Cold Forming
Cold Forming is a manufacturing process used to shape metal without having to heat up the material. This is usually accomplished by pressing the material within various top and bottom tooling, to create a part to the customer’s features and dimensions.
Daver Steels has two brake presses in operation – 400 tonnes x 4 meters and 60 tonnes x 2 metres, both modern fully CNC controlled and used to cold form steel channels, zeds, angles and other shapes from grades of stainless steel and carbon steel, as well as Duplex, and Aluminium.
The table is an indicative guide to what can be achieved, please contact us to discuss specific requirements: sales@daversteels.co.uk
Equal Angles
| Thickness | B x C | Maximum Length |
|---|---|---|
| 3mm — 30 x 30mm | Up to 300 x 300mm | 4000mm Long |
| 4mm — 40 x 40mm | Up to 300 x 300mm | 4000mm Long |
| 5mm — 50 x 50mm | Up to 300 x 300mm | 4000mm Long |
| 6mm — 60 x 60mm | Up to 300 x 300mm | 4000mm Long |
| 8mm — 75 x 75mm | Up to 300 x 300mm | 4000mm Long |
| 10mm — 90 x 90mm | Up to 300 x 300mm | 4000mm Long |
| 12mm — 120 x 120mm | Up to 300 x 300mm | 3000mm Long |
| 15mm — 150 x 150mm | Up to 300 x 300mm | 2000mm Long |
Other combinations of unequal leg lengths are also possible.
Unequal Angles
Unequal angles are formed by bending a piece of steel into an angle so that it forms an L shape with a 90֠ angle. The legs of the L are unequal in size. The formed pieces will have a sheared edge so must be handled with appropriate PPE.
Zed Sections
Cold-formed zed sections are manufactured from folded sheared plate or strip to specific dimensions tailored to each project.
Holes or slots can be added as required.
Base dimensions must be greater than the leg dimension.
The internal radius will be 1.6 x thickness e.g. 5mm thick angle will have an 8mm internal bend radius.
Cold Formed Channels
The ratio of the leg to the base of the channel section depends on the thickness of the material being pressed. As a rule:
- Internal radius is 1.6 x thickness
- External radius is 2.6 x thickness
| Thickness | b/d Leg (min) | c Base (min) | b/d Leg (max) | c Base (max) | Length (max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3mm | 30 | 50 | 300 | 600 | 4m |
| 4mm | 35 | 60 | 300 | 600 | 4m |
| 5mm | 40 | 60 | 300 | 600 | 4m |
| 6mm | 50 | 70 | 300 | 600 | 4m |
| 8mm | 60 | 80 | 300 | 600 | 4m |
| 10mm | 70 | 100 | 300 | 600 | 3m |
| 12mm | 80 | 120 | 300 | 600 | 2.5m |
| 15mm | 100 | 150 | 300 | 600 | 1.5m |
The maximum length of a single piece depends on the material thickness.
Cold Forming Tolerances
Can you fold any other shapes?
Yes, we can fold other shapes, for example, trays, upstands and lips. Please contact our Sales Office with a drawing of your requirements.
Finishes
Parts can be supplied self-colour / mill finish, meaning they have no other treatment.
Any of the cold-formed carbon steel components can be finished with a protective coating such as: galvanising, wet paint, intumescent or polyester powder coating.
Options for finishing stainless parts include; pickling & passivation and polishing. For more detailed information please see Finishes.
