What's new
What's new

Best pan/press brake for up to 12" x 1/8" 5052 AL

The Dude

Hot Rolled
Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Location
Portland, OR
Hi, looking for a pan or pressbrake that will do up to 12" of 1/8" thick 5052 AL H32 (which is all the local laser cutter has in stock). I find a yield/tensile strength of 28/33 KPSI. While I would like to bend up to that size, it's unlikely I would ever do a full length. Let's say up to 12" of 0.080 or even 0.063 and the maximum of 1/8" would be 4-6". Not for production use, making prototype parts before I turn them over to a fabricator. Mostly laser-cut blanks.

Is there a "stock" press or pan brake, hand operated, that is NOT a "12 GA Steel x 48" Long" pan brake? Grizzly has a bunch of stuff that is 12" long but only does 20 GA steel, which "feels" like it would be a little bit shy of what I'd like.

I do have an H-frame press that needs a new cylinder and some other work but it could take one of the "press brake" kits that are sold on eBay for around $300 but I'd rather have a pan brake style as those just seem like they'd be easier to make a few quick bends on. If you have experience with those, I'd appreciate hearing about it.

Compact and ease of use are the key characteristics. Would like to keep cost around $1K or less.

Thanks,
The Dude
 
Tonnage has to do with bend radius

A press brake with a larger radius/lower die width die would not have to be that big to bend that

I have a little 24 inch di acro press brake that I love. I think it would do that, but cannot recall if I have
 
I used to bend up some chassis that were about a foot long, .060 5052. Using a 12ga pan brake, I think the .060 aluminum was about the limit. I don't think you're going to have much luck bending 1/8 thick material without some power.
 
I used to bend up some chassis that were about a foot long, .060 5052. Using a 12ga pan brake, I think the .060 aluminum was about the limit. I don't think you're going to have much luck bending 1/8 thick material without some power.

Wow, a 12 gauge pan brake? That should take 1/8" aluminum all day I would think. 12 GA = 0.105", correct?

I'm mostly looking at making tight bends, as you typically get on a pan brake.

Thanks,
The Dude
 
Tonnage has to do with bend radius

A press brake with a larger radius/lower die width die would not have to be that big to bend that

I have a little 24 inch di acro press brake that I love. I think it would do that, but cannot recall if I have

I have the same DiAcro manual press brake with the back gage! If you get one with the back gage you would be able to do small production runs.......

Kevin
 
Wow, a 12 gauge pan brake? That should take 1/8" aluminum all day I would think. 12 GA = 0.105", correct?

I'm mostly looking at making tight bends, as you typically get on a pan brake.

Thanks,
The Dude
well, I think part of the problem I had, the brake was 48" wide, so there was a considerable amount of deflection.
 
I'm with Bsg and gustafson. The Diacro 16-24 is a sweet machine. With the right sets of tooling it will do more than a leaf or apron (box pan) brake. Good for 8 tons.
DiAcro_press_brake_1a.JPG
DiAcro_RAX_chairs_2.JPG
 








 
Back
Top