If your business transforms sheets of metal into various products, you may be looking to purchase sheet metal brakes. Sheet metal brakes go by many different names, including bending brake, bending machine, and sheet metal folder. Sheet metal brakes are a type of machinery equipment that bends or creases sheets of metal so that a plain sheet can be transformed into various types of items, such as metal boxes or pots and pans made from metal. If your business is looking to purchase this type of machinery, here are a few of the factors that you need to consider as you select the right sheet metal brakes for your company. 

If the Machine Is Manually Operated or Electrical

One of the first factors that you need to look at when you are looking to purchase sheet metal brakes is whether the machine is manually operated or whether it uses electricity. Manual sheet metal brakes are often referred to as finger brakes. You position the sheet of metal in the machine by hand and then crank or pull a handle to bend the metal. The other option is an electrical machine. An electrical machine uses technology to position the sheet of metal and transform it. An electric machine is much faster and more precise, but it does cost more. 

The Type of Sheet Metal Brakes You Need to Purchase

Another key factor to consider is what type of sheet metal brakes machine you need to purchase. There are two primary types of machines available: cornice and box-and-pan brakes. A cornice machine is able to make very simplistic creases or bends in the metal. A box-and-pan brake makes more complex bends and multiple bends or creases in one sheet of metal. Consider how you need to manipulate the metal sheet to create the shape you need when determining what type of sheet metal brakes you need to purchase. 

The Thickness of Sheet Metal the Brake Can Handle

Finally, you need to consider the thickness of the sheet metal that the brake is designed to handle. Some machines are designed to handle thinner pieces of metal, while some machines can handle thick pieces of metal. You need to ensure the machine you select can shape and transform the sheets of metal you need to alter. 

There are many different types of sheet metal brakes on the market, ranging from simply machines that you can operate by hand to large and complex pieces of machinery that can quickly make thousands of pieces of metal shapes per day. Taking the time to learn about the various options available to you when you are looking to purchase sheet metal brakes can help you to find the piece of equipment that best meets your needs. 

To learn more, contact a supplier that carries sheet metal brakes.

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