How do I calculate the required tonnage for a bend?
For mild steel: Tonnage = (575 × t² × L) / V, where t = material thickness in mm, L = bending length in metres, V = die opening in mm. Always add 20–30% safety margin. Your Delem controller will calculate this automatically once you enter material type, thickness, length, and die opening.
How do I program a multi-bend part on a press brake?
The sequence is the same on any modern CNC press brake control, though menu names differ by controller and machine builder: (1) enter the flat profile dimensions and the material type and thickness; (2) select the punch and die actually installed in the machine from the tool library — programming against tooling you do not have is the most common cause of a failed first article; (3) enter each bend angle and flange length; (4) let the control calculate back-gauge positions, ram depth and crowning; (5) run the graphical simulation to check the bend sequence for collisions between the part, the ram and the gauge, and re-order the bends if the part fouls; (6) run a first article and adjust springback compensation from the measured angle. For the exact steps on your controller, use the manual supplied with the machine or contact Rise Tek service.
What tooling do I need for bending stainless steel?
For stainless steel, use a V-die opening of 8–10× material thickness (wider than mild steel) to reduce marking and manage higher springback. Use a radius punch tip rather than sharp to avoid surface cracking. Consider urethane die inserts for cosmetic-grade stainless to prevent die marks. Stainless requires 40–60% more tonnage than mild steel of the same thickness.
Tonnage calculation, Delem controller programming, tooling selection, bend sequence planning, and maintenance guides for CNC press brake operators in Canada.
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Training Articles
CNC Press Brake Guides
From buying guides to daily operation — training resources for Canadian press brake operators. Start with our overview of CNC hydraulic press brakes if you are new to the machine class.
How press brakes work, hydraulic vs servo-electric vs ball screw, tonnage calculation, tooling, controllers, and what to look for in a Canadian dealer.
How to evaluate press brake specifications — tonnage requirements, bed length, back-gauge axes, and which controller type fits your programming workflow.
A complete maintenance program for hydraulic and servo-electric CNC press brakes — checklists for each service interval with torque specs and fluid change intervals.
For mild steel: Tonnage = (575 × t² × L) / V — where t = material thickness in mm, L = bending length in metres, V = die opening in mm. Always add 20–30% safety margin. Your Delem controller will calculate this automatically once you enter material type, thickness, length, and die opening.
The most common causes are: (1) springback not compensated — increase overbend angle; (2) material hardness varies from the programmed grade — run a test bend and manually adjust; (3) worn or incorrect tooling for the material thickness; (4) back-gauge not positioned correctly for the setback calculation. Most controllers provide a springback-calibration or test-bend routine for exactly this: bend a sample from the same batch, measure the achieved angle, and let the control correct from that measurement. Check your controller manual for what the routine is called on your version.
The standard rule for mild steel is die opening = 6–8× material thickness. For 3mm mild steel, use a 18–24mm V-die. For stainless steel, use 8–10× material thickness (stainless springs back more and needs a wider die to avoid marking). Your Delem controller will automatically suggest the correct die opening once you enter material and thickness.
The Delem DA-66T is the standard CNC controller on Dener and Haco press brakes sold by Rise Tek. It features a touchscreen interface, 3D graphical bend simulation, automatic tonnage and springback calculation, and USB program import/export. Programming can be done at the controller itself or prepared offline on a PC and transferred, depending on which software shipped with your machine. Either way the workflow is the same: enter the flat profile, select the tooling actually installed, and the control works out the bend sequence, back-gauge positions and corrections. Check the documentation supplied with your press brake for the software on your machine, or contact Rise Tek service.
Crowning is the compensation for beam deflection at the centre of the bed under tonnage load. When bending across the full bed length, the centre of the machine deflects slightly, producing a curved part instead of a straight bend. Modern CNC press brakes use hydraulic crowning or mechanical CNC crowning to compensate automatically based on programmed tonnage and die width.
Stainless steel requires approximately 40–60% more tonnage than mild steel of the same thickness, because stainless has a higher tensile strength and yields differently. Always recalculate tonnage when switching from mild steel to stainless, and verify your press brake has sufficient capacity before running a stainless job at full bed length.
European-standard (Wila-compatible) press brake punches and V-dies are available at Machinist's Vault (machinistsvault.com) — Rise Tek's tooling and consumables partner. Gooseneck punches, straight punches, acute-angle punches, and standard V-die sets ship across Canada.
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