Mixing Standard and Custom Tooling

Mixing Standard and Custom Tooling. Roller forming machine. The interior of the plant producing a metal profile.

To create roll formed metal shapes, we use specially-designed rollers that bend the strip metal incrementally until the correct cross-section is achieved. These rollers, along with pre-punches, presses, and cut-off dies, are part of the tooling that is necessary to create a part. Each time your part is run at Roller Die, this tooling must be pulled out of storage, prepared, and set up on the line for use. Our roll form lines can run a wide variety of metal types, thicknesses, and shapes thanks to this system.

Many of our customers have custom tooling created so that the exact hole pattern and cross-section is created. These are often proprietary designs that allow their product to perform it’s purpose. Custom tooling is also used only for a particular customer’s project, so in between runs we can perform maintenance and make sure we do what is needed to maximize the life of the tooling. Even if your shape is similar to a standard shape, this is still a good option for parts that are going to be high volume.

In other instances, customers choose to use Roller Die +Forming’s library of standard tooling. Over the past 60 years, we’ve built up quite a large collection of in-house tooling that covers many standard shapes and sizes. For some customers, this allows them to get the shape they need without the added up-front costs of tooling.

Customers also have the option to combine custom and standard tooling, allowing them to get the exact part they need while still leveraging the cost savings that come with using our in-house tooling. A standard shape combined with a custom hole punch, for example, or a standard shape followed by a custom press can create a completely custom part.

If you’re interested in learning more, start by browsing our Standard Tooling Library to see the types and sizes of shapes we have available. You can also reach out to a member of our sales team to learn what might be the best option for your particular part and needs. Either way, the team at Roller Die works to help our customers find the right solution and provide excellent customer service throughout the entire process.