Handbook

of Custom

Roll
Forming
This information is a summary from the Handbook of
Custom Roll Forming. For more detailed information
please access the entire Handbook on the web at
www.metalforming.com/crfid.htm.
 What is Roll Forming?
Roll forming is a continuous bending operation
done at room temperature in which sheet or strip
metal is plastically deformed along a linear axis.
Tandem sets of rolls (known as roll stations) shape the
metal in a series of progressive stages until the desired
cross-sectional configuration is obtained. Because of
the progressive manner in which the bending takes
place, there is little or no change in cross-sectional
area of the work-piece.
Draw a continuous line of any shape on a piece of
paper. As long as the line does not cross itself, the roll
forming process can probably produce that shape.
Potential applications for roll formed shapes are limit-
ed only by the imagination. When designing a product,
designers should not restrict their thinking. Instead, it
is important to think in terms of bending metal into the
functional configuration that is really needed.
As a continuous process, roll forming is ideal for
producing parts with long lengths or in large quanti-
ties. Virtually any material that can be formed by
sheet forming techniques can be roll formed. The
process typically runs at speeds from 30 to 600
ft/min., depending on the desired configuration, tol-
erances required and material being formed.
By its very nature, the roll forming process produces
a high quality product. It permits close tolerances for
both heavy and light gauge material and provides uni-
form shapes and dimensions. Finished shapes have
excellent surface finish and exhibit fine detail.
Some of the best applications for roll forming are
large quantities of parts with constant, complex cross
section. The process is ideal for producing shapes of
any length.

How Can Roll Forming Solve your Problems?

• Stable, quality-oriented process
• Close tolerances
• Uniformity throughout the part
• Superior surface finish
• Part length unlimited by the process
• Production of thin wall hollow or semi-hollow
shapes

2
• Large production volumes
• Energy efficient, requiring no process heat
• Additional operations performed in line
 • Holes or slots where you need them
• Strength for structural rigidity
• Same tooling used for different materials
• Appropriate for any bendable material
• Simultaneous forming of two materials
• Two parts can be run together to form one assembly.

Process Evolution and Roll Forming Equipment

The draw bench was the forerunner of the modern day roll forming machine.
Originally, metal blanks were pulled through stationary dies, imparting the
desired contour to the part. Later these stationary dies were replaced by a series
of idling rollers which progressively deformed the metal. The first generation of
modern roll forming machines were being built commercially as early as 1921.
Initially, they were used to form blanks that had been sheared from sheet metal.
As coil material became more popular and readily available in the 1930s and
1940s, roll forming evolved into the process we know today—a continuous, high
production process with driven rollers that cause the coil material to flow
through the dies. Door and window frames, automobile radiator tubing, deco-
rative trim and roof decking were among the products being roll formed by the
1940s. With improved equipment, tremendous advances in raw material, and a
much better understanding of roll forming technology, the process is now being
used to produce components for applications as diverse as appliances, material
handling equipment and the space shuttle.
A roll forming line can typically be divided into four major parts: material
entry section, roll forming machine, cutoff press, and exit section.
At the entry section of a roll forming line, material may be fed in sheet form,
transferred directly from another operation (such as piercing) or more com-
monly, fed from a continuous coil. Roll forming machines generally consist of roll
stations, a drive system to power the rolls and drive the material, a brake that
prevents “coasting” after shutdown, and a coolant/lubricant system, to reduce
tool wear and energy requirements as well as galling and material buildup on
rollers. A straightener is usually located following the last set of rolls. The third
major element of a roll forming line is the cutoff press. Due to the continuous
nature of the roll forming process, flying die cutoff techniques are frequently
utilized. Flying dies accelerate to the speed of the moving strip, synchronizing
with the material, to perform the cutoff stroke. The exit section of the roll form-
ing line is the fourth stage and as with the cutoff press, it may affect the maxi-
mum line speed. Normally the roll formed shape exits the roll forming line onto
a table or roller conveyor where it is manually removed. When parts can be
conveniently stacked, a drop table is often employed. Schematics of simple and
complex roll forming lines are found on page 9.

