STEFA VHB Shear-and-Fold at METALCON 2026

The STEFA VHB SERIES LONG FOLDER combines straight sheet cutting with single-direction CNC beam folding and can replace a separate shear for compatible roofing-trim work. Drip edge, roof-edge trim and custom flashings are candidates when their cuts, material and finished geometry fit the selected configuration.

The useful comparison is complete trim production: whether one combined machine can handle the required cutting and folding workload while providing suitable forming access and operating space.

The compact offering highlighted for METALCON

The compact VHB shear-and-fold configuration was highlighted for roofing and facade production in STEFA’s announcement for METALCON 2026, alongside the VHB/VH long-folder offering with Mac-Tech. METALCON was scheduled for October 7–9, 2026, dates also carried in an October 1, 2026 show-guide report.

The compact offering brings cutting and bending into one machine format. For roofing producers, that creates a practical equipment choice between integrated trim production and separate cutting and folding capacity. The announcement supports that comparison; it does not establish a new VHB launch or verify a compact-machine demonstration at the event.

Roofing trim suited to combined cutting and folding

Straight-cut strips followed by longitudinal folds are a useful starting point for evaluating drip edge, roof-edge sections and flashings. The folder holds the sheet at the clamping beams while the pivoting folding beam forms the bend. Each section still needs sufficient clearance for its forming sequence and removal.

Changing trim dimensions are another reason to consider CNC folding. Profile programs provide an alternative to dedicated roll-forming tooling for compatible sections, particularly when the order mix includes different flashing shapes rather than one continuous profile.

A shear-and-folder is not a roofing-panel line. Continuous panel production gradually forms material through successive roll-forming stations; the VHB’s application here is cutting and folding individual trim blanks. The equipment decision should therefore follow the trim mix rather than the shop’s panel-production volume alone.

Matching the compact VHB315 to the section

The VHB315 specification gives a 3,200 mm working length, a 1.5 mm maximum thickness rating in St40 and a 1,250 mm maximum backgauge range. Those figures belong to that configuration, not every VHB or VH model.

Material grade, strength, measured thickness and finish should be assessed against the proposed package. Backgauge travel is a positioning dimension, not proof that every developed blank or finished section will clear the machine.

The compact format’s advertised 13 mm minimum flange is useful for preliminary screening. It does not establish that every short return, inward-facing flange or partially closed profile can be formed and removed. Review the whole section, including clearance around bends already made.

Alternating bend directions deserve particular attention. A single-direction folder can require turning and repositioning the work; the integrated shear does not make it an automatic double folder. Include that handling in the production comparison rather than considering bend motion alone.

When a separate shear still adds value

The combined format is most attractive when the required straight cuts fit its integrated shear. A flashing that needs notches, openings or cuts outside the proposed cutting capability still needs another operation, even if its longitudinal bends fit the folder.

Concurrent production can favor separate equipment. If the shear prepares the next batch while the folder forms the current one, consolidation puts both workloads onto the combined machine. Compare a representative batch through cutting, positioning, folding, turning and unloading. Eliminating a machine does not, by itself, establish higher output.

The VHB specification includes manual shear-thickness adjustment, so mixed-thickness work needs cutting-setup time in that comparison. Protective systems cover the clamp and shear areas; the proposed material-handling method must accommodate both.

Operating space and programming scope

The compact machine’s advertised nominal footprint is 100 square feet. Use that as an equipment-space figure, not a total installation-area allowance. Loading long blanks, turning sections, unloading trim, storing material and providing service access can change the practical layout considerably.

Alligator software supports touchscreen profile drawing, bend-sequence review, color-side indication and cut lists. Those functions help define changing trim sections and examine their forming order. CAD import and office programming are additional packages and should be specified when required.

The proposed quotation should identify the compact VHB configuration explicitly, including its material capacity, electrical requirements and software scope. Its appearance in the manufacturer’s family documentation does not establish that every VHB-series package includes the same compact arrangement.

I’m Jon Williams, a Sales Executive at Mac-Tech. For a roofing-trim upgrade, call me with dimensioned drawings, representative samples, material and finish specifications, shortest flange and return dimensions, and typical batch quantities. Include your blank-supply method, available operating space and whether your shear and folder currently run concurrently. Mac-Tech and I can help assess the STEFA VHB configuration, cutting and folding sequence, handling demands and production pace—and whether a separate shear still belongs in your operation.