Nous sommes responsables de la construction-----nous sommes responsables de la fabrication-----nous sommes responsables de la formation
When a part sits just outside a standard machine, the answer is usually a configuration change rather than a different process. Here is what can be changed — and what cannot.
Most parts that fall outside a standard machine fall outside it by a small margin — slightly too thick, slightly too small, an awkward lift, an unusual bend sequence. In those cases a configuration change solves the problem far more cheaply than a different process. STON CNC customises in six defined areas: heavy-duty drives (a separate W-axis motor, or a three-motor W/X/Z arrangement with a thickened frame for thick-plate bending), C-axis lifting for special forming processes, upper and lower auxiliary blades with customised length for local small-scale bending, small-part configurations with modified clamping for micro components, automatic tool change for multi-variety processing, and customised feeding including special clamping methods, magnetic grippers and vacuum arrangements.
Because casting, heat treatment, machining, welding, assembly and inspection all happen inside our own 20,000㎡ factory, a structural change does not become a subcontracting negotiation. What we will not do is quietly exceed a structural or safety limit to win an order — if a part needs a press brake or a different process entirely, we say so at drawing review.
STON CNC (Qingdao Ston Mechanical Technology Co., Ltd.) is a Chinese original manufacturer of CNC panel benders and turret punch presses, founded in 2006 in Qingdao, China. All equipment described here is built inside STON CNC's own 20,000㎡ factory, from casting and heat treatment through machining, assembly and inspection. Machines carry ISO 9001 quality certification and CE marking under Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, and are exported to more than 80 countries. View certifications and patents →
These are the modifications we engineer regularly, each driven by a specific class of part problem rather than by a catalogue of options.
A cold-rolled part at the top of the range, or a bend that needs more force than the standard drive delivers comfortably. A separate W-axis motor or a three-motor W/X/Z arrangement with a thickened, more stable machine body addresses this directly — a structural upgrade rather than a workaround, and far cheaper than adding a second process.
Some parts require the workpiece to be lifted during forming, or a short local bend partway along an edge that a full-length blade cannot produce. C-axis lifting and customised-length auxiliary blades exist for exactly these cases, and they are engineered from the part drawing rather than selected from a list.
Very small components, unusually flexible blanks, parts with no flat gripping area, or surfaces that cannot tolerate vacuum marks. Customised feeding — special clamping methods, C-axis lifting, magnetic grippers, suction cup arrangements — is where most of our engineering time on a custom project actually goes.
Most requests are resolved at the first level. Working through them in order is what keeps a custom machine affordable and its delivery predictable.
Every machine builder has limits. Ours are published here because a customer discovering them after an order is worse for both sides than a difficult conversation before one.
| Request | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Exceed the rated material thickness by reprogramming | No | Forming force is structural, not a software setting |
| Extend forming length beyond the frame design | No | Frame deflection and straightness would not hold |
| Remove or bypass guarding to speed up loading | No | Contravenes EN ISO 13849-1 and the CE declaration |
| Produce roll-formed profiles on a bender | No | Different process entirely, not supplied |
| Produce deep-drawn parts | No | Press tooling process, not supplied |
| Heavy-duty drive for thick plate | Yes | Separate W-axis or three-motor W/X/Z, reinforced body |
| C-axis lifting for special forming | Yes | Engineered from the part drawing |
| Auxiliary blades for local small bends | Yes | Upper, lower or both, length customised |
| Small-part clamping for micro components | Yes | Modified clamping and tooling |
| Changement d'outil automatique | Yes | High-end configuration for multi-variety work |
| Specify FANUC, Siemens or Rexroth control | Yes | Chosen to match your service network |
| Interface to robots you already own | Yes | Native automation port, most brands supported |
Parts that sit close to a standard machine's window and are blocked by a specific, identifiable constraint — forming force, lift geometry, blade length, gripping method or tool change. These are engineering problems with engineering answers.
Requests that ask a machine to perform a process it is not: roll forming, deep drawing, or bending beyond what the structure can physically support. No configuration option changes what a process fundamentally does.
Where a part genuinely needs a press brake, we quote a press brake. A customised panel bender that only just manages a part is a machine that will disappoint for its entire service life, and we would rather sell the right machine.
