Metal Forming & Sheet Rolling in Ontario
Metal forming and rolling at WeFab in Leamington, Ontario runs on three CNC press brakes from 40 to 250 tons and sheet rollers up to 80 in wide.
Formed and rolled parts that fit correctly the first time and flow straight into welding: bends, flanges, hems, offsets, and curved sections.
A comprehensive die library supports standard bends through tight-offset flanges, hems, and multi-bend profiles. Our sheet roller extends the range to curved and cylindrical work. We’ll confirm achievable bend tolerances for your specific thickness and geometry at quoting, and tell you honestly what the process holds repeatably, rather than quoting a number the hundredth part won’t match.
Forming & Rolling Capabilities
WeFab bends mild steel, stainless, aluminum, and G90 galvanized sheet up to 0.375 in thick on press brakes with beds up to 14 ft, and rolls sheet into cylinders and curved panels up to 80 in wide, all inside a 208,000 sq ft fabrication facility.
- Press brake bending of brackets, flanges, formed plate, and bent sections for structural and custom assemblies
- Sheet and plate rolling into full cylinders, partial radii, and curved panels
- Custom metal forming from customer drawings or 3D models, with formed parts moving directly to fit-up and welding
Blanks are cut on BLM and Bystronic fiber lasers with hole positions held to ±0.005 in. See Sheet & Plate Laser Cutting for blank capacity.
Press Brakes & Tooling
WeFab runs a Bystronic Xpert 40, a BLM E-Series 200 with CNC crowning, and a Bystronic Xpert 250. Bend programs are built offline in AutoPol, so setup is planned before the part reaches the brake, and every brake is manually tended by an operator.
| Machine | Tonnage | Bed length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bystronic Xpert 40 | 40 tons | 40 in | Small parts, short bends |
| BLM E-Series 200 | 200 tons | 10 ft | CNC crowning for consistent angles along long bends |
| Bystronic Xpert 250 | 250 tons | 14 ft | Longest, heaviest bends |
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Programming | AutoPol offline programming |
| Tending | Manual (operator-tended) |
| Die library | Flat, multiple-radius, and gooseneck tooling |
| Maximum thickness | 0.375 in (bend length depends on tonnage and thickness); thicker plate possible depending on plate width |
CNC crowning: A controlled adjustment of the press brake bed that offsets ram and bed deflection under load. Without it, long parts can bend tighter at the ends than in the middle; with it, the angle stays consistent along the full bend length.
Sheet Rolling Range
Sheet rolling at WeFab runs on two sheet rollers, including a Davi 4-roll, with published capacity up to 80 in wide. Minimum diameter depends on thickness: 10 gauge rolls to about 12 in diameter, and 3/16 in to 1/4 in rolls to about 20 to 25 in.
| Rolling range | Maximum width | Thickness | Minimum radius / diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large-format rolling | 80 in | 10 ga | ~12 in diameter |
| Large-format rolling | 80 in | 3/16 in to 1/4 in | ~20 to 25 in diameter |
| Light-gauge rolling | 47.5 in | Up to 14 ga | 9 to 10 in minimum radius |
Four-roll sheet roller: A rolling machine with a top roll, a bottom pinch roll, and two side rolls that shape the curve. Holding the sheet between pinch rolls keeps it square to the rolls, which helps produce consistent cylinders and curved panels.
Materials & Tolerances
WeFab forms mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and G90 galvanized coated sheet. Coated stock is formed as received. Bend-angle tolerance varies by material, grade, and thickness, so it is confirmed per material at quoting rather than quoted as one shop-wide number.
Each material springs back differently after bending, so the achievable angle depends on what is being bent. Rather than publish one figure that would not hold across every alloy and gauge, WeFab confirms tolerance for your material and geometry at quoting. Galvanizing and powder coating after forming are subcontracted, not done in-house.
How Our Forming Process Works
Forming at WeFab runs in five steps: drawing review, offline bend programming in AutoPol, laser cutting of blanks, bending or rolling on the matched machine, and handoff to welding and assembly, so parts are planned once and handled inside one Leamington facility.
- Drawing review: Estimators check material, thickness, bend length, and radii against brake and roller capacity.
- Offline programming: Bend sequences are built in AutoPol before the job reaches the floor.
- Blank cutting: Flat blanks are cut on fiber laser with holes, slots, and etched part IDs.
- Forming or rolling: Parts run on the brake matched to their length and tonnage, or on a sheet roller for curved work.
- Handoff to fabrication: Formed parts move to Welding & Assembly under CWB W47.1 Division 2 welding (Company Code DENDE1, held by parent company SEF).
Typical Applications and Why Project Teams Choose WeFab
WeFab forms parts for data centre, warehouse and distribution, manufacturing, power and utility, agricultural infrastructure, industrial, and heavy-industry projects. Bending and rolling sit beside cutting, welding, and assembly, backed by fabrication history dating to 1994.
- Brakes up to 250 tons and 14 ft: long formed members without splicing short bends together
- CNC crowning on the BLM E-Series 200 for consistent angles on long parts
- Cutting, forming, and welding on one site: no outside bending vendor
- Fabricating since 1994 as South Essex Fabricating Inc., rebranded WeFab in 2026
- $30M bonding capacity through Hub International and WSIB clearance current
Formed parts feed Structural Fabrication and Custom Assemblies. Food processing is not supported.
Service Area: Ontario First, US Projects by Arrangement
WeFab supplies formed and rolled metal parts across Ontario. Our core service area is Windsor-Essex, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton, and the Greater Toronto Area, direct from our Leamington shop, with US deliveries arranged by request through a customs broker.
Parts ship on WeFab’s owned fleet of 4 tractors with flatbed and step-deck trailers, no freight brokers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How thick a plate can WeFab bend on its press brakes?
WeFab bends material up to 0.375 in thick. The usable bend length at that thickness depends on tonnage, so heavier and longer parts go to the 200-ton BLM E-Series or the 250-ton Bystronic Xpert 250, which has a 14 ft bed.
What is the widest sheet WeFab can roll?
WeFab rolls sheet up to 80 in wide on its larger rolling range. Minimum diameter depends on thickness: about 12 in for 10 gauge and about 20 to 25 in for 3/16 in to 1/4 in material. Lighter work up to 14 gauge rolls to a 9 to 10 in radius.
What bend tolerance can WeFab hold?
Bend-angle tolerance varies by material, grade, and thickness, because each metal springs back differently. WeFab confirms the achievable tolerance for your specific material and part geometry at quoting rather than publishing a single shop-wide figure.
Can WeFab form galvanized sheet?
Yes. WeFab forms G90 galvanized coated sheet as received, alongside mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Galvanizing and powder coating after forming are not done in-house; when a finish is required, they are subcontracted.
Request a Metal Forming & Rolling Quote
Send drawings, flat patterns, or a 3D model to the WeFab estimating team for a metal forming and rolling quote anywhere in Ontario. Each quote confirms machine selection and bend tolerance for your material.
Call 548-919-0125 or email sales@wefab.ca to start a project.
Related capabilities: Sheet and plate laser cutting · Welding and assembly · Structural fabrication · Custom assemblies
