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Guidance","\u002Fresources\u002Fdevelopers\u002Fagent-guidance","resources\u002F5.developers\u002F1.agent-guidance",{"icon":202},"i-ph-book-open-text-duotone",{"title":204,"path":205,"stem":206,"navigation":207,"icon":208},"MCP","\u002Fresources\u002Fdevelopers\u002Fmcp","resources\u002F5.developers\u002F2.mcp",{"icon":208},"i-ph-robot-duotone",{"id":210,"title":211,"body":212,"categories":541,"date":544,"date_modified":61,"description":545,"extension":546,"featured":61,"img":547,"img_sizes":61,"img_srcset":61,"meta":548,"navigation":236,"path":549,"seo":550,"seo_description":551,"seo_title":552,"sitemap":553,"stem":556,"video":61,"__hash__":557},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation.md","Press Brake Simulation: Watch Your Part Bend Before You Order",{"type":213,"value":214,"toc":528},"minimark",[215,219,227,252,257,264,291,298,316,322,326,329,346,349,353,359,366,369,372,383,389,400,403,408,411,451,454,457,477,488,492,514,518],[216,217,218],"p",{},"A part can pass every flange length and bend radius rule and still be impossible to bend. The\nproblem shows up in the order of the bends. Once the first flanges are formed, they have to clear\nthe punch, the die, and the machine while the rest of the part is bent. A return flange that is a\nlittle too tall or a channel that is a little too narrow will hit the tooling partway through the\nstroke.",[216,220,221,222,226],{},"Most shops find this out when a press brake operator picks up the part. Fabworks now checks it\nwhile you quote. Every part quoted with ",[223,224,225],"a",{"href":17},"sheet metal bending"," is simulated on\nour press brake tooling, and you can watch the whole sequence in 3D before you order. It runs in\nyour browser, with no simulation software to install.",[228,229,233],"div",{"className":230},[231,232],"mx-auto","max-w-xl",[234,235,246,247],"video",{"autoPlay":236,"loop":236,"muted":236,"playsInline":236,"poster":237,"width":238,"height":239,"className":240,"ariaLabel":245},true,"\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fbend-sim-success-poster.webp",1144,1020,[241,242,243,244],"w-full","rounded-lg","border","border-neutral-200","A four-bend aluminum brace bending step by step between the punch and die in the Fabworks press brake simulation","\n  ",[248,249],"source",{"src":250,"type":251},"\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fbend-sim-success.mp4","video\u002Fmp4",[253,254,256],"h2",{"id":255},"where-to-find-it","Where to find it",[216,258,259,260,263],{},"Upload a STEP file with bends and open the quote. Each bent part shows a ",[261,262,16],"strong",{}," row with a\ncount of its bends. The dot next to it shows the result of the check:",[265,266,267,274,285],"ul",{},[268,269,270,273],"li",{},[261,271,272],{},"Green:"," we found a bend order that works with our tooling.",[268,275,276,279,280,284],{},[261,277,278],{},"Red:"," no bend order works. See ",[223,281,283],{"href":282},"#when-a-part-cant-be-bent","When a part can't be bent",".",[268,286,287,290],{},[261,288,289],{},"Spinning:"," the check is still running.",[216,292,293,294,297],{},"Click ",[261,295,296],{},"Open"," to watch the simulation.",[228,299,302],{"className":300},[231,301],"max-w-2xl",[234,303,246,309,246,313],{"autoPlay":236,"loop":236,"muted":236,"playsInline":236,"poster":304,"width":305,"height":306,"className":307,"ariaLabel":308},"\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fbend-sim-upload-poster.webp",1120,600,[241,242,243,244],"Uploading a STEP file of a bracket, choosing aluminum, and clicking Open on the part's green Bending row",[248,310],{"media":311,"src":312,"type":251},"(max-width: 767px)","\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fbend-sim-upload-mobile.mp4",[248,314],{"src":315,"type":251},"\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fbend-sim-upload.mp4",[216,317,318,319,321],{},"The check runs on its own as soon as the part has a material, so you don't have to open the\nsimulation to get the result. In the clip above, the Bending dot is already green by the time the\nprice shows up. ",[261,320,296],{}," turns on once the check finishes. It stays off for a part with a file\nproblem, such as a model we can't unfold, because that has to be fixed before the part can be\nsimulated.",[253,323,325],{"id":324},"watching-your-part-bend","Watching your part bend",[216,327,328],{},"The simulation shows the part between the punch and the die, the way it sits on our press brake.