When evaluating plate rolling (or plate bending) machines, one key performance metric that often comes up is throughput — i.e. how many parts or how much tonnage per hour (or per shift) the machine can produce under normal operating conditions. The “throughput rate” is not a fixed number; it depends heavily on many factors such as plate thickness, width, material, roll speed, number of passes, degree of automation, operator skill, and the machine’s configuration (e.g. 2-roll, 3-roll, 4-roll). Below is a breakdown of typical ranges, influences, and practical guidance.
Plate thickness & material yield strength: Thicker or high-strength plates require slower bending speeds and more incremental passes.
Plate width and length: Larger panels may take more time to center, clamp, and roll.
Number of bending passes / pre-bending steps: More passes or complex shapes reduce net throughput.
Roll speed (RPM or mm/min feed rate): Higher speed can boost throughput, but going too fast risks defects (surface waviness, slippage).
Machineing automation & control: CNC or hydraulic control with automatic roll positioning, roll compensation, and feedback yields higher productive output.
Changeover, setup, loading and unloading times: These “non-productive” times erode net throughput.
Operator skill and process stability: An experienced operator reduces idle times and scrap rates.
While many sources do not explicitly report “parts per hour” for large bending machines, here are some indicative figures:
Acrotech (for segment or “one-pass rolling” process) cites 100 to 350 parts per hour on standard machines, and up to 1,200 parts/hour on specially optimized machines.
For a 2-roll bending machine (Faccin HCU series), the standard version can achieve 180–200 pieces per hour, while improved or more automated variants can reach 300 pieces per hour.
In heavy duty / industrial machines, throughput is more often expressed in tonnage per day. For example, some mechanical Plate Rolling Machines specify 3–6 tons per day as production capacity.
Some hydraulic rolling machines claim 1–3 tons/day depending on thickness and operating modes.
Thus, for moderate production jobs (thin to medium plates, modest widths), hitting 100–300 parts per hour is realistic. For heavy, wide, thick plates, throughput might fall to only a few tens per hour, or be framed in terms of tonnage/day rather than countable units.
2-Roll (or 2-roller): Simpler machines, often used for smaller plates or HVAC duct-type parts. Throughput often peaks at a few hundred pieces per hour in well-automated lines (e.g. 180–300 pph as mentioned).
3-Roll machines: More common in general plate bending shops because of simpler structure and favorable cost. Their throughput typically lies in the same range, but may be somewhat lower for larger plates due to handling constraints.
4-Roll machines: These offer better clamping, allow continuous driving of the plate, easier conical or complex forming, and can maintain throughput under heavier loading or thicker materials. The more advanced 4-roll machines often support higher cadence and shorter idle times (pre-bend, repositioning).
To estimate your expected throughput:
Define part geometry and material: thickness, width, radius, length, complexity.
Estimate cycle time per part: including loading, alignment, rolling passes, unloading.
Subtract downtime: setup, adjustments, operator movement, defects.
Multiply by shifts: e.g., 8 h, 12 h, or 24 h.
Convert to parts per hour or tonnage per shift.
As a rule of thumb, in a well-optimized modern plate rolling cell, net productivity might achieve 50%–70% of the theoretical “best cycle” due to real-world inefficiencies.
A machine offering higher throughput allows:
Lower unit cost (fixed overhead gets spread over more parts)
Faster response to high demand runs
Better competitiveness in contract fabrication
Potential to absorb maintenance downtime more easily
But be cautious: a high-speed machine is only useful if your processes (feeding, handling, welding, inspection) can keep up.
If you are exploring equipment suppliers, you may check out ZHUOSHENG which offers metal forming and rolling solutions. While their website does not explicitly publish throughput tables, they provide machines suitable for forming, bending, and rolling. Their technical support and customization ability may help you optimize for throughput in your particular application.
