From power lines to high-mast lighting, modern infrastructure depends on steel poles that can handle real-world loads and last for decades. However, the longer the pole, the harder it is to fabricate with precision. Even the slightest deviation in forming can throw off fit-up, leading to rework, wasted materials, and costly delays. Long, slender poles and tubular components demand specialized large-scale press brake fabrication and material handling capabilities that most shops simply don’t have. When parts push past the 30-foot mark and other fabricators start making excuses, the HMMI advantage makes them happen.
Precision Matters in Steel Pole Fabrication
Steel utility poles are engineered to carry weight, resist wind, and stand straight after decades of environmental abuse. Behind every specification is a reason, such as ensuring ground clearance and conductor tension or meeting deflection limits and wind load requirements. For critical applications, meeting those specifications is vital for downstream processes and long-term structural integrity.
However, precision doesn't come easy when working at scale. When fabricating long, narrow poles with tapered sections and tight tolerance requirements, the forming process must control:
- Straightness and bend angle consistency over the entire length to ensure proper alignment in weld seams to eliminate weld distortion and additional costs.
- Taper accuracy for predictable deflection and load paths.
- Critical accuracy and repeatability across multiple pole sections for easy field assembly.
Meeting these requirements is as essential for performance, safety, and code compliance as it is for ease of field assembly. While the designs may look simple, the execution is anything but. Long and narrow components are prone to springback, warping, and twisting during forming, welding, and machining post-weld processes. Add the sheer size and weight, and fabrication becomes a logistical challenge.
Unfortunately, in a country known for Big, few American fabricators can handle projects over 30 feet long. Without the right manufacturing infrastructure, long poles and tubular components will require extensive reengineering to break the total length into manageable sections. Each section increases the risk of tolerance stacking, introduces weak points, and creates additional assembly and fit-up challenges in the field.
Taking Large-Scale Press Brake Fabrication to New Heights
Instead of forcing oversized projects to fit small-shop limitations, HMMI has equipped the facility with the forming power, length capacity, and advanced automated controls to consistently handle up to 60-foot sections with speed and precision. Our expanding large-scale press brake fabrication capabilities mark a major leap forward in American large-format manufacturing.
At HMMI, our forming capabilities weren’t designed to work around limitations; they were engineered to eliminate them.
- Advanced automation and material handling
- 3,500 tons of forming force
- 60-foot forming length
- 10-axis CNC control
- 5-foot throat depth
- 4-foot stroke
For long, tapered pole sections made from thick, high-strength steel, this combination of length, power, and precision eliminates the need for multi-section forming, reducing fit-up issues and ensuring consistency across sections.
We’re Built to Handle Big
At HMMI, our equipment doesn’t tap out at 30 feet, and our workflow doesn’t fall apart under load. From plasma cutting to post-weld machining and industrial painting, we are built to handle the oversized fabrication projects normally sourced overseas.
North America’s largest, most advanced press brake is now accepting RFQs, with production slated to begin before the end of the year. Don’t wait; production capacity is expected to fill quickly. Contact Horizontal Machining & Manufacturing Industries today to request a quote and secure your place in line.