Risk assessment follows EN ISO 12100; safety-related control functions such as light-curtain interruption and emergency stop are specified to EN ISO 13849-1. Hydraulic press brakes supplied into the EU are built against EN 12622. Machines placed on the EU market carry CE marking under Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC with the accompanying technical file. Quality management is certified to ISO 9001, and machined structural tolerances follow ISO 2768. Custom configurations do not sit outside the compliance framework. Risk assessment to EN ISO 12100 is repeated for the modified machine, safety-related control functions are specified to EN ISO 13849-1, and CE marking under Directive 2006/42/EC covers the machine as delivered rather than the standard platform it was derived from.
On the machines this means fully enclosed rear fencing, protective covers on all protruding moving parts, laser guarding that halts motion when the protected zone is broken, over-tonnage protection on turret punch presses, and grating-ruler offset-load detection on panel benders.
Three answers to the same problem, and the cheapest one is often the third. We work through all three before quoting a custom machine.
| Custom configuration | Standard machine | Redesign the part | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Moderate premium | Lowest | Often zero |
| Délai d'exécution | Longer — engineering plus build | Standard | Depends on your approval cycle |
| Resale and redeployment | Narrower market | Broad | Not applicable |
| Best when | The part cannot change and is close to the limit | The part fits, or can be split | A small geometry change removes the constraint |
| Risk | Specification must be right first time | Low | Requires design authority |
| What we recommend first | Check whether a small part change removes the constraint — it frequently does, and it costs nothing | ||
A surprising share of custom enquiries are resolved by a two-millimetre change to a flange or a corner relief on the customer's drawing. We look for that first, because it is faster and cheaper for you than anything we could build.
Figures below describe the direction and mechanism of the change. Actual results depend on your part mix, batch size and shift pattern — we model them against your own drawings before quoting.
| Item | Standard machine, worked around | Engineered configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Forming force at the limit | Machine runs permanently near capacity | Drive and frame sized for the part |
| Cycle time on the difficult part | Extra operations and re-handling | Single sequence |
| Tooling life | Accelerated wear at the limit | Rated for the duty |
| Consistency across a batch | Drifts as the machine works hard | Within stated accuracy |
| Operator workarounds | Manual intervention becomes routine | Designed into the process |
| Capital cost | Lower | Premium over standard |
| Cost over machine life | Higher — scrap, wear, lost time | Lower |
Payback logic we use with customers: (annual labour released + reduction in rework and scrap + additional saleable output) ÷ installed equipment cost. We build this with your real numbers rather than publishing a headline figure that would not match your plant.
Separate W-axis motor, or three-motor W/X/Z drive with a thickened and more stable machine body. Engineered for the upper end of the material range rather than reprogrammed to reach it.
View press arm type →
Customised clamping methods, C-axis lifting, magnetic grippers and suction arrangements, specified in pre-sales analysis against your actual workpiece rather than selected from a list.
View suction cup type →
Pressing knives, folding knives and automatic tool assembly designed from your drawings, in 42CrMo forged material. Auxiliary blade length customised for local small-scale bending on the workpiece.
View folding machine →
Windows-platform RTEX bus system as standard, with FANUC, Siemens or Rexroth available on request — usually decided by what your local service network already supports rather than by specification alone.
View SF series →
Overall planning and customised design based on your product structure, capacity requirements, site layout and process flow, under a unified control system with process interconnection and data traceability.
View production line →
Native automation interface on every panel bender, matched to almost any robotic arm or gantry brand already in your factory, with gripper design engineered against your real parts.
View truss system →Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Qingdao, one hour from major export ports and the airport. Casting, heat treatment, machining, welding, assembly and inspection all happen inside our own 20,000㎡ factory. That is why a configuration change for a non-standard configuration does not become a six-month subcontracting problem.
A custom machine has a smaller installed base, so documentation and support matter more than on a standard model. Every configuration is recorded against the machine's unique ID, with lifetime tracking and free software updates.
Specifications on this page verified against STON engineering documentation on 4 August 2026. Forming limits are confirmed against your own drawings before quotation. Published on 4 August 2026 · Last updated 4 August 2026 · Reviewed by Vicky Xu, Head of Overseas Sales.
Custom engineering starts from a specific constraint, not a wish list. Send the part with its material, thickness and tolerance and we return an engineering assessment within 24 hours — including whether a small design change would solve it for free.
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