Sheet Metal Bending and Punch Tooling for the Architecture and Construction Industries
Many buildings and architectural structures incorporate elements that are fabricated from sheet metal. From louvres and slats to decorative shapes, materials like 316 Stainless Steel, copper, and others create visual appeal and a sleek modern aesthetic that is also highly durable.
Unfortunately, traditional metal press brake tooling used to form sheet metal can mar, scratch, or otherwise damage the finish on these materials. Polyurethane Products offers an alternative for non-marring tooling that is compatible with architectural sheet metal materials. We manufacture custom sheet metal tooling from Die-Thanes, which are extremely hard, high-performance urethane elastomers. Die-Thane tooling is lightweight, and economical for creating right and acute angle bends and curved profiles in pre-polished, pre-painted or other pre-finished materials.
Learn more about Die-Thane tooling and polyurethane metal forming systems and read about architectural applications we have supported.
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Photo 1: Photos 1, 2 are shining examples of stainless steel sheet metal bending without marring
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Photo 3: Anodized Aluminum
Polyurethane Tooling Solutions for Metal Forming
Polyurethane Products designs and manufactures precision press brake tooling made from hard Die-Thane material. They are molded to shape, and function similarly to traditional steel tooling. Options include Die-Thane V-Dies, 2-V Dies, Four-Way Dies, and Acute Angle Dies that create V-, U-, and bull nose bends through air bending. This process leaves a tiny gap of air between the sheet metal material and the die, which leaves no tool marks and does not damage finishes.
Polyurethane forming dies can be used for low- and high-volume production, and for prototyping or metal forming at scale. They are available in a variety of angles and dimensions and in 12 in. length increments, and can fit a range of American- and European-style press brake machines. They are durable and consistent throughout thousands of cycles.
We also offer a variety of urethane SmartPad tooling options for radius bending, which streamline the process of forming curved pieces when compared to time-consuming and inconsistent bump forming processes. Additional urethane press brake products include:
- Custom urethane pads.
- Urethane die film.
- Urethane v-pads.
- Urethane molded v-dies.
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Why Choose Polyurethane for Press Brake Tooling?
Polyurethane and urethane are beneficial materials for metal forming processes in many applications, especially when aesthetics matter. Some of the advantages of urethane and polyurethane tooling include these:
- Unlike conventional metal dies, urethane tools leave no marks or marring, which creates a uniform and blemish-free surface without secondary processes like grinding and polishing. This is important for architectural and structural projects that require smooth and visually-impactful finishes.
- Urethane absorbs impact and redistributes pressure like conventional hydraulic solutions. This mitigates the risks of cracking, scratching, and malformation that can affect polished metals, delicate configurations of aluminum or stainless steel, and pre-painted metals that are vulnerable to scratches.
- Urethane can resist abrasion and impact damage and can withstand many different chemicals. It's also strong with a high load-bearing capacity, and flexible.
- Urethane is impervious to oil and ozone, making it more resilient in industrial processes.
Polyurethane Tooling for Architectural and Construction Sheet Metal Applications
At Polyurethane Products, our urethane and polyurethane tooling delivers visibly better results in sheet metal forming processes. These case studies illustrate the advantages of this innovative press brake tooling.
Air Foil Louver Blades Formed with Polyurethane Tooling
A recent project required 700 air foil louver blade panels. The components were made from 0.125 in. x 26 in. x 120 in. aluminum sheet metal with a Smart Pad urethane radius pad system and two steel punches. Polyurethane Products developed a urethane bottom die to create radius bends of 1.446 in. on each end of the piece, and another radius punch to create a 18.7264 in. radius bend across the center. Both ends were machined to carefully blend the end radii with the primary bend. The large radius was formed in just three hits, and the entire piece was completed in five total hits. The end result was a smooth bend with no bump lines or surface marks.
Sheet Metal Bending for Architectural Column Covers
We offer precision metal-bending solutions to create architectural components. In a recent project for column covers, we developed a Smart Pad Urethane Radius Pad as a universal bottom die to be used with a custom steel radius punch. The steel radius punch design accounted for spring back of the metal pieces, creating consistent covers with a high-quality appearance every time. With these components, our customer fabricated a large volume of column covers from pre-polished/pre-painted aluminum and pre-polished stainless steel.
Contact the Experts at Polyurethane Products
The tools that operate behind the scenes to produce sheet metal components play a large role in the appearance, manufacturability, and quality of the finished architectural components. At Polyurethane Products, we design and manufacture press brake tools from Die-Thane materials that create precise V- and U-bends without marring or surface defects.
Since 1978, Polyurethane Products has been a trusted name in elastomer technology and manufacturing. We are the world's only manufacturer of urethane and steel press brake tooling, and we offer work with our customers to design and manufacture standard and custom tooling to meet their requirements.
Contact us today to learn more about our polyurethane tooling products and manufacturing capabilities or request a quote for your order.
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You have questions, we have answers. Contact us today. Our skilled customer service specialists can help you make the right choice in polyurethane applications.