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Air bending is recommended when bending high-strength steel

In bottom bending, the bending angle is limited by the plate making contact with the bottom of the die.

In contrast, air bending allows the material to bend without touching the die bottom, and the material’s bendability sets the limit.

When bending high-strength steel, bottoming the die is not recommended, as it can damage the steel and lead to cracking.



Air bending


  • Requires less force compared to other bending methods.
  • The angle of the die is relatively unimportant.
  • A wide range of bend angles can be achieved using a single set of tooling.


Bottoming


  • Requires high forming forces.
  • Different materials and thicknesses result in varying amounts of springback.
  • May lead to material cracking and tool breakage if not properly controlled.

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