\nThe bar along the bottom has one numbered step for each bend, in the order we would form them.",[265,330,331,334,337,340,343],{},[268,332,333],{},"Press play to run the full sequence, or click a step to jump to it.",[268,335,336],{},"Drag the marker to scrub through a bend and watch the flange come up.",[268,338,339],{},"Hover a step to highlight its bend line on the part.",[268,341,342],{},"Change the playback speed from the menu on the right.",[268,344,345],{},"Drag to rotate the view, scroll to zoom, and use the reset button in the top-left corner to get\nback to the starting view.",[216,347,348],{},"Green steps pass. A red step collides with the tooling or the machine.",[253,350,352],{"id":351},"how-we-pick-the-bend-order","How we pick the bend order",[216,354,355,356,358],{},"You don't pick a bend order. Our software searches the possible orders for one where every bend\nclears our tooling, then plays that order back. For a part with a handful of bends, the search\nusually finishes before you get to the Bending row. While it is still running, the Bending dot\nspins and ",[261,357,296],{}," waits for the result.",[216,360,361,362,365],{},"The simulation uses the tooling we bend with, not a generic press brake, so a green result means\nthe part fits our setup. It checks the part's geometry, not its tolerances. The\n",[223,363,364],{"href":94},"bending guidelines"," still cover minimum flange length, bend radius,\nand tolerances.",[253,367,283],{"id":368},"when-a-part-cant-be-bent",[216,370,371],{},"If every bend order hits something, the simulation plays the closest order it found. The failing\nstep turns red, along with the part and the tooling that collide.",[228,373,375],{"className":374},[231,232],[234,376,246,380],{"autoPlay":236,"loop":236,"muted":236,"playsInline":236,"poster":377,"width":238,"height":239,"className":378,"ariaLabel":379},"\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fbend-sim-error-poster.webp",[241,242,243,244],"A two-bend part in the press brake simulation. During the second bend, a flange collides with the punch and both turn red, and an alert says no bend order works",[248,381],{"src":382,"type":251},"\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fbend-sim-error.mp4",[216,384,385,386,284],{},"In this part, the first bend passes. During the second bend, the part swings up into the punch.\nNo order avoids it, so the simulation shows ",[261,387,388],{},"No bend order works",[216,390,391,392,395,396,399],{},"If the search runs out of time before checking every order, you'll see ",[261,393,394],{},"No bend order found","\ninstead. A working order may still exist, and the ",[261,397,398],{},"Support"," button opens a chat with our team so\nwe can look at it.",[216,401,402],{},"Either way, the quote shows a warning on the part. You can still check out, but the warning might\ndelay your order. It is usually faster to fix the design first.",[404,405,407],"h3",{"id":406},"how-to-fix-a-collision","How to fix a collision",[216,409,410],{},"Most collisions come from a flange that can't clear the tooling as the next bend forms. These\nchanges usually fix it:",[265,412,413,424,430,441],{},[268,414,415,418,419,423],{},[261,416,417],{},"Shorten the return flange."," A shorter flange swings through a smaller arc and clears the\npunch. The ",[223,420,422],{"href":421},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguidelines\u002Fbending#reverse-bend-clearance-checker","reverse bend clearance checker","\nshows how tall a return flange can be for a given channel width.",[268,425,426,429],{},[261,427,428],{},"Widen the channel."," A wider channel gives the punch more room between the flanges.",[268,431,432,435,436,440],{},[261,433,434],{},"Make the box shallower."," For four-sided boxes, the\n",[223,437,439],{"href":438},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguidelines\u002Fbending#box-depth-clearance-calculator","box depth calculator"," shows the\ndeepest