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Calcimator

Press Brake Tonnage Calculator

Calculate required bending force for a press brake from material thickness, length, die opening, and tensile strength.

Inputs

mm
mm
mm
MPa

Results

Required Force

22.4 US tons

Required Force199.5 kN
Required Force20.3 metric tons
With 20% Safety Margin26.9 US tons
Tonnage per Meter22.4 tons/m
Recommended Die Opening24 mm
Min Inside Radius4 mm
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter material thickness and bend length (inches).
  2. Set the die opening (V-width in inches) -- typical rule: V-width = 8x material thickness.
  3. Enter tensile strength (tons/in2) -- mild steel: 25, stainless: 45, aluminum: 15.
  4. Review required bending force (tons) and recommended press brake minimum tonnage.
  5. Select a press brake with at least 20% more capacity than the calculated force to account for variation.

How the result changes with Material Thickness

Material ThicknessRequired Force
5.0964.6 US tons
18807.3 US tons
332,713.5 US tons
455,045.8 US tons

What each input means

Material Thickness
Sheet metal thickness to bend.
Bend Length
Length of the bend along the press brake.
Die Opening (V-width)
Width of the V-die opening (typically 8× material thickness for air bending).
Tensile Strength
Material tensile strength (mild steel: 400, stainless: 600, aluminum: 250).

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Material Thickness = 3, Bend Length = 1000, Die Opening (V-width) = 24, Tensile Strength = 400 = 4 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Required Force
    Required Force
    22.4 = 22.4
  3. Calculate Required Force
    Required Force
    199.5 = 199.5
  4. Calculate Required Force
    Required Force
    20.3 = 20.3

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