In the concrete game, steel is the skeleton of everything we build. I’ve spent years on decks and in fab shops, and I know that every bend in a piece of rebar tells a story. Recently, I got to test out a specific 5-Head CNC Stirrup Bender (Model 25).
Most marketing brochures will tell you about speed and horsepower. But the brochure for this rig was different—it talked about "craftsmanship." After running a few tons of steel through it, I finally understood why. This isn't just a cold, automated robot; it’s a machine that actually bridges the gap between digital precision and the veteran instinct of a seasoned rod buster.
The Setup: 5 Heads are Better Than One
The first thing you notice is the configuration. It’s a 5-Head System. In the old days, bending a complex stirrup meant handling the bar three times, swapping dies, and four rounds of calibration. It was heavy, repetitive work. On this machine, the five heads work in sync. I watched it bend multiple angles simultaneously. It felt less like a machine hammering metal and more like a well-rehearsed crew working in unison.
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The Capacity: It handles up to 25mm (approx. #8 bar or 1 inch), which covers the vast majority of commercial stirrup needs.
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The Track: It features a 7-meter (approx. 23 ft) sizing rack. This is plenty of runway for most standard structural components.
The "Manual" Soul in a CNC Body
Here is where this machine won me over. We all know the industry is moving toward full automation. But this rig features a Manual/Auto Hybrid Mode.
I spoke with a foreman on-site who put it best: "The auto-mode is great for the easy stuff, but when the drawings are trash, I need to feel the wheel."
He’s right. On a retrofit job or an old renovation, the blueprints never match the reality. This machine allows you to override the CNC programming. You can dial it in by hand. It holds a memory of 30 standard shapes, but it doesn't lock you out of making those critical, on-the-fly 1/8th-inch adjustments that save the day. It respects the fact that sometimes, the operator knows better than the computer.
The Verdict: Efficiency with Dignity
I’ve seen plenty of machines that try to replace the worker. This one feels like it was designed to assist the worker.
When I watched the guys finish up a shift, pointing at a stack of perfectly bent stirrups, there was a sense of pride. The machine took away the back-breaking labor of manually bending #8 bar, but it left the control in their hands.
If you are running a fab shop and you’re afraid that "going CNC" means losing that craftsman touch, take a look at this 5-Head unit. It’s efficient, it’s precise, but most importantly, it still listens to the guy operating it.
