A comprehensive guide to selecting press brake tooling. Learn about punch types, die openings, tool materials, and how tooling choice affects bend quality and productivity.
Introduction
Press brake tooling determines the quality, accuracy, and efficiency of every bend. At Fulei Metal, we maintain comprehensive tooling inventory for our four CNC press brakes.
Understanding Press Brake Tooling
Punch Types
Standard punch for most bends. Gooseneck for clearance with formed flanges. Acute angle for bends past 90 degrees. Hemming punch for folded edges. Offset punch for Z-bends. Razor punch for very small radii.
Die Types
V-die is most common. U-die for channels. Z-die for offsets. Hemming die for folded edges. Channel die for second-side channel forming.
Die Opening Selection
General rule: V equals 6 to 8 times material thickness. Narrower openings produce tighter radii but require more force. Wider openings require less force but produce larger radii.
For 1 mm material: 6-12 mm V. For 2 mm: 12-20 mm. For 3 mm: 18-32 mm. For 5 mm: 32-50 mm. For 8 mm: 50-80 mm. For 10 mm: 64-100 mm.
Tool Material and Quality
Tool steel grades range from carbon steel for light duty to alloy tool steel for production to high-speed steel for high volume. Precision-ground tooling from quality manufacturers offers tight tolerances, quick-change capability, and longer life.
Tooling Selection Factors
Consider material thickness, material type, bend angle, inside radius, bend length, and part geometry. Harder materials need wider openings and stronger tooling.
Tooling Maintenance
Clean regularly. Inspect for wear, damage, and alignment. Store properly in racks with oil coating. Replace worn tools promptly.
Common Tooling Mistakes
Wrong die opening, damaged tools, mismatched segments, and exceeding tool capacity.
Conclusion
Selecting the right tooling is essential for quality bent parts. At Fulei Metal, our comprehensive inventory and precision-ground tools enable us to produce a wide range of parts with consistent quality.
Die Opening: The One Decision That Sets Everything Else
Almost every trade-off in press brake tooling comes back to the V-opening. It decides the inside radius, the tonnage needed, the shortest flange you can form, and how much marking appears on the outside surface. The table uses multiples of sheet thickness so it scales to any job.
| V-opening chosen | Inside radius produced | Tonnage demand | When we choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 × t | about 0.9 × t | about 33% higher than 8 × t | a tight radius is drawn and the material has enough ductility |
| 8 × t (shop default) | about 1.25 × t | reference value | general purpose work across steel, stainless and aluminium |
| 10 × t | about 1.55 × t | about 20% lower than 8 × t | thicker plate, cosmetic surfaces, or cracking risk |
| 12 × t | about 1.85 × t | about 33% lower than 8 × t | heavy plate, long parts, or where machine tonnage is the limit |
Punch selection follows from there. A standard straight punch handles most work; a gooseneck punch clears return flanges on U-channels, and a narrow punch reaches into tight channels at the cost of higher load concentration. Tool condition matters more than buyers expect — a worn punch tip radius slowly changes the formed radius and drifts the dimensions of every part after it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does using one die for every bend save money?
Yes, meaningfully. Each radius change is a tool change and usually a re-fixturing, so keeping one radius across a part removes setup time from every unit and from every reorder.
Why did a previous supplier leave die marks on stainless?
Sharp die shoulders and dirty tooling burnish protective film into the surface. On brushed or mirror stainless we form with a protective film in place or fit urethane die film, and we keep tooling dedicated to cosmetic work.
How long do you keep customer tooling?
Standard tooling is stocked and maintained by us. Special or customer-specific segments are retained against the part number for the life of the program, so a reorder does not carry a tooling charge again.
Questions about a specific part are usually faster to answer against the drawing — send it through the review route below.
Before you send the RFQ. Reference tooling for thick plate first if this part is still at drawing stage — most cost drivers on a bent part are set there. For anything already specified, press brake tooling and capacity is where to send it. Related: radius limits per material and full fabrication capability.