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Channel Bending

What Is Channel Bending?

Bent channel
Bent channel

Similar to wide flange and I-beam, the channel can be bent with a number of different bending processes. The most common bending method is a roll bend or pyramid bends method. Straight material is inserted into the rolls; the rolls are then moved horizontally to put the desired radius into the material. The material can also be bent incrementally hot or incrementally cold. This is where small sections of material are bent at one time. When finished the section has a smooth curve to the bent section. Finally, the channel can also be bent in a plate roll which is typically done when bending stair stringers.

Channel Bending easiest channel bending process is “flanges out.” “Flanges in” channel bending can be difficult if the flanges are relatively tall. The most difficult channel bending process is “the hard way”—indeed, all else being equal, the hard way is one of the most difficult structural shapes to bend without distortion. In checking the quality of “hard way” bent steel channel, it is critical to check that the flanges are square, that there has been no buckling of the web, and that the radius is true.

Channel Bending and H-beam Bending
The whole process video of the channel steel bending test

How to Bending Channel

Channels can be rolled the Hard Way, Flanges In, or Flanges Out. Because channels are asymmetrical, they can present a challenge when rolling. Care must be taken to support the inside flange of a channel rolled the Hard Way, as the inside flange will typically want to tip in as the rolling process continues.  Channels rolled Flanges In or Flanges Out can typically be rolled to much tighter radii than channels rolled the Hard Way.

The easiest channel bending process is “flanges out.” “Flanges in” channel bending can be difficult if the flanges are relatively tall. The most difficult channel bending process is “the hard way”—indeed, all else being equal, the hard way is one of the most difficult structural shapes to bend without distortion. In checking the quality of the “hard-way” bent steel channel, it is critical to check that the flanges are square, that there has been no buckling of the web, and that the radius is true.

Cold bending process ability to bend both standard channels (designated as C channel) as well as miscellaneous channels (designated as MC channel), from the very small sizes to the very large sizes. In fact, a profile bending machine can bend all of the mills supplied sizes of all types of channels.

Read More: Profile Bending Machine: 5 Things Before Buy, 6 Steps to Bend

Applications of Channel Bending

Channel bending is typically performed when the aesthetic or practical demands of an industrial project require shape and angle modifications to standard manufactured channels. BIT profile bending machines is able to manipulate a wide range of metals, including aluminum, carbon steel, copper, stainless steel, titanium, and more. Our innovative techniques ensure that modified materials maintain their field performance expectations in the most demanding environments.

Channels are often used as stiffeners on curved sheet or plate, as component parts of machinery, as cradles for tanks, and as trays to hold electrical wiring.

For construction, Channel bending have provided bent steel channel for curved lintels, roof supports, and canopies.

Top Five Important Things About Steel Channels

Here are some important things about structural steel channels that you should keep in mind when looking at them:

  1. The ‘depth’ of the channel (how tall it is)
  2. Leg height
  3. The thickness of the leg
  4. The thickness of the web
  5. The fillet of the C-channel. The fillet is the angle where the leg meets with the web. This radius is not always provided

BIT Channel Bending Machine

BIT’s CNC PBH Profile Bending Machine can roll any size of the steel channel currently produced, we provide ten model angle roller machines, that can roll 120 all the way down to 700 and all sizes in between.

Bent channel profiles
Channel bending machine
Channel bending machine

BIT section bending machines provides a complete suite of channel bending services, it can perform steel channel bending and aluminum channel bending with equal precision, including the ability to roll channels with flanges in or out, or bent along the x-x axis. BIT has the leading bending capability for steel and aluminum channel bending and more, excel at bending the most difficult sections to the tightest radii with no or minimal distortion.

BIT’s PBA and PBH CNC Profile Bending Machine can also bend channels off axis, helically, with multiple radii, and on two different planes. It has the ability to roll bend mill rolled channels in any size offered either legs in or legs out, and can roll channels the hard way in all bar sizes and up to ten inches in milled rolled sizes. Machine can bend channels with the flanges out, with the flanges in, and the hard way of the web.

BIT’S Profile Bending Machine can roll bending many material types of channel material including;

  • Carbon steel (A-36)
  • Stainless steel – both 304SS and 316SS
  • Aluminum
  • ​The types of materials which can be rolled are virtually limitless.

PBH Series U Channel Bending Machine Parameter

Bending Channel The Hard Way
bending C channel
bending U channel
bending steel channel

:: Read More: The Awesome 4 Roll Profile Bending Machine For Bending Steel U Channel

The horizontal bending of the steel channel (Hardway) is a hard way, and the bending method is as difficult as the H-beam. It requires a special BIT section bending machine with a ninth hydraulic component.

An important tip for choosing a U channel bending machine

PBH Series section bending machine can bend U channel steel of stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, and other materials.

But when you need to bend aluminum U/C-channel steel for decoration or automobile and train use, we recommend that you choose our PBA CNC aluminum profile bending machine. Because the bending accuracy of our CNC-controlled aluminum profile bending machine is as high as 0.01mm.

ModelToes OutToes In
Specification
(mm)
Minimum Inside
Diameter (mm)
Specification
(mm)
Minimum
Inside Diameter(mm)
PBH 120120600120500
PBH 140140600140600
PBH 20020010002001000
PBH 30030012003001000
PBH 3603602000360900
PBH 45045025004502000
PBH 50050030005001000
PBH 55055040005501200
PBH 60060050006001600
PBH 70070060007002000

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