The metal sheet bending is a forming process. It means that the processed material is given certain curves through mechanical impact.
Traditionally, manual benders were used in the metal sheet bending process. Unfortunately, their application caused many limitations. Such limitations mainly resulted from the fact that the production of each element was a separate process. Lack of automation increased labor intensity and time consumption.
In the second half of the last century, first automatic computer-controlled machine tools appeared in the market. At the beginning, the devices were rather expensive and not very common. However, technological development and a possibility of using computers contributed to the dynamic growth in this area.
Currently used automatic CNC benders allow complete automation of the production process of ready elements. Their application allows to obtain high precision of performance and repeatability of ready elements. The automation also allows to significantly shorten the time necessary to execute even the most complex orders. This makes it possible to considerably reduce the unit costs.
However, it does not mean that manual benders completely disappeared from the market. It is true that automation is widely used in industrial solutions, but manual devices are still applied in case of small orders. They are also used in handicrafts, i.e. the industry where repeatability of end products is of less significance. Such devices are also popular with hobbyists.
