Metal Fabrication: What is the Beading and Edge Rolling Process?
Beading and edge rolling are the metal forming processes of adding a radius, raised edge, or indented ridge along the edge of a piece. This process is done to increase stability and durability of the part, and can also increase its functionality by allowing for the attachment of lids or covers.
Beading can also be an aesthetically pleasing design that adds style to the piece, as it takes skill to implement a bead. It can be very aesthetically pleasing.
How is Beading and Edge Rolling Achieved?
During the beading process, a radius is added to the edge of a trimmed metal piece. Another form of bead is an impression into the metal around the part. An example of this would be a beaded lid. A bead forming an impression circumferentially around a part allows for a gasket or rubber seal to set into the bead, which can be used for mounting to the mating part, preventing leaking of substances.
Edge rolling is another form of beading, where the edge of the piece is rolled in to create a rounded edge.
At TMS, we are able to place an automated bead on a part with our machine designed form trimming and beading. It can trim and place inward and outward beads. Similar to flanges and edge rolling, beads can increase the strength into a part by simply rolling an edge. Adding a bead to a part can be done in a variety of ways. At TMS, beads can be implemented onto a part with a beading machine, an automated machine designed specifically for trimming the part and then adding the bead. The machine can place inward and outward beads.
What is the Purpose of a Bead or Edge Roll?
Beading can help to significantly increase the stiffness, stability, and durability of the metal it is added to. Beading increases the structural integrity of a part because the joint is formed to be able to withstand stresses and loads without failure. Beading is similar to the flanging process, where the addition of a flange increases the strength and durability of a cylinder. Forming a flange around a round part increases its resistance to deformation. Flanges, bent edges, and beads create a larger area to distribute stress, reducing the potential failure points in the part. These forming processes are all very similar to each other, and hold great benefits.
Adding a bead also allows for the addition of lids, where a gasket may go inside of the bead to hold water or other liquids inside of the part.