Above: A part is fed through the bending sequence via a series of vacuum plates integrated into the gauging system.
May, 2026- Rising steel, labor and energy costs are persistent challenges for fabricators. “During 2022–23, the pandemic played a significant role in driving these pressures. Today, the challenges remain, only now they are more structural in nature,” says David Prokop, executive vice president of precision at Metalforming LLC. “In many cases, steel, labor and energy costs are higher than they were three years ago, which means it takes longer for companies to recover those increased expenses.”
To combat high operating costs, fabricators are taking a closer look at their press brake, asking whether it’s time to add a folding machine to the shop floor. “A folding machine is a great way to mitigate labor constraints and minimize handling challenges while improving accuracy and downstream efficiencies,” explains Prokop. He claims the company, located outside Atlanta, is the largest distributor of sheet metal folding machines in North America.
LABOR EFFICIENCIES
“Folders dramatically reduce labor requirements by streamlining material handling,” says Prokop. He notes that a shrinking pipeline of skilled workers, combined with a wave of retiring Baby Boomers, continues to strain fabrication shops. “At the same time, the skills required for today’s job shop are more technically advanced,” he adds, noting an increasingly complex environment shaped by CAD, CNC, robots, automation and digitalization.
Prokop points to an accelerating shift in required skills. “A year ago, artificial intelligence was optimizing laser nesting. Today, although it’s not running the laser, telemetry and data-driven systems are making decisions that were once operator-driven. As a result, the operator requires a higher level of technical understanding to manage, interpret and act on that data.”
''A folding machine ignores the variations in material thickness and tensile, maintaining angular accuracy without operator intervention.'' David Prokop, Metalforming LLC
A folder requires only one operator, because material handling is integrated into the machine.
A massive part, suspended vertically, is robotically unloaded then stacked.
After laser cutting, the next step in the fabrication process is likely bending. So, it is logical for a fabricator to examine this aspect of their operations. “Anyone that bends metal should be investigating a folding machine,” advises Prokop.
Folding machines integrate material handling into the process, eliminating the need for an operator to manually handle or flip parts during bending; this allows the entire operation to be performed by a single operator. In contrast, Prokop notes that with a press brake, the operator is fully engaged in positioning the material for every bend. For larger or heavier parts, a second operator is often required to assist with lifting, repositioning, loading and unloading.
“Folding machines integrate material handling through vacuum gripping systems and related technologies. The operator establishes the initial gauge point. After that, the machine executes the bending sequence and material movement automatically, never needing a second operator,” says Prokop.
A folding machine also enhances ergonomics and safety. “In modern press brakes, pinch points and compression errors have been minimized, but they can’t be eliminated.
Repetitive motion and lift injuries still occur with great frequency. A folding machine practically eliminates such risks,” he says.
PRECISION AND CONSISTENCY
A folding machine controls more than 90 percent of the bending process, which means not only is the folder safer but also more error-proof. Issues relating to part size are eliminated, and consistency in bending precision is maintained from part to part.
“A folding machine ignores the variations in material thickness and tensile strength, maintaining angular accuracy without operator intervention,” explains Prokop. Because a folder gauges every flange from a fixed datum point using vacuum grippers, each bend is positioned independently, ensuring dimensional accuracies are maintained throughout the process.
On a press brake, each bend is gauged off the previous bend. “So even small inaccuracies compound with every step. Inaccuracies are further amplified by variations in material thickness and tensile strength,” notes Prokop. A folder provides consistent accuracy throughout the project run.
Improved part accuracy translates into improved downstream operations. “When parts consistently fit, downstream operations benefit. Welding is easier; assembly goes more smoothly. Every process the part touches after bending is improved,” Prokop says. He adds that improved part fit-up eliminates reworks, further enhancing overall productivity
Metalforming LLC sells an assortment of folding machines, including the Schroeder MAK4 EVO4 with ATC.
AUTOMATION
A folding machine is easily automated with a robot or automated sheet lifter for loading and unloading, with the bending and material handling managed entirely by the machine. Automation allows parallel processing: staging the next part while the folder is bending the current part.
“This is a key difference in a folder. With a press brake, the robot must carry the part through every bend, repositioning it each time. With a folder, the machine not the robot manipulates the part through the entire bending sequence. On the folding machine,the robot’s role is just pick-and-place,” Prokop states.
''Anyone that bends metal should be investigating a folding machine.'' David Prokop, Metalforming LLC Most of the folding machines sold by Metalforming are semi-automated, with the option to add a robot later. “The smart approach is to first get the shop ready for the increased output, then add the robot once the impact on downstream operations are clear,” Prokop explains.
CONSULTING
Metalforming sells folding machines manufactured by the Schroeder Group, Jorns and Schechtl, the latter two mostly for architectural applications. Schroeder offers folding and bending solutions that handle sheet up to inch thick and 16.5 feet long.
The Metalforming team advises fabricators on the folder best suited to their operations. “We like to see the shop’s operations first hand,” looking at, for example, “how many cut parts are stacked next to the laser-a sure sign of a logjam at the press brake,” Prokop notes.
Shops that are considering a folding machine are invited to send several sample parts to Metalforming for product demonstrations. “At our Peachtree location, customers observe the folding process from start to finish. They quickly start envisioning the ROI they will realize with a folding machine.” Customers won’t be able to ascertain the downstream benefits they might achieve during the demonstration. “This is a wild card-a potentially big wild card,” Prokop notes.
Benefits can include substantial savings, says Prokop. Customers are likely to realize “so much more than just bending efficiency, especially if the fabricator is running a robotic welder or wants to implement laser welding, which requires consistent high precision parts.
“When a fabricator takes stock in all that a folder can do--reduced labor and downstream impact-it is possible for the folding machine to pay for itself in less than 12 months,” calculates Prokop.
Metalforming LLC, 770/631-0002, metalforming-usa.com.