box our tooling can form.",[268,442,443,446,447,450],{},[261,444,445],{},"Split the part."," Two simpler parts joined with welding or\n",[223,448,449],{"href":40},"hardware"," can replace one part that can't be bent.",[216,452,453],{},"Change the CAD, export a new STEP file, and upload it again. The new part is checked as soon as it\nis quoted.",[216,455,456],{},"Here is the part from above after the fix. The flange with the hole stayed the same. The flange on\nthe other side has no features on it and could have been a separate part, so instead of splitting\nthe part we shortened that flange by 0.44\" (12.00\" down to 11.56\" overall). The Bending row on the\nquote turns from red to green, and both bends clear the punch in the simulation.",[228,458,462],{"className":459},[231,460,461],"my-8","max-w-lg",[463,464,246,465,246,469],"picture",{},[248,466],{"media":311,"srcSet":467,"width":306,"height":468},"\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fpart-card-before-after-mobile.webp",504,[470,471],"img",{"loading":472,"decoding":473,"src":474,"alt":475,"width":476,"height":468},"lazy","async","\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fpart-card-before-after.webp","Two quote part cards. The original part shows a red Bending status and a warning badge. The revised part, with one flange 0.44 inches shorter, shows a green Bending status.",730,[228,478,480],{"className":479},[231,232],[234,481,246,485],{"autoPlay":236,"loop":236,"muted":236,"playsInline":236,"poster":482,"width":238,"height":239,"className":483,"ariaLabel":484},"\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fbend-sim-fixed-poster.webp",[241,242,243,244],"The revised two-bend part in the press brake simulation. Both steps are green and the flange clears the punch",[248,486],{"src":487,"type":251},"\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fbend-sim-fixed.mp4",[253,489,491],{"id":490},"for-ai-agents","For AI agents",[216,493,494,495,499,500,504,505,508,509,513],{},"If you quote through the ",[223,496,498],{"href":497},"\u002Fmcp","Fabworks MCP server",", bent parts come back with a ",[501,502,503],"code",{},"bending_url","\nthat opens this simulation. Add ",[501,506,507],{},"&step=N"," to hold it after step N. An agent with a browser can\nscreenshot a specific bend and show you where a part fails. The\n",[223,510,512],{"href":511},"\u002Fresources\u002Fdevelopers\u002Fmcp#what-a-quote-returns","MCP docs"," have the details.",[253,515,517],{"id":516},"try-it-on-your-part","Try it on your part",[216,519,520,524,525,527],{},[223,521,523],{"href":522},"\u002F","Upload a STEP file"," with bends and open the Bending row on the quote. If the simulation shows\nsomething you don't expect, click ",[261,526,398],{}," or start a chat and we'll take a look.",{"title":529,"searchDepth":530,"depth":530,"links":531},"",2,[532,533,534,535,539,540],{"id":255,"depth":530,"text":256},{"id":324,"depth":530,"text":325},{"id":351,"depth":530,"text":352},{"id":368,"depth":530,"text":283,"children":536},[537],{"id":406,"depth":538,"text":407},3,{"id":490,"depth":530,"text":491},{"id":516,"depth":530,"text":517},[542,543],"Design","Updates","2026-09-29","Every bent part on a Fabworks quote now gets a press brake simulation. See each bend play out on our tooling, find collisions before you order, and learn what to change when no bend order works.","md","\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation\u002Fthumbnail.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation",{"title":211,"description":545},"Fabworks simulates every bent sheet metal part on our press brake tooling. Watch the bend sequence, spot collisions, and fix them before you order.","Online Press Brake Simulation for Sheet Metal",{"loc":549,"images":554},[555],{"loc":474},"blog\u002Fpress-brake-simulation","2LgPw1exuUCx6Dl7eUSE0yzpLVaB35n4DqXMTy3YQOo",[61,559],{"title":560,"path":561,"stem":562,"description":563,"children":-1},"Tube Laser Cutting Service: A Complete Guide","\u002Fblog\u002Ftube-laser-cutting-guide","blog\u002Ftube-laser-cutting-guide","Everything you need to know about tube laser cutting, from how the process works to materials, design guidelines, and pricing, plus how to get an instant quote.",1790870746362]