Bending 11 GA Steel

Seems like it would be cheaper starting out to just have a machine shop form them for you....

Build a bending jig from pipe. 3 pieces of pipe, two spaced apart by the bend diameter + about .18 inches and a third pipe driven by hydraulic jacks force to the sheet into the space between the two bottom pipes.

It was estimated that it takes about 50 tons of pressure to bend steel plate that thickness. That is a 72" x 11 ga plate bent 90°. The cost to have it bent up has been weighed against doing it in-house. This is not a one-off job, so the need for the machine for long term use has been established.

That sounds like a lot of force for 1/8" plate, but doable. Build a bending frame out of square tubing with the pipes welded in the bottom. Maybe a hydraulic pump and some rams to drive the top pipe down into the work piece.

You should be able to build the whole thing for $5,000.00 USD.

50 T,..... not so much if its when you consider the length

If the used units are operable at their present locations, you might want to have the sellers run some test bends to see if the precision and quality are good enough.

Bear in mind that you could resell the unit later.

For that price range, you should be able to find a very good one at auction- including the rigging costs to remove and install it for you. I would think the press will give you better productivity.

BENDING 80" WIDE PLATE IN PRESS?

That will be 40" + Stroke. Check the Presses you got quotes from:

Feel you could do with a a Roll former instead .

In my opinion both Tornado and JNB gave you good advice. Buy a good Wysong or similar press brake with good backset stops and you will have something you can always get your money back out of. There are several good web sites for used equipment.

Good luck in your venture.

Plies or bend? What radius? How deep?

Vietnam is full of second hand fabrication equipment from, Japan, Europe, USA, Former Soviet, Taiwan, China.....

For the sort of money you are talking about you could get what you need, have it tested and sorted as required, crated, shipped and have a great working holiday in the process.....and come home with change.

Have you considered new Chinese machinery? Some of their machinery is better than OK.

It's a buyer's market everywhere now mate. Any machinery vendor, new or secondhand, will be more than happy to get you a solution delivered to your doorstep.

Think outside the box for a minute. I have done this before with plate rolls, not a press brake. If this is all you are going to do, you will not need the "initial pinch" type of plate rolls available. If you don't have many to do, then you would be better off finding a local fabricating shop that has plate rolls already to avoid the capital cost.

If money does not seem to be an issue, I would always choose something a little over spec; then there will be capacity for other projects too, and a press that thinks 50T is moderate will outperform one rated at 55T every time.

I will err on the side of versatility to account for changes in design and spin off projects.

Actually, I'm not the one starting the business. My Brother-in-law is the one and he has appointed me to act on his behalf. I came up with several apron presses that would do the job. In the meantime, he went ahead on his own and bought a 155 ton press brake. I think it is overkill, but it's his money.

This press should be big enough.

They specialise in outsourcing too.

I worked on that press for many years, (I also attended that dedication).

CHOICE!!!!