What a Fabricator Needs to Quote a Bent Bracket

A bracket is a short part with a lot of information in it. The quote depends on the finished shape, the material and how many bends it takes, in that order.

The finished bracket

Send the formed geometry. A bracket drawing that shows only the flat blank leaves the finished shape to be inferred, and the inference is where angles and hole positions go wrong. Show the bend angles, the direction of each bend and the inside radius, or state that the shop may choose the radius.

If your team develops the flat pattern, send both the flat and the formed view so the two can be checked against each other. A flat drawing or a formed drawing covers what each one communicates.

Material, thickness and quantity

Material and thickness set the force a bend needs, and quantity decides whether a program and a fixture are worth building. Say both plainly. On the press brake, available force is 135 metric tons over a 3,000 mm bend length, and the practical thickness for a particular bend is confirmed from the tonnage for that material, die opening and bend length rather than from a single maximum figure.

The four dimensions that decide whether it forms

• Bend line position along the part, since the backgauge has to reach it.
• Overall length after forming versus the distance between the frames, which limits parts that must pass through the machine.
• Throat depth, which limits how deep a return leg can be formed.
• Hole and slot positions relative to each bend, because a feature inside the bend zone distorts when the material is formed.

That last one is worth marking on the drawing rather than leaving to be found. Why features near bends need review goes into the practical question.

Quantity changes the answer

One bracket is a setup. Two hundred brackets are a program with the same ram position, the same backgauge values and the same crowning on every piece, which is what makes the two hundredth bracket match the first. State the quantity as a release, and say if more are expected later.

Finish and delivery

Finish belongs in the first request rather than in a conversation after the parts are bent, because finishing is coordinated through partner shops and adds a step to the schedule. If the bracket is going to be powder coated, the colour and the surface spec matter to the quote.

What to send

Formed drawing, flat if you have it, material, thickness, quantity, the dimensions above marked, finish and required date. KorFab reviews the bracket and quotes what it takes to make it. It does not size the bracket or carry out the structural design.