Welding & Fabrication worked example

Forming Cycle Time at 18% flip, gauge, and handling allowance: a worked example in welding & fabrication

This worked example runs the forming cycle time numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 18% flip, gauge, and handling allowance instead of the typical 25%. Estimate press brake forming cycle time from number of bends per part, bends per minute, and a handling allowance.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Bends to form per part: 8 bends (held at the documented default)
  • Bends placed per minute: 5 bends / min (held at the documented default)
  • Flip, gauge, and handling allowance: 18 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 25)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Base forming cycle time = bends to form per part รท bends placed per minute.
  • Required forming cycle time per part works out to 1.89 min at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Base forming cycle time works out to 1.6 min at these inputs.
  • Flip, gauge, and handling allowance works out to 18 % at these inputs.
  • Bends placed per minute works out to 5 pieces / min at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where flip, gauge, and handling allowance sits at 25% and the headline result is 2 min, this scenario comes in 5.6% below the baseline at 1.89 min.
  • Use it when estimating a forming job, sequencing parts on a brake, or quoting sheet-metal fabrication. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Required forming cycle time per part: 1.89 min (headline result)
  • Base forming cycle time: 1.6 min
  • Flip, gauge, and handling allowance: 18 %
  • Bends placed per minute: 5 pieces / min

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Forming Cycle Time calculator, set flip, gauge, and handling allowance to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.