roll forming machine

Metal mouldings will add impressive value to your project, whether you’re an architectural engineer or an interior designer. Those seeking high-end quality for their product will benefit in almost every case from choosing metal over wood moulding profiles. That’s why designers frame windows, doors, and storefronts with metal; and accent living spaces with metal baseboards, chair rails, cornices, and vertical battens. Dahlstrom been the premier supplier of metal mouldings since 1904, and it shows: We’ve got more than 1,400 unique exterior and interior moulding profiles. Based on number and volume of orders, we’ve compiled Dahlstrom’s top 10 standard moulding profiles: (Or see the full catalog here!) WHY SHOULD METAL BE THE STANDARD FOR MOULDING PROFILES? Metal mouldings are known for their looks. The sleek, modern appearance of metal is valued in many commercial residential designs. But we also urge you to decide on a moulding vendor based on the functional benefits these pieces should

A great roll formed steel U channel can do wonders for your project’s cost- and time-effectiveness. That’s why we created MeshTrim. MeshTrim is a product you won’t find anywhere else. Contractors typically rig a facsimile from a few pieces of sheet metal instead of seeking professional guidance, unaware of the option. The final result is typically unattractive and ends up being quite costly. Commonly, our clients have requested MeshTrim for: Partial and outdoor visual barriers U channel glass frame/U channel window trim Stair railing infill panels Security wire screens Architectural screening products More!   INTRODUCING MESHTRIM: ROLL FORMED U CHANNEL TRIM MOULDING U channel trim is a tall, skinny formed metal product. Woven wire fabric and perforated metal are a classy architectural design component -- however, they have one major issue. How do you finish the edges of these materials? Leave them bare to take the skin off the next unsuspecting passer-by? No! The most logical solution

Metal manufacturing is fascinating because it’s always getting better. Take steel doors and frames -- today’s manufacturers can produce doors that are not only simple to customize and paint, but also will last a lifetime. There's a whole lot of roll forming in door frame components, so let’s take ‘em apart and break down their construction! We’ll also check out where roll formed parts are ideal in doors and frames, and where brake formed parts are more popular instead. THE MAKING OF STEEL DOOR AND FRAME COMPONENTS steel door frame components (Photo courtesy Anderson Door & Window Mechanics) Many residential and commercial steel doors aren't actually steel all the way through, but instead consist of a steel exterior with a paper honeycomb, fiberglass, or foam insulation core. This is called a hollow metal door. Solid metal ones do exist in marine or military applications but are too heavy for any other applications. Steel door and frame manufacturers sometimes roll form thei

Non-ferrous metals are what brought us out of the Stone Age and into the Copper and Bronze Ages. From 4500 B.C. to 1500 B.C., copper and bronze dominated our primitive manufacturing systems. Despite iron claiming the title as the most popular alternative for tools, weapons, and armor in 1500 B.C., copper, brass, and bronze remain a staple in designer trades, like jewelry, interior design, and architecture. Every metal and alloy (iron-based or otherwise) comes with unique benefits and drawbacks, so making sure that the right metal was chosen for the architectural job at hand is crucial. WHAT ARE NON-FERROUS METALS? Non-ferrous metals are metals (including alloys) that don't contain significant amounts of iron. Nearly all metal alloys contain at least some trace of iron, though it's typically less than 1% of the alloy's composition by weight. These small traces of iron do not, however, make the metal alloys magnetic. Examples of Non-Ferrous Metals in Architecture There are pl

Most contractors have seen and done it all. But when it comes to installing trim moulding, many of them have limited experience with metal. Wood, vinyl, and MDF are the most common materials for trim. If you're working on a project that calls for metal moulding installation, don't be intimidated! Just be sure you know what it takes to achieve a successful installation, and put the right professionals in place to accomplish it.  This post will take a closer look at what architects and designers expect from you or your installer when they specify metal commercial moulding: (Related Post: If you’re on the designer/architect side of the situation, you might also want to read this.) UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’RE INSTALLING DECORATIVE METAL TRIM MOULDING First and foremost, any contractor should understand the decision criteria used by the designer or architect to ensure they order the correct type of moulding, often ID’ed by a moulding profile number. Secondly, it's important to note an

Is steel a sustainable material? Incredibly so. It’s also available in multiple forms -- stainless, galvanized, carbon, and mild. Each has a different aesthetic and slightly different physical properties for your application. Overall, it’s a great structural and decorative material for architecture, as well as a sturdy industrial and construction material. However, truly sustainable steel requires consistent practices from the manufacturer and the fabricator. Otherwise, it can defeat the original intent by adding excess energy, byproducts, and waste. There are five main reasons steel and green design were meant to be together.   WHAT MAKES STEEL AN ECO-FRIENDLY INTERIOR DESIGN MATERIAL? Steel is one of the most eco-friendly interior design materials because: Due to its strength, you don’t need a lot to do the job It’s endlessly recyclable -- some steel mills only use scrap to produce new steel There’s relatively little energy used to produce it The waste it produces is reusable It’s no

Decorative metal mouldings were a staple of early 20th-century design. They adorn some of the world’s most recognized buildings, including the Rockefeller Center in New York City, the Wrigley Building in Chicago, and even the elevators of the new Minnesota Vikings stadium. Today, what’s old is new again -- architectural metal is a great way to blend classic and modern looks. But what happens when new becomes old? An architect tends to focus on the overall flow and appearance of a creation, possibly ignoring the more practical details -- like corrosion. If the designer fails to use corrosion-resistant building materials in cases that call for them, he or she leaves the customer to deal with rust, rotting and splitting (in the case of wood), and general ugliness. And negative word of mouth is no way to build your brand. To create more enduring visions of beauty and functionality, architects must rely more on the right metal moulding materials to ensure corrosion resistance over time. Kee

MeshTrim is the most versatile woven wire mesh frame choice in the world. No, the universe. But what exactly is MeshTrim? Our home-brewed miracle product is a solid piece of metal in the form of a deep, narrow U channel that frames wire mesh, metal paneling, architectural screening products or any thin media. It’s the most basic shape in metal manufacturing, yet it does so much. MeshTrim is your way of streamlining your costs, your supply chain, and your customer's needs. Download Mesh Trim Spec Sheet FULFILL YOUR WIRE MESH FRAME DESIGN NEEDS MeshTrim is based off of your design. It's compatible with long, narrow, and deep u channels, and roll forming is the only viable method of achieving optimum results for any wire mesh size. Conventional brake forming of U channels has limitations for narrow profiles of deep length. With roll forming, these limitations are minimized. Typically, buyers are looking for deep channels, in different sizes, and in mid-sized quantities. MeshTrim h

As with all manufacturing processes, the way you design your component impacts your overall costs, lead times, and quality consistency. Follow these roll forming design tips to avoid the common pitfalls of custom tooling and forming. Some components require difficult or non-standard manufacturing work, so you may not be able to follow all of these rules. However, by removing as many unnecessary hurdles as possible, you can make your part more affordable while maintaining design integrity, and make it easier for your OEM roll forming company to fulfill your order. ROLL FORMING DESIGN: 8 FLAWS TO AVOID Roll form design can go off the tracks quickly if you make one or more of these eight mistakes: 90° sidewalls Small bend radii Extremely short legs Wide, sweeping bend radii Blind corners Narrow openings Deep, narrow sections Wide shapes & forming work on one edge While each one of these can be a problem, there's fortunately also a solution for each. 1.  90° Sidewalls The Problem: