HVAC duct making machines
Rectangular duct is made by a sequence of edge-forming operations on thin galvanised steel, and each operation is its own small machine. This page covers what each machine in the line does and how to build a line that matches your production.
The line, station by station
- Shear / slitting: blanks the panels to width. A guillotine shear or the line’s own cut-off does this.
- Flange former (TDF / TDC): forms the flange profile on both long edges of the panel. This is the profile that decides your corner pieces.
- Lock former: forms the longitudinal seam — the Pittsburgh-type lock that closes the duct section along its length.
- Beading machine: forms stiffening beads across the panel so flat duct walls do not drum.
- Notcher: cuts the corner reliefs so flanges can close without interference.
Manual machines or an automatic line
| Manual machine line | Automatic duct line | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Separate small machines, hand-fed | Coil-fed, one pass, cut to length |
| Cost | Low entry, add machines as volume grows | Higher entry, much lower labour per metre |
| Best for | Short runs, fittings, mixed profiles | All-day straight section production |
| Changeover | Move the panel to a different machine | Program or roll change |
What to specify
- Flange profile first — TDF or TDC, because it dictates the former and the corner stock.
- Working thickness range — the thinnest and thickest gauge you will run.
- Panel width range — the duct heights you build.
- Roller material and coating — galvanised work wears rollers; hardened, coated rollers cost more and last.
- Electrical supply — the line machines are mostly single-phase-friendly, which matters in older shops; confirm before the electrician quotes.
The rest of the shop around the line
A duct shop also needs the brake for fittings and transitions — usually asmall-tonnage press brake with finger tooling — and the shear for blanks. If floor space is tight, the brake and shear 2-in-1 and the 3-in-1 combo collapse the forming side into one footprint. The HVAC industry pagecovers the parts and the specification logic.
Ask about the hvac duct making machines
Send the part you need to bend and we will come back with a configuration and a quote.