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Air Bending
The most common press brake bending method, in which the punch forces the metal partway into a V-die without bottoming out. The bend angle is controlled by punch penetration depth, allowing multiple angles from a single tooling setup with lower tonnage requirements.
Air bending dominates the press brake industry because it offers exceptional versatility with minimal tooling investment. Since the punch never fully closes into the die, a single set of punches and dies can produce multiple bend angles by simply adjusting the ram position, ideal for job shops and contract fabricators handling varied part designs.
The metal experiences less stress in the neutral axis compared to other bending methods, which makes air bending particularly well-suited for sensitive materials. However, this method requires precise CNC control to compensate for springback, and the resulting bend angle depends critically on material properties, thickness, and die selection.
Modern press braking services rely heavily on air bending for both prototype and production runs because it balances speed, accuracy, and tooling flexibility.
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