Air Bending
Press brake bending where the punch presses the sheet into a V-die without bottoming, setting the angle by depth.
What it means on the floor
In air bending the sheet contacts only the punch tip and the two shoulders of the V-die; the angle is set by how far the punch descends, not by the die shape. One set of tools can therefore make a range of angles.
Air bending needs the least tonnage of the bending methods but produces more springback and looser angle control than bottoming or coining.
Category: Forming
Applying the term
Interpret Air Bending in the context of the drawing, governing standard, and customer requirement in front of you — the same word can carry different limits in design, quality, and production documents. Check whether a stated value is nominal, minimum, maximum, or reference-only, and whether it applies before forming, after forming, or after heat treatment.