VersaPress – The Ultimate Shop Press (Pem/Brake/Dimple & More!)

Description

Note: The feature list above describes the VersaPress and the optional press brake attachment together. If you don’t select the press brake in the configurator, the press brake-specific features won’t apply — but you’ll still have one of the most capable 20-ton shop presses available at any price.

The VersaPress is a patented, 20-ton electric/hydraulic shop press — and when you add the press brake attachment, it becomes a fully capable CNC press brake. One machine. One footprint. Built in Sandy, Oregon.

The hydraulic ram runs off the included 2HP pump, or connect it directly to your existing M6xx bender’s hydraulic system via quick-disconnect fittings — no second pump needed if you already have one. Ships assembled on a pallet, ready to uncrate and run. Lead time is 1–3 weeks.

The hydraulic cylinder mounts center, left, or right. The table adjusts down to nearly ground level under power, so you can fit almost anything inside the work area regardless of part size or geometry.

This video shows force control and PEM insert application — embed above or below this line –>

Ready to Bend Out of the Box

Most CNC press brakes ship as a blank slate. You unbox it, stare at the interface, and start programming from scratch. The VersaPress ships with 12 pre-loaded bend programs covering the most common shop operations — 16 gauge, 1/8″, and 1/4″ material at 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°. That covers the majority of what most fabrication shops do every day.

Select your program, run your first bend, measure it. If it’s off by a degree or two from material variation, every program includes a depth-per-degree correction factor. Multiply by the degrees you’re off, adjust the stop point by that amount, run again. Done. No trial and error, no calling us, no starting over.

A laminated quick-reference card ships with every machine — pre-loaded programs and die selection by material and thickness, hanging from the machine before you make your first bend.

CNC Press Brake Controls

Real position control — not a marketing term. A microcontroller reads ram position in real time via a glass scale and linear rail encoder, displays live position on an OLED screen, and stores up to 25 programs. Each program has four set points:

• TOP — upper stop position. Set just high enough to clear your part. Too high wastes cycle time.
• SLOW — where the ram transitions from fast approach to slow. Just above material contact for accuracy and tool life.
• WAIT — pause at material contact. Release pedal and re-press to continue. Operator safety and part alignment confirmation.
• STOP — final bend depth. This sets your angle. Adjust deeper for more bend, shallower for less.

The machine performs an automatic homing cycle at startup and walks you through it. Set your Y-axis zero at the punch-to-die kiss point once — from there, pre-loaded programs are immediately accurate and repeatable.

Force Control

Hardware-based, not software-estimated. Set your force limit and the machine stops at that load — protecting tooling from crashes, protecting PEM inserts in hardware applications, and protecting the machine from overload. The force control will typically overrun by 1–2 tons due to hydraulic inertia, so set it lower than your actual threshold and test. This is real force control at a price point where nobody else offers it.

Air Bending

The VersaPress press brake is designed for air bending — the punch forms material into the die with an air gap at the bottom. This is how professional press brakes operate. The punch never bottoms out against the die, which means your angle is controlled by ram position, not by tooling geometry. Precise, adjustable, and repeatable across varying material thickness.

The alternative — coining, where the punch bottoms out against the die — spikes machine and tooling forces, produces variable results, and is how most low-cost press brake setups work. The pre-loaded programs and correction factor system are designed around air bending. This is not a DIY workaround.

Backstop

Manual adjustment with digital readout — precision repeatability without complex programming. Crank the handwheel to your dimension, zero it, and every piece locates consistently. The stop blocks are spring-loaded to pivot up as material bends. Height adjustment is set once at machine setup and left alone. A zero-setting tool and procedure is included so your reference is accurate before your first production bend.

Tooling

All VersaPress tooling supports both air bending and coining, and is available in solid or segmented configurations. The standard 5-way tooling set covers the most common die openings. A die selection chart ships with every machine and is laminated to hang from the press — match your material and thickness to your die opening in seconds.

Hemming Tooling
Closed hems, safety edges, doubled material folds. Initial air bend followed by flattening to close. Reinforced edges, panel stiffening, and cosmetic folds requiring uniform closure.

Gooseneck Tooling
Extended throat clearance for return flanges, channels, and offset geometries. Boxes, deep profiles, Z-shapes, and multi-stage sequences where a straight punch interferes with previously formed features.

Acute Tooling
Included angles below 90 degrees. Stiffening ribs, tight brackets, thin- to medium-gauge precision components. Narrow punch profile for sharp air bends and fine coining applications.

Solid vs. Segmented
Solid tooling for high-volume repeatable production. Segmented tooling for custom and varied work — remove or space sections for short flanges, internal tabs, relief cuts, notches, and irregular geometry without secondary rework.

Machine Dimensions (approximate)

• Height: 75″ total, 32.5″ maximum internal height
• Width: 42.5″ total (with pump mounted), 23″ internal width
• Depth: 24″ at widest point
• Table pass-through: 22″ x 6″
• Power: 208–255 VAC, single-phase, 60Hz (IEC 50Hz available at additional cost), 20-amp circuit

What “Built in the USA” Actually Means

We say “Built in the USA” because we mean it — and we’ll tell you exactly what that means rather than hoping nobody asks.

The entire frame is cut from US-sourced steel plate, laser cut and CNC press brake formed in Oregon, then welded, machined, and powder coated here. The stainless pins are machined and welded here in our shop. We build the entire ram assembly from 100% made-in-USA parts. The arbor plates are cut here. The caster plates are made in the USA. All the brackets from the linear scale and electrical control box are made in the USA. The Hydraulic pump unit is assembled in the USA. We can go on and on. This is NOT an assembly shipped form China in a crate broken down to save space in a container. Not at all.

We do import some components — the pedals (steel pedal base is US-made), some hardware (military-compliant mixed source including some USA hardware), PCBs, and some hydraulic components (less than 50% of the hydraulic system by weight). We’re not hiding that. We’re telling you because we’re proud of what this machine is, and you deserve to know what you’re buying.

100% Designed, assembled, and tested in Sandy, Oregon. US Patent No. 11,529,784.

Please review our Terms of Service and FAQ for complete warranty, return, and shipping information.