Press brake specifications explained
A press brake specification sheet gives the bending length and pressing force first, then the space for tools and parts (opening, stroke, throat depth, distance between the side frames) and the ram’s three speeds. Across the 1,274 press brakes in this catalog, the median machine closes at 130 mm/s, bends at 10 mm/s and returns at 120 mm/s.
What each figure means
The last column gives the median across this catalog, then the range and how many machines publish the figure.
| Figure | What it means | In this catalog |
|---|---|---|
| Bending length | The longest bend the machine can make in one stroke: the working length of the ram and table. | 4,000 mm (350–14,000 mm; 1,193 machines) |
| Pressing force | The most force the ram can apply, spread over the bending length. A short part bent at full force puts the load on a short length of ram and tooling, so keep within the tooling maker’s load per metre. | 208.7 t (5–3,000 t; 1,274 machines) |
| Distance between side frames | The clear width between the two side frames. A part longer than this has to pass into the throats of the frames, so its flange must fit the throat depth. | 3,200 mm (310–12,500 mm; 1,226 machines) |
| Maximum opening | The space between the table and the ram with the ram at the top of its stroke (also called open height or daylight). Tools and the part must fit in it. | 540 mm (280–1,900 mm; 993 machines) |
| Maximum stroke | How far the ram can travel up and down. | 260 mm (80–640 mm; 1,069 machines) |
| Throat depth | How deep the gap in the side frames is, measured from the bending line. It limits the flange that can pass into the frames. | 400 mm (100–1,500 mm; 1,085 machines) |
| Closing speed | How fast the ram comes down before it reaches the sheet (also called approach speed). | 130 mm/s (40–275.2 mm/s; 963 machines) |
| Maximum working speed | How fast the ram moves while it bends the sheet. | 10 mm/s (6–50.8 mm/s; 932 machines) |
| Return speed | How fast the ram goes back up after the bend. | 120 mm/s (40–300 mm/s; 955 machines) |
Typical figures by size
Medians by pressing force. For example, the 280 machines of over 63 t to 135 t have a median opening of 480 mm and a median stroke of 220 mm.
| Pressing force | Machines | Bending length | Opening | Stroke | Throat depth | Closing speed | Working speed | Return speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 63 t | 130 | 1,670 mm | 425 mm | 177.5 mm | 260 mm | 180 mm/s | 17 mm/s | 180 mm/s |
| Over 63 t to 135 t | 280 | 3,100 mm | 480 mm | 220 mm | 400 mm | 200 mm/s | 10 mm/s | 180 mm/s |
| Over 135 t to 250 t | 423 | 4,000 mm | 520 mm | 250 mm | 400 mm | 160 mm/s | 10 mm/s | 140 mm/s |
| Over 250 t to 600 t | 321 | 4,500 mm | 580 mm | 300 mm | 400 mm | 100 mm/s | 8.5 mm/s | 100 mm/s |
| Over 600 t | 120 | 7,075 mm | 700 mm | 365 mm | 500 mm | 80 mm/s | 8.5 mm/s | 80 mm/s |
Each median uses only the machines in that band that publish the figure.
Opening, stroke and the V-die
The opening and stroke decide which tools fit and how deep a box can be bent. The V-die opening is usually chosen from the sheet thickness: ADH’s bending guide calls “V-die opening = 8× material thickness” “simply a rule of thumb, not an absolute” (shop.adhmt.com). The force a bend needs rises with thickness and falls as the V-die opening grows, so check the tooling maker’s force chart for your material.
Force units
This catalog gives pressing force in tonnes. Where a maker publishes kilonewtons, the value is divided by 10; see kN, tonnes and US tons.
How this guide was made
- Figures about machines are computed from this catalog each time the page is built, so they follow the catalog (newest reading: 28 October 2026). They cover the machines whose makers publish each figure.
- Facts from outside the catalog name their source, and makers are quoted only with sentences read on their own websites.
- The text was drafted with an AI model (Claude, from Anthropic) and checked against the catalog and the sources below by Claude (AI) on 30 October 2026.