A deep dive into metal benders

By Emma Peterson.

Malco Tools provides their contractors with the right tool for every project.  

Since Mark W. Keymer, a young steel supply salesman, began manufacturing and marketing a pipe crimper of his own invention in 1950, Malco Tools has been creating the tools of the trades. Today, that legacy of innovation is as strong as ever and they now produce and provide professionals with everything from fasteners and drivers to metal benders and seamers.  

Some of these tools, like the drivers, have long been a staple in most tradespeople's toolkit, but others, like the metal benders, are more recent in their popularity. Recently, Jon Olson, the learning and product training manager at Malco, stopped by The Coffee Shops™ to share more about Malco’s tool offerings. He pointed out that the desire for metal bending tools is growing, saying, “It allows contractors to make custom flashings and details on the jobsite. This allows them to work more efficiently with a roll of flashing or roofing material then having to bring prefabricated products that come with challenges like lapping pieces together because the original is not long enough.” So, if you want to start bending metal yourself, how do you know what tool is right for your needs?  

Understanding the basics

At its core a metal bender does just that, bend metal. This is incredibly useful to contractors who work on all types of projects, as Jon explained, “It’s obviously great for metal roofing, but even if you're using these on asphalt job, you're going to be able to make custom flashings and details with a metal bender.”  

There is a wide variety of metal benders that are available on the market. One of the big distinctions between different tools is the number of stations on them. Jon explained, “When we talk about metal benders, we're talking about tools where there's a series of bearings that are contacting the material. The pairs of rollers are what are called stations.” As an example, the photo to the right depicts Malco’s Two Station, 150MM Bender.

The number of stations you want to look for when picking out a metal bender depends on what you want to do with it. Jon shared a little about this, explaining, “Two station tools track really nicely on the material and allow you to make long straight bends. On the other hand, the nice part with single station tools is not only can they make long straight bands, but they can follow curves. That allows the professional more flexibility in picking and choosing what they want to do.”

Malco’s offerings

Malco provides a wide range of benders for any professionals’ needs, but they can be generally broken into a few categories:

Three-station edge roller

These benders have been available for many years and are common on jobsites. The three-station edge roller (ER3) is a multi tool allowing both straight and curved bends to be created.  Jon shared a bit about its capabilities, saying, “It only allows you to bend to 90° because it has tall 90 degree  stations. But, while you are not able to make standing seam panel by hand with this due to the tall stations, many people find the three-station tool is very easy to use.” When you operate the three-station bender, it will feel more secure than one or two station tools as you work near the ends of the sheet because you can roll a station off the end of the panel and keep 2 stations on the panel. Jon explained, “Working with one or two stations, when you're rolling these back and forth, it's a little precarious feeling when you're at the edge of the material, because not only is that area harder to bend, but it also runs the risk of running off the edge, potentially misaligning the bender. So, people like the three stations because it is confidence inspiring.”  

Modular metal benders

These are essentially the new iteration of Malco’s three station bender. Available in both one and two station versions, these benders are a light and versatile option for professionals not wanting to rely on wholesale roll formers of full length details. Jon explained a bit of how it can be used, sharing, “This product can take a panel from 0-100° if you need it. Due to the short, angled stations, these tools allow you to actually bend a standing seam panel by hand if you have the material to do it.”

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Disc benders

If you need to create an open hem, the disc benders are a solution. These benders feature removable discs that allow for quick disassembly. This means you can remove the bender, even in the middle of the panel. Jon described them briefly, “A lot of people say they look like pizza cutters. They are used for making open hems and so they allow you to take that material from a 90° down to 180°.” Malco’s Disc benders come in both one and two station versions that are perfect for finishing details like facia and ridge caps.   

Progressive profiling bender

Last but not least are Malco’s progressive profiling benders. These revolutionary tools are designed to save contractors time when installing mechanical lock standing seam roofs. Jon explained how it does this, adding, “With stand seam at times you need to make custom panels, to do so you have to make both male and female profiles. This means you're making two or three bends each side depending on whether it's the male or female leg. That's just going to add up in time. But with the progressive profiling bender, you make multiple bends at once creating a profile in one step, making this process far more efficient.”  

Interested in learning more about metal bending and the innovative tools Malco manufactures for professionals in the field? Explore their category online so you know what to ask your local distributor about!