Custom Roll Forming

Custom Roll Forming is the process of bending and shaping strip metal by passing it through a series of specially designed rolls. With over 75 years knowledge, experience and technical expertise of cold roll forming, voestalpine Metsec is ideally placed to help support our customers by offering tailored solutions to satisfy almost any requirement.

The roll forming process can not only manufacture typical shaped sections such as Channel, Angle, Boxes and Round tube but is also able to form more complex profiles required for demanding technical solutions. The ability to form complex shapes also gives the designer manufacturing options other than more traditional type processes such as press or press braking to form a product.

Custom Roll Forming at voestalpine Metsec provides bespoke standard metal profiles and special welded tubes in gauges from 0.5mm up to 6mm thick. These tailor-made profiles can be manufactured from steel, aluminium, copper, brass, stainless steel and even pre-painted material.

Another advantage of roll forming is that stress caused when bending materials too quickly can be avoided. From the initial roll tooling design the process undergoes a full Finite Element Analysis to ensure that the product is produced exactly to our customers design without inherent weaknesses. Overall the reduction of unwanted material stresses can be avoided by intelligent design and the gradual continuous forming process.

Through many years of experience we have designed our equipment to be innovative and adaptable. By offering further benefits to our customer such as in-line company logo embossing, printing, in-line piercing, in-line high frequency welding, saw and tool cut to length options, swaging and forming during the cut off process allows us to manufacture fully finished products without any additional secondary processing costs. For more information download our brochure located at the bottom of this page.

An introduction to Custom Roll Forming

Key Benefits Of Our Cold Roll Forming Service

Quality

• First cold roll forming specialist to have Integrated Management System
• (IMS) certified to meet requirements of PAS 99:2012
• Innovative FEA software allows more complex profiles to be designed
• Projects assessed at every stage by certified quality engineers
• State-of-the-art manufacturing equipment designed to offer additional customer benefits

Value

• A fully inclusive service, including design, manufacture and assembly
• Offers a range of additional services, removing the need to carry out any secondary processes (i.e.: drilling, welding or cutting)
• Ensures no hidden fees with budget outlined in initial Design & Manufacturing Feasibility Assessment

Flexibility

• Able to generate and develop bespoke profile concepts in collaboration with customers
• Able to design bespoke press, roll and manipulation tooling using COPRA® and AutoCAD Inventor
• Produces prototypes to support customers throughout the manufacturing process
• Manufactures solutions for a range of applications from bridging to office furniture

Sustainability

• Committed to undertaking activities in-line with environmental best practice and requirements of ISO 14001
• Aims to provide products with the best added value and the lowest environmental impact
• Producing products in accordance with BES 6001 using materials that have been responsibly sourced

In House Development

From computer modelling at the initial concept stage, right through to non-destructive testing of the final product, we work closely with our customers, using our technical expertise to assist the development of bespoke custom roll formed sections and profiles.

Product Design

At the initial product conception phase, we help our customers outline a clear design route and select suitable materials for their project. We then run calculations to ensure the proposed design fulfills the specification and meets British and International standards.

Computer Simulation (FEA)

We use Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software to analyse how the material will react during the forming process. This allows us to design increasingly complex profiles and eliminates the need for tooling modifications.

Tooling Design

We then design bespoke press, roll and manipulation tooling using COPRA® and AutoCAD Inventor. This software is coupled with its own FEA module, meaning any performance issues are automatically detected prior to production. Moving parts are also checked for position, movements and collisions.

Tooling Manufacture

Our ability to manufacture bespoke tooling allows us to quickly respond to orders and ensure product delivery targets are met. Our customers benefit from free tooling maintenance for the entire lifespan of their products, while future design modifications can be made with a quick turnaround.

Prototyping 3D Printed Parts

Using the latest 3D printing technology enables us to produce prototypes quickly and cost effectively, these can be used to check the suitability of the profile, including dimensional accuracy and the positioning of piercings, before manufacturing tooling to ensure we
deliver ‘right first time’ products.

Capabilities

voestalpine Metsec utilises some of the latest Cold Roll Forming equipment available within the industry today, our mills are designed to minimise downtime through fast equipment and material changes. This flexibility enables us to change quickly from product to product. Our mills are designed to meet the ever changing markets and customer design requirements, with up to 42 roll stands available gives us the capability to form virtually any shape for you the end user.

• Material thickness: from 0.5mm to 6.0mm
• Strip widths: up to 600mm
• In-line piercing facility
• In-line high frequency welding
• Lock seaming & safety edges available
• In-line roll logo marking
• In-line ink jet marking
• Non-standard bend radii
• Ferrous and non ferrous materials processed
• Ability to form high strength material