Roll Forming Machine Types

As mentioned earlier, we should consider several things such as paying enough attention to the technical and commercial points before inquiring and determining the price of sheet metal roll forming machines.

Different types of roll forming machines

There are four different types of roll forming machines:

• Horizontal roll forming machines
• Vertical roll forming machines (standing roll forming machines)
• Portable roll forming machines (movable roll forming machines)
• Special (custom) roll forming machines

Horizontal roll forming machines, which are the ones mostly employed in industries, are used to produce profiles, pipes, panels, etc. Also, various types of standing roll forming machines are used to produce silo body panels, steel buildings, and guardrails. Portable roll forming machines, which are used more and more today and have special advantages, have reduced the cost of transportation and the final cost of products. In other words, on-site production, reduction of packaging costs, safety in transportation to prevent bumping and deformation, and reducing production time are some of their advantages.

Custom roll forming machine

As mentioned earlier, we should consider several things such as paying enough attention to the technical and commercial points before inquiring and determining the price of sheet metal roll forming machines. Typically, roll forming machines or roll forming lines are made universally for certain products which were mentioned earlier in this article. Such products include sinusoidal panels, ceiling profiles, specific door profiles, sandwich panels, and various types of steel deck roll forming machines. But sometimes the devices are totally designed and built based on the customer’s (purchaser’s) request. These types of machines, known as special roll forming machines, are different from the universal roll forming machines with different production abilities. Of course, they have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages and disadvantages of custom roll forming lines

1. The cost of manufacturing special (custom) roll forming machines is about 30% to 50% more than its universal counterpart. The main reason is that the design and the construction are done based on the customer’s needs.
2. Special roll forming machines are usually more automated than their universal matches, which leads to an increased price.
3. Since the line is automated when custom (special) roll forming machines are used, less manpower is needed, which results in reduced overall cost as compared with simple roll forming machines.
4. There is more accuracy in production when special roll forming machines are used because in addition to accuracy in their construction, they can also use online testing systems (known as Machine Vision) to minimize the error rate during production.
5. In special roll forming machines, metal sheets are usually mounted using an automatic feeder system.
6. The production rate is faster in special roll forming machines as compared with the universal types. This will make them suitable for mass production. On the other hand, they can be equipped with a counter system and report statistics on the amount and type of production (number, accuracy or inaccuracy).