Before the development of steel materials for construction that needed to be of a bent shape were restricted to items that could be moulded such as clay and terracotta. The other substance that was used was iron. Iron is very malleable when it is heated to high temperature. These iron sheets were beaten into shape or the iron was melted and poured into ready made moulds and then beaten into shape if required.
As the industrial revolution progressed into the age of modernity certain factors such as two world wars and the need for resources such as coal to fuel industry, transport and the electrical power required for modern technologies the need for rolled metal became more and more apparent. Rolled joists were first used to create the hulls of ships in vast sizes. Cylindrical pit props were fitted into mines giving much greater safety for coal miners.
The 1940’s saw the greatest increase in demand but the system to bend was not up to the job of the specifications required. Simply put the joist system would snap the metal as the force to use it could not easier be controlled. By the 1970’s bending companies had solved the issue with added support beams that could be used instead. This led to an increase in the amount of jobs that could be completed.
This increase was in line with the construction industries new demand for curved metal in building projects. Modern versions like the Euromac Bending Machines are available from Cotswold Machinery Sales for all your bending needs.
