Bar capacity is the specification that matters
Cutters and benders are catalogued by maximum bar diameter — commonly 40 mm, 50 mm and 60 mm classes. The number refers to what the machine can process repeatedly, not what it can be forced through once.
Large-diameter bar needs more force, so machines step up in motor rating, frame weight and floor footprint as capacity rises. A 50 mm cutter typically weighs in the region of 400 kg, which is a machine you position once and leave in place.
Quoted capacities often differ between the two bar types — for example a cutter rated at 50 mm may be specified as 36 mm for deformed rebar and 38 mm for round bar. Always ask which bar type the headline capacity refers to.
Cutting and bending are different machines
Cutting machines shear bar to length with a blade. Bending machines rotate a working table around a centre pin and mandrel to form hooks, stirrups and bent bars at a set angle. A fabrication yard normally needs both; the two are never interchangeable.
Benders are specified by the bar they can bend and by the table and mandrel set supplied. For stirrup production at volume, the repeatability of the angle stop matters more than raw capacity — an operator closing hundreds of identical stirrups will notice a bender without a positive stop immediately.
Match throughput to your programme
Capacity tells you what the machine can do; throughput tells you whether it is fast enough. Work backwards from your daily tonnage: how many cuts and bends does that represent, and how many seconds does each take including handling?
Two mid-size machines often beat one large machine in a yard that processes a mix of bar sizes, because small bar does not need the largest machine and switching costs time. Where nearly all your work is large-diameter bar, a single heavy machine is the better buy.
Footprint, weight and power
A cutter or bender is usually installed on a concrete plinth in a covered position. Check the machine footprint against the space between your bar racks, and check that the floor can take the weight plus a stack of bar leaning against the machine.
Power supply is the other constraint. These machines are motor-driven and are normally specified for an industrial three-phase supply. Confirm the rating and cable size at the installation point rather than at the yard entrance.
- Leave clearance on the bar-support side for full-length stock
- Plan a blade or mandrel replacement position that does not block the walkway
- Confirm three-phase availability at the machine position
What a complete quotation should contain
- Maximum bar diameter, stated separately for round and deformed bar
- Machine dimensions and net weight, plus packed dimensions and gross weight
- Supply voltage and motor rating
- Blades, mandrels or tooling supplied with the machine
- Spare blade pricing and availability
- Lead time and the shipping terms quoted (EXW, FOB, CIF)
Talk to us about this
Send the specification you have arrived at and we will confirm which model of ours matches it, with the price and the packing weight.