Leaf brakes — sometimes called straight brakes — have had more of an impact on the fabrication industry than the casual passerby might realize. When most people think of leaf brakes, they often think of a smaller bending or folding machine that is usually manually powered. In fact, while many leaf brakes sold are small manual machines, the common leaf brake has a stronger lineage in its family than that. Leaf brakes can also be obtained as powered units, both hydraulic and mechanical.
A typical hand-powered leaf brake would be able to handle perhaps 22 gauge of mild steel at 4-feet of width. A hydraulic leaf brake has common bending lengths of 8 to 10 feet, though it can also be found in other lengths. These machines have a thickness capacity of 10 gauge or .135 inches. A mechanical powered leaf brake, on the other hand, can bend up to ¾ inch thick material in common lengths of 8 to 10 feet, but, much like its hydraulic-powered cousin, can be found in other lengths, per customer request.
If your company is into any form of fabrication work, then you need a leaf brake. Automotive shops that specialize in custom bodywork, or do “frame-off” restoration work, could not continue very long without the capabilities of a leaf brake. Picture a classic car that arrives at a shop with a completely rusted-out floor which has to be replaced — a leaf brake would be all over that job!
Any general fabrication house will have the need of a leaf brake, even if the company is extremely large and takes in work from anybody needing... well, anything. The more you advertise your services as being able to create or re-create anything and everything, you’re going to need a leaf brake to back that up. What if you also suggest your organization can provide “prototyping” capability as something you offer. Yeah, that’s kind of a trick question, but a good lead-in to the next point we would make on behalf of leaf brakes. Folks, they are as easy a machine to set up as there could possibly be, yet still able to do an almost remarkable array of work.
Frankly speaking, these brakes can be as accurate as the person operating them wants them to be. If you’re prototyping, then you’re usually only talking between a couple pieces to maybe a few, so it makes no sense setting up a production machine just to run a few parts. Certainly not when you can knock them out with a less than five-minute set-up time on a straight brake (and have some fun while you are at it).
There is another major advantage to leaf brakes in general. As valuable a tool as they are, the typical pricing of the average sheet metal leaf brake is extremely low when compared to the cost of some other popular machine tools out there. Now keep in mind, we are talking anything from a 24" long leaf brake that is mounted to a bench to a 10' mechanical bending brake with a ¾" capacity — all shapes and sizes from a variety of manufacturers are very reasonably priced. And that entire range of machines available to from Jorgenson Machine Tools.
We don’t know about anyone else, but we do know who we are. The family of Bryan "Bud" Jorgenson has been in the metalworking machinery sales business for decades. We are now well into the second generation and have plotted a course for the future that includes an Internet presence as well as our traditional brick and mortar entity.
We can provide and share our experience with our potential and returning customers in many assorted ways. We are always here to speak to you on the phone, we respond to e-mail communication virtually upon receipt. It is our intention to provide the ultimate in service to our customers in whatever form it takes.
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