Recent Trends 3
Computer-Aided Tooling Design is in widespread use to generate what are
known as flower diagrams, depicting the anticipated flow of material through
the dies. While this function has not been transferred totally to computers,
 CAD/CAM roll design systems in use today can sci-
entifically produce tooling designs for forming almost
any profile. Once the number and configuration of
the roll tooling stations have been mathematically
defined in the computer, it is a relatively simple mat-
ter to output this information to a numerically con-
trolled lathe, which cuts the rolls.
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and
microprocessors are being utilized to help control pro-
cessing on roll forming lines. More accurate measure-
ment instruments are allowing hole placement and
length tolerances to become tighter and more accu-
rate. A single controller or monitoring system may be
used to track critical conditions on multiple roll form-
ing lines simultaneously.
Welding technology advancements have increased
roll forming’s capability. Shapes can be open or closed
(hollow). Closed shapes have typically been produced
using a lock seam to mechanically fasten the two
edges. Resistance and electric induction welding are
more often used today to join strip edges. Roll formers
have also used laser welding for several years, but due
to limited capacity and high cost of industrial lasers, it
was used mostly to weld light gauge aluminum sec-
tions. With increased wattage and reduced costs, the
new generation of lasers can efficiently weld alu-
minum, stainless steel, high strength steels and galva-
nized steel up to .120" thick, depending upon the weld
penetration required and production speed. Lasers can
have many advantages over TIG, high frequency, and
other types of welding. Each project needs to be eval-
uated for the best manufacturing process.
Tool material improvements have increased and
improved roll life.
Improved changeover techniques for tooling and
cutoff dies have allowed for smaller batch sizes to be
processed more economically and rapidly to meet
customers’ Just-in-Time requirements.
Value-Added Services are particularly suited to roll
forming operations. Secondary operations can often be
incorporated in-line eliminating unnecessary handling
and reducing cost. What can’t be done in line can be
done after the shape is formed. Custom roll formers
can perform hole punching, bending, cutting, parts

4 cleaning, welding and joining, finishing, assembly and

fabrication, buffing, polishing, deburring, and even
heat treating, if necessary.
Attributes
Uniformity of roll formed shapes allows them to be easily bent. When pro-
ducing rings or segments of rings, shapes can be curved to uniform radii at the
rolling machine without wrinkles and without disturbing a pre-finished surface.
Helices are also possible. Material elongation should be considered in designing
parts for rings to help eliminate wrinkles and fractures. Usually, the more elon-
gation a material has, the easier it is to bend. Where curves are not a constant
radius, the uniformity of roll formed shapes makes them ideal for stretching or
tangent bending.
Prepiercing is the fabrication of a series or pattern of holes in the flat strip
stock before forming. It is done in one continuous operation together with roll
forming and, therefore, can be a cost saver. Repetitive piercing, as in wallboard
plaster bead or shelf posts, will minimize the piercing tool cost because a small
die can be used.
Postpiercing is done in-line but after the part is formed. It is part of a
sequence of operations performed without handling and thus is very efficient.
Often this is less expensive and more desirable than prepiercing because better
accuracy from the end of the part can be obtained.
Welded dimples or projections can be formed while the parts are being rolled
to improve accuracy and economy in the finished part. Tabs, stops and raised
areas can also be formed.
Almost any material available as coil or sheet can be roll formed. The materi-
al should be as ductile as design strength will allow to permit crisp, sharp cor-
ners and easy bending. When high-strength alloy steels, heat-resistant steels,
titanium and other alloys are used, bend radii specified by the mill should be
followed.

Designing for Economy

• Roll formed shapes should not be too deep. Profiles that are deep require
larger diameter forming rolls that are more expensive and require larger
machines. One rule-of-thumb for average size machines is that maximum form
depth should be four inches. Greater depths are also available but require the
use of larger machines and more expensive tooling.
• Parts should have uniform thickness throughout since the raw stock is sheet
or strip. Thickness may be increased by folding the material back on itself.
• If wide, flat areas are required at the edge of a part, consider using small
stiffening ribs. The part will stay flatter and be much stronger.
• When planning a leg, as with an angle or channel, the length of the leg
should not be less that three times the material thickness (3T) past the tangent
point. Legs shorter than 3T are difficult to form because it is hard to get enough
leverage to bend the leg up. This also applies when hemming or bending the
material back on itself.
• To plan prepiercing where hole location is not critical, design the pattern to 5
be repetitive without specifying the location of the beginning of the pattern from
the end of the part.
 • When the prepiercing pattern is critical and not
repetitive within the part, try to design it to have the
minimum number of hole or notch patterns within
the part.
• If a piercing pattern is used that requires holes in
a specific area relative to the end of the part, try to
keep it more than 1/2 in., but within 4 in. of the end
of the part.
• Use maximum bend radii permissible. An inside
bend radius of less than the material thickness will
lessen roll life and increase power requirements.
• Design parts to be as symmetrical as possible to
eliminate twist in the finished shape.
• Design parts so that holes, slots and notches are
not distorted due to placement too close to or direct-
ly on a bend line. It is desirable to have the edge of a
hole or slot at least three times the material thickness
away from the tangent point of the nearest bend.
• If piercing, notching or tabbing is required at
either or both ends of the part, keep the pattern of
holes and notches close to the end of the part, so that
these operations need not repeat throughout the full
length of the part.
• Do not ask for tolerances that are closer
than necessary. Doing so will greatly
increase the cost of both the tooling and
the finished part.

