If you’ve ever looked at a marvel of structural engineering and asked yourself how someone managed to create all of the perfect bends, folds and angles with metal, the answer is probably thanks to a machine.
There are fabrication machines for just about anything in the world of metalworking. Shearing machines make angle cuts with precision, while milling machines make precise, clean cuts in the surface of metal. One of the most fascinating machines used by metal fabricators in Phoenix, AZ, however, is an angle rolling machine.
An Overview
Think about steel beams that have been uniformly bent at a precise curve. How did they do it? Through the power of an angle rolling machine, of course! This exceptional piece of equipment enables straight, ductile metal beams to be carefully curled into angled pieces, at virtually any degree.
From beams with a slight bend to metal that’s been formed into a perfect end-to-end circle, an angle rolling machine makes it possible to form metal in a way that’s not rigid or abrupt. To ensure this, beams are fed through an alternating series of rollers, which exert pressure that slowly curls the beam to a specific degree, as set by the operator. The straight beam goes in, is acted upon by force at a specific moving angle and comes out curled at the other end!
When to Use Angle Rolling
As mentioned, angle rolling is useful for creating bends in metal that are smooth, not rigid. For rigid bends, a crimping tool or brake press may be more effective tools. Smoother bends or curves have useful applications throughout a wide variety of projects and applications, both visual and structural.
Angle rolling is also ideally suited for steel beams. Flat sheets of metal and other pieces are better left to a plate or bar rolling machine, since these machines are designed to bend sheets and bars specifically.
Types of Beams
The types of beams used during the angle rolling process can vary dramatically depending on the final application. Some of the different ways beams can be angle rolled include: leg in/out, heel in/out and easy/hard way. Moreover, there are different types of beams and bars that dictate how the rolling process is executed. For example: I-beams, round beams, square beams, hollow beams, flanged beams and stem beams.
Applications
Angle rolling is an integral part of many projects, which is why it’s a core service offering among metal fabricators in Phoenix, AZ. Any project that requires a smooth bend or a precise degree achieved by rolling warrants angle rolling. Think about something like train tracks or railways.
In addition to basic angle rolling, this fabrication technique may be part of a larger forming project. For example, a fabricator might use a brake press to flange a piece of metal, then angle roll it to create a component with the perfect lip.
There’s no limit to the number of applications that benefit from angle rolling. Anytime finesse is required to create a precise bend, an angle rolling machine is likely the answer.