Roll forming machine produces different configurations required using long strips of material made of steel, the most common steel type used is coiled steel. In majority of the applications, the material’s cross section is ideally designed to fit in the machine to make sure the bending is done efficiently. The roll forming machine is also used in other applications and a variety of duties concerning metalworking such as roll punching and cutting of materials.
In majority of the processes, the roll forming machine operates in a continuous manner. The material is inserted into the machine where it continues to go all through the line of different operations for every stage and at the end the final component will come out complete.
The machine used for roll forming application is able to bend the metal if the temperature is at room level. Different stations that are equipped with fixed rollers are then necessary to control the material that passes through it and bending is performed as specified. As the strip of the material passes through the machine, the rollers set then set to work by bending the material a bit more compared to the last roller that has performed the operation.
In this case, the method used for bending is a progressive one and it makes sure that the right cross section form for the material is reached while making sure that the area of the same cross section is not affected in any way. It typically operates using a speed that ranges from 30 to 600 feet for every minute. It is a recommended option for manufacturers that process large volume of products or needs to process materials that have very long length.
These machines used for roll forming are also ideal in making exact parts that needs very little, or none at all, finishing at the end. In majority of the cases and depending on the material of the product being shaped, the resulting product already has an excellent finish and the details are shown in fine manner.
The most basic type of this machine contains a line that can be divided into four separate parts. The first is called the entry section and it is where the materials are being fed. The materials that are fed into this section are usually in sheets or in coil form. The second section is called station rollers and this is where the roll forming happens, where the stations can be found and where the material is bent into shape as it passes through different processes. The station rollers are not only the ones responsible in shaping the materials but a major driving force that is coming from the machine as well.
The third section is the cut off press and this is where the metal is cut into the desired length. It is common at this section to operate using the flying die cut-off method. The last section is called the exit station and this is where the final product comes out and moved by human operators.