, nibbler | Sheet, straight burr-free cuts |
| Thermal cutting | Plasma, oxy-fuel, laser | Shapes and thick plate; heat-affected edge |
| Cold shaped cutting | Waterjet | Any material, no heat, clean edge |
| Bending | Press brake, folder, roll | Angles, folds and curves |
Need material to cut and bend? Send the grade, form and quantities, and ULAMEX will return a non-binding quotation with lead time and availability. Read our guide to how steel is cut, browse steel plate and sheet, aluminium profiles and structural sections, or view our supply capabilities. Contact the export desk at [email protected] or +48 504 424 761.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to cut steel sections to length?
A saw. A bandsaw runs a continuous toothed blade and gives a square, accurate, cold cut on beams, hollow sections and bar, while a circular cold saw does the same for smaller sections with a very clean end. Because sawing is cold, it does not change the metal at the cut, so the material keeps its properties right up to the face.
How is sheet metal cut?
Most often on a guillotine shear, which brings a moving blade down against a fixed one to shear the sheet along a straight line, giving a fast, clean, burr-free edge with no heat. Bench shears and nibblers do the same at a smaller scale or on a curve, and plasma or laser is used where the cut is a shape rather than a straight line.
When is thermal cutting used instead of a saw or shear?
When the cut is a shape rather than a straight line, or the plate is thick. Plasma cuts steel, stainless and aluminium including curves and holes, oxy-fuel burns through heavy carbon-steel plate but not stainless or aluminium, and laser gives the finest edge on sheet. Each leaves a small heat-affected zone that may be dressed back on critical work.
What tool bends metal?
The press brake is the main one, clamping sheet or plate between a punch and die to press a bend along a line and form angles, channels and boxes. A folding machine swings the edge up instead of pressing, which protects a coated surface, and a roll bender forms smooth curves and cylinders. The choice depends on whether the job needs an angle, a clean fold or a curve.
How tight can metal be bent?
The bend radius has to respect the material, because too tight a bend cracks the outside of the curve, more so in a hard temper or a thick section. Softer tempers and thinner material bend to a tighter radius. Matching the radius to the metal, and bending across rather than along a grain where it matters, is what gives a sound bend rather than a cracked one.
Does ULAMEX cut and bend material to order?
ULAMEX supplies the material, the sheet, plate, sections, tubes, bar and profiles that the trade cuts and bends, in aluminium, stainless, structural and galvanised steel to European standards. The cutting and bending are done by the fabricator with their own tools. ULAMEX also makes the cold-formed profiles in its own carport, PV and fencing products under EN 1090. Send the grade, form and quantities for a material quotation.