Metals are commonly used in all forms of construction. From cookware to jumbo jets, metal is something that has shaped many of the things that we take for granted as part of the modern world. In order to make the metals work for us in the way that we want them to, we need to be able to bend them.
Bending and shaping metals has been done as far back as the bronze age, when primitive tools and techniques were used to form metals into the shapes used for items like weapons and tools. Of course, nowadays, we have machines which are built for this purpose like these Euromac bending machines cotswold-machinery-sales.co.uk/euromac-bending-machines/horizontal-bending-machines/ which certainly make doing the job easier!
Different metals will have different properties, and this includes how easily they can be bent. To understand the differences, you need to go down to the atomic level. In pure metals, the atoms are arranged neatly in a lattice shape. Because of this arrangement, it is much easier to bend the metal with force.
However, metal alloys, which are a mixture of different metals, are made up of atoms of different metals. These atoms are not arranged in such a neat shape, so it is harder to bend them. When it comes to bending alloys, heat is usually needed to bend them, as this causes the atoms to move as they are heated up, and the metal can then be bent and formed into the required shape.
This is one of the main things that engineers, and designers need to take into account when they are creating something that is made out of metal. As well as the process that is required to bend it and make it the right size and shape, the properties of the metal are also important, as depending on the job it is required to do, some metals will be better at certain things than others.
Bending metal doesn’t weaken it, but it does need to be done correctly and with a lot of thought. This is why working with metals takes a lot of knowledge and training before you go into it as a career.
