How to bend > How to press brake > Tips and tricks

Setup & Preparation

  1. Choose the Right Tooling - Use dies and punches appropriate for the material type, thickness, and bend radius.

  2. Check Material Grain Direction - Bending across the grain is stronger and less likely to crack than bending with the grain.

  3. Calculate Correct Bend Allowance - Use proper bend allowance or bend deduction to ensure accurate final dimensions.

  4. Use the Right Tonnage - Avoid overloading the machine; calculate required tonnage based on material and bend length.

  5. Clean the Material & Tooling - Dirt, scale, or oil can affect bend quality and tool life.

  6. Warm Up the Machine (If Needed) - For hydraulic brakes, warming up helps with consistency in the first few bends.

Contact Technical support


The information in this report is only applicable to SSAB’s products and should not be applied to any other products than original SSAB products. 


This report provides general results and recommendations for SSAB steel products. This report is subject to SSAB’s Terms of Use. It shall be the user's responsibility to verify that the information contained herein is correct and is suitable to be used for the particular purpose and application of the user. The report is intended to be used by professional users only who possess adequate expertise, qualification and knowledge for the safe and correct use of the results and recommendations in this report. This report is provided “as is”. The use of the report is at user’s own discretion and risk and that users will be solely responsible for any use of this report. SSAB disclaims any liability for the content or potential errors of this report, including but not limited to warranties and condition of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or suitability for individual applications. SSAB shall not be liable for any kind of direct or indirect damages and/or costs related to or arising therefrom, whether special, incidental, consequential or directly or indirectly related to the use of, or the inability to use, the report or the content, information or results included therein.