News & Insights

Overcoming Aerospace Fabrication Bottlenecks: How Plate Rolling Replaces Bump Forming for Isogrid and Orthogrid Rocket Panels

Davi Promau — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:00:30 GMT

As launch schedules tighten, aerospace fabricators face a glaring operational bottleneck: forming curved rocket body panels with complex machined grid patterns.

Historically, achieving these curved cylindrical or conical shapes took up to 60 hours per panel using conventional press brake bump forming. Today, advanced heavy-duty plate rolling technology from Davi reduces that forming cycle to under 60 minutes while preserving intricate structural geometries.

The Challenge: Bending Variable-Thickness Structural Grids
To withstand the severe physical stresses of launch while minimizing weight, roughly 80% of aerospace manufacturers utilize isogrid (triangular) patterns, while others rely on orthogrid (rectangular) patterns.

Machining these structural grids creates drastic thickness variations across a single aluminum panel. Panel thicknesses typically range from 6.35 mm (0.25 inches) up to 76.2 mm (3.0 inches). Once pocketed, delicate vertical ribs are left standing while adjacent pocket sections are machined down to half their original material thickness. Furthermore, components often feature varying rib heights, irregular cutouts, and grid patterns machined on either the outside diameter (OD) or inside diameter (ID).

Forming these non-uniform structures introduces severe fabrication risks:

- Rib Crush Risk: Standard pinch pressures can easily crush or deform delicate structural ribs.

- Irregular Rolling Contact: Because the plate back is flat while the opposite side consists of localized ribs, the rolling machine contacts only the highest points of the grid.

- Capacity Calculation Complexity: Machine capacity cannot be calculated using standard full-width plate dimensions. Instead, bending torque and structural resistance must be calculated using the equivalent aggregate width of the tallest ribs alone.

Bump Forming vs. Plate Rolling: The Operational Impact
For years, aerospace fabricators relied on step bending or bump forming on press brakes. While functional, the process is inherently labor-intensive and slow.

Davi is proud to announce the appointment of Capital Machine Technologies, Inc. as its strategic partner for the expansion in the Mid Atlantic region

Davi Promau — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 22:45:00 GMT

Dallas, Texas – August 28, 2025 – Davi. Inc., a global leader in plate and angle roll machines, is proud to announce the appointment of Capital Machine Technologies, Inc. as its strategic partner for sales and customer support in the Mid-Atlantic region, effective September 1st, 2025.

The Davi and GS Entec Partnership Reaches Major South Korean Milestone | Davi

Stefano Santoni — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 23:15:00 GMT

The global transition toward offshore wind energy is pushing engineering boundaries. As wind turbines soar to unprecedented heights, foundation structures like monopiles, transition pieces, and jacket foundations are demanding exceptionally thick steel plates and complex geometries. For heavy-fabrication leaders, manufacturing these massive cylindrical and tapered conical structures requires absolute precision. Scaling up production to meet aggressive project deadlines must never come at the expense of safety, strict dimensional tolerances, or local compliance. This was the context faced by GS Entec, a prominent South Korean manufacturer navigating highly demanding technical environments and strict local certifications.

The Solution: A Synergy of Heavy-Duty Bending Power

To address these complex manufacturing challenges, GS Entec partnered with Davi to implement two heavy-duty plate rolling machines custom-engineered for wind energy structures. The complete scope of supply includes:

The MCB (Four-Roll Plate Roll): Built for high-volume repeatability and automated ease of use, making it the ideal system for heavy cylindrical cans.
The MAV (Three-Roll Variable Axis Plate Roll): Engineered with three fully tilting rolls to handle the thickest plate structures and complex conical geometries.

Both heavy-duty systems are equipped with specialized accessories and advanced control software—including automated feeding and precision control units—enabling GS Entec to manage complex heavy-rolling projects with extreme accuracy.

Davi reinforces leadership in wind energy sector with record sales in 2024

Davi Promau — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

In 2024,Davi solidified its leadership in the wind energy sectorby delivering 30 complete rolling solution lines worldwide. These tailored systems, featuring infeed conveyors for both cylinders and cones, were deployed across key markets including the USA, India, Poland, South Korea, and Spain, as well as countries like Vietnam, Australia, Germany, Japan, Ethiopia, China, and Belgium. This extensive global reach underscores Davi's pivotal role in enhancing the production capabilities of manufacturers in both onshore and offshore wind energy sectors. The company's commitment to innovation was evident through significant technological advancements integrated into their rolling solutions, improving precision and performance. As the industry advances towards renewable energy adoption,Davi's expertise and customized solutions continue to play a critical role in supporting the global wind energy supply chain.

IDESA selects Davi for plate rolling technology - as read on offshoreWIND

Davi Promau — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 23:45:00 GMT

Davi announces that a giant MCB 4-roll plate roll has recently been installed atIDESA, an international provider of equipment for the petrochemical, oil and gas, and renewable energy sectors. This relationship is one successful outcome of Davi’s Global Wind Energy Seminar, 2023 edition, where discussions began about upgrading IDESA’s old plate rolling machine with Davi's technology.

Davi Plate Rolls achieve official acceptance at Sif’s facility in Maasvlakte Rotterdam - as read on offshoreWIND

Davi Promau — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 22:15:00 GMT

A new milestone was marked in the collaboration between the two industry-leaders, as the Davi Plate Rolls have been officially accepted by Sif. After testing the equipment at the producer's site, another successful test took place at Sif's facility in Maasvlakte Rotterdam. The performance involved an MCB ZA-45 and a MAV 45-520, integrated for rolling and re-rolling both cones and cylinders.