Fabricators use machines called press brakes for sheet metal bending. The process begins by placing the sheet metal on the machine. Once the sheet is in the right position, the machine uses force to bend the metal using mechanical, hydraulic, or pneumatic systems. Due to the elastic nature of metals and stresses in bent sheet metal, when the machine releases a part the bend angle reduces a little due to the springback effect.

The sheet has to be over-bent by a certain angle to account for this effect and achieve accurate angles. The shape of the bend and angle of the bend depend on the material and design. Bending usually doesn’t require any further work after coming out of the machine and the part goes for the next machining process or to an assembly line.