From a drawing to LRA shop instructions | Bend Genie Buyer’s Guide

Read the drawing before entering numbers

A useful bend sequence begins with an unambiguous source. Check the drawing revision, units, material specification, tube or pipe size, wall thickness, and required radius. Identify which dimensions describe the finished envelope and which refer to the centerline or tangent points. If the source is a scan, PDF, or photograph, resolve unclear measurements before relying on any assisted interpretation.

Bend Genie supports source-import workflows with user review, alongside direct LRA and XYZ sequence preparation. Whichever starting point you use, compare the resulting geometry with the drawing. Importing information is not the same as checking it, and a tidy model cannot fill in a missing tolerance or an uncertain datum.

Agree on length, rotation, and angle

LRA describes a sequence through length, rotation, and angle. Those labels need a shop-specific explanation: where is length measured from, which direction counts as positive rotation, and how is the bend angle interpreted? Establish the start end and feed direction before entering the sequence. A different starting orientation can produce instructions that are easy to misread even when the final shape seems familiar.

Use Bend Genie’s LRA editor and 3D context together. Enter a step, inspect the direction of the next leg, then continue. If you start from XYZ information, verify the coordinate frame and resulting orientation as well. A visual comparison from only one viewpoint can hide an out-of-plane bend or a reversed rotation.

Attach the setup to the geometry

Choose material and tooling information that corresponds to the actual job. Review radius, die selection, profile, and any changes of tooling between bends. Bend Genie can keep multiple die assignments and springback estimates alongside the part. These are planning references; the operator still needs to establish a workable setup using the real stock, machine, and tooling.

Prepare a dimensioned print and flat-layout references for cut length and bend locations. State the selected start, center, or end bend reference so the floor does not have to infer it. Add the drawing revision, starting end, stock identification, and any unresolved questions to the handoff using your shop’s documentation process. Keep preliminary estimates distinguishable from validated setup values.

Walk a two-bend offset through the handoff

For a two-bend offset bracket, first check the straight legs and the offset against the drawing. Inspect whether both bends belong in one plane. Then ask the operator to follow the listed lengths, rotation, and angles without seeing how you entered them. This tests the instructions, not just the model.

Mark the start end and confirm the measurement and rotation conventions.
Match the printed dimensions, flat layout, and 3D orientation to one revision.
Check available grip length and the space needed to reposition the part.
Make a test bend, measure the result, and record operator-approved adjustments.
Release production instructions only after the setup and first part have been reviewed.

Put the guide to work

Software calculations, imports, springback estimates, and layout references are preparation aids. An operator must validate dimensions, material, tooling, machine limits, and the process using appropriate test bends before production.