6
 Roll Forming Design Tips
Instead of this… Try this Instead of this… Try this

Tip #1 Tip #5

Legs, such as this one on the outside of metal building

panel stock, when rolled straight, will be wavy. A slight Narrow slot designs can lead to roll breakage. A
bend designed into the leg will help keep it flat. wider slot design will alleviate the problem.

Tip #2 Tip #6

When roll formed, the flat 180° hem will be wavy. Forming Extremely short legs can be difficult to form. Design
the hem in a tear drop shape will keep the edge flat. leg length to be at least three times material thickness
past the tangent point.
Tip #3

Tip #7
Adding a bead or a leg to wide flat areas will help
Forming a 90° sidewall adds more forming passes, maintain straightness and avoid the tendency
increases roll wear and may result in tooling marks on the toward waviness or other irregularities.
leg. Leaving sufficient draft, as with a 75° angle, reduces
the number of roll stations needed to form the shape and Tip #8
should prevent scoring of the workpiece.

Wide sweeping radii may be difficult to control

Tip #4 when the material is not formed beyond its elastic
limit. Put a bend in each end to keep it straight.

Tip #9

Sharp inside radii are difficult to form without marking the

outside radius or causing cracks in prepainted materials or
materials with poor ductility. A larger radius reduces this
problem. If sharp corners are necessary, they can be
achieved by beading thin stock or grooving thick stock.

Blind corners are less accurate and more difficult

to control because roll tooling cannot contact both
sides of the stock. If close tolerances or precise
bends are required, try a design in which both
sides of the stock can be controlled by rolls.

7
 Materials
Virtually any bendable metal or material can be
rollformed. Following is a list of many of the metals
being roll formed today. Some metals that could be
roll formed, such as tool steel, are not included on
this list because they are not readily available in coil
or sheet form.
Aluminum—common and heat treatable alloys
Brass Bronze
Bi-metals Bi-materials
Two metals rolled simultaneously—such as rolling
thin stainless tubes on the outside of thicker carbon
tubes to take advantage of the low cost and high
strength of carbon steel and the attractive appearance
of stainless
Coated metals—clad, galvanized, prefinished, pre-
plated, prepainted, vinyl laminated, tin plated
Coated alloys – for aerospace, petrochemical and
military applications
Composites
Copper and copper alloys
Exotic alloys – niobium, tantalum, zirconium
High temperature alloys such as Hastelloy, Inconel
and heat resistant nickel-based alloys
Lead Magnesium alloys
Nickel alloys Precious metals
Steel—carbon, alloy and stainless, HSLA, cold
rolled, hot rolled, all commercial quality steel, alu-
minized steel
Tin alloys Titanium Zinc

Tolerances for Roll formed Shapes

Dimensional variations in roll formed parts are
based on material, equipment and application.
Tolerances vary due to material springback, varia-
tions in material width and thickness, material prop-
erties, tooling quality and wear, machine condition
and setup, and operator skill.
Whenever possible supply a sample assembly
drawing to illustrate the end use of the part and areas
where tighter tolerances are required. The drawing of
the shape should become part of the purchase order
once an agreement is reached with the roll former.

8
While the greatest economies are usually realized
when specified tolerances are as generous as possible,
tolerances tighter than those cited below are routinely
 achieved. Often dimensional problems can be avoided by ordering the material
to be formed with somewhat tighter than commercial quality tolerances.
The following tolerances are given as general guidelines only. Far tighter
tolerances are possible but may add to the cost due to greater tooling expense,
longer development time, or the need for a higher grade material. If more
restrictive tolerances are required the designer should clearly define them and
discuss them with the custom roll formed shape producer.

