Press Brake Tonnage & V-Die Selection Guide

Use a reviewed calculation for the exact material and tooling

Press-brake tonnage is not determined by thickness alone. The calculation must include material tensile strength, bend length, V-die opening, bending method and tooling. A published chart is only valid for its stated assumptions.

Inputs required

• Material grade and actual tensile strength.
• Thickness and full loaded bend length.
• Air bending, bottoming, coining or special forming method.
• Selected V-opening, punch angle, punch radius and target inside radius.
• Grain direction, flange length, hole and edge distance, springback and required angle.

V-opening tradeoffs

A wider V-opening generally reduces required force and increases the natural inside radius, but it also increases minimum flange length and may not produce the desired geometry. A narrower V-opening can reduce the inside radius and support a shorter flange, but it increases tonnage and tooling load and can mark or crack the material.

Check every load-bearing component

The machine tonnage rating is only one limit. Verify the punch, die, holder, clamping system, table, crowning system and frame load per foot or per meter. The lowest-rated component governs. Review eccentric and partial-length loading rules rather than concentrating excessive force in one area of the bed.

Why the calculator remains under technical review

UmproTech will not publish a one-click tonnage number without showing the assumptions, units, material factor, V-opening, method, tooling limits and human-review requirement. Until the calculator is technically approved, submit the actual drawings and material information for a reviewed recommendation.

Request a tonnage and tooling review.