Tolerances
Cross-sectional
±0.031 in. for fractional dimensions
±0.010 in. for decimal dimensions
±1° for angular dimensions
Straightness (bow or camber)
0.015 in. maximum deviation per ft. of length
Twist
1/2° maximum deviation per ft. of length
Length
±0.015 in. for parts up to 36 in. long
±0.030 in. for parts from 36 to 96 in. long
±0.060 in. for parts from 96 to 144 in. long
±0.250 in. for parts longer than 144 in. long

Simple Roll Forming Line

1 Uncoiler 2 Forming Mill 3 Roll Tooling 4 Straightener 5 Die Accelerator 6 Cutoff Die 7 Cutoff Press 8 Runout Table

Complex Roll Forming Line

1
2
Uncoiler, double-end
Shear End Welder
5 Servo-driven Roll Feed
6 Hydraulic Pre-notch/
8
9
Loop Control System
Roll Forming Mill
12 Cut-off Die
13 Run Out Table
9
3 Accumulator Punch Press 10 Roll Tooling 14 Control Panel
4 Powered coil straightener 7 Pre-punch/Notch Dies 11 Hydraulic Cut-off Press

Drawings courtesy of Roll-Kraft/Ardcor

 APPLICATIONS FOR ROLL FORMED SHAPES
Roll formed shapes are formed in material 0.005 in.
thick, weighing ounces, to 3/4 in. thick sections as
long as 100 ft. or more that weigh in at over a ton.
End use applications for roll formed shapes are
numerous and diverse.
The degree to which roll formed shapes have
become integral to almost every industry is illustrat-
ed by the following list of end use applications. By no
means is this list all-inclusive. It is however represen-
tative of some of the many areas in which shapes are
being used today. In spite of the numerous applica-
tions detailed below, the most innovative use of roll
formed shapes has yet to be discovered, but is still
locked in the imagination of the designer.
Agriculture
Grain bin floors, chicken roosts, trim and structur-
al shapes for tractors and other farm equipment,
fence posts, grape arbor stakes, lawn and garden
equipment components.
Aircraft/Aerospace
Airframe stringers and longerons, interior compo-
nents such as trim and window frames, stiffeners and
jet engine components such as honeycomb seals,
shrouds and backing rings, leading edges of compos-
ite helicopter blades.
Appliance
Panels for refrigerators, stoves, microwave ovens,
laundry and vending machines; refrigerator shelves,
shell fronts and ladder supports, door seal retainers,
appliance handles, control panel trim, decorative trim,
drawer slides for ovens and trash compactors, struc-
tural components for appliances.
Building products
Bleacher sections, interior supports for window
reinforcements, sliding door and window tracks, ele-
vator interiors and trim, escalator components, curtain
wall sections and window frames, slatted wall dividers
and studs, residential steel framing, metal roof decks
and siding panels, decorative interior components,
gutters and down spouts.

10
Bridge & highway products
Road signs, highway guardrail, bridge deck reinforcement panels.
Heating, ventilating & air conditioning
Electric heater housings, air conditioner cases, HVAC ducts, pattern control dif-
fusers, air filter frames, cooling tower louvers, solar collector panel components.
Home, office & store furniture and fixtures:
Indoor and outdoor furniture, hardware accessories, modular and sliding par-
titions, work surface reinforcements, shelves, drawer fronts and slides, kitchen
and file cabinets, lighting fixtures, metal picture frames, decorative trim, depart-
ment store display racks and cases, trim for frozen food cases, store fixtures and
supermarket shelving.
Transportation
Components used in automobiles, trucks, buses, trailers, subways, ships and
boats; vehicle trim and grill members, window tracks, bumpers, division bars,
reinforcement bars, structural components, bus and subway car hand rails,
truck trailer and railroad car structural members.

The material in this section was compiled with the assistance of members of the Custom Roll
Forming Institute (CRFI) Division of the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA). For more
information on the roll forming process, contact PMA in Cleveland, OH at: 216-901-8800, or visit
the website at www.metalforming.com/crfid.htm.

11
Handbook
of Custom

Roll
Forming