a module type forming machine having a central driving wheel gear rotatable about a horizontal axis and disposed behind a working table extending in a vertical plane , and a plurality of slide units including slides which are arranged radially around the central driving wheel gear and which carry forming tools at their radially inner ends , the slides being linearly slidable in the radial directions by the operation of the respective pinions meshing with the central driving wheel gear . the forming machine further has a base detachably attached to a lateral side of the frame of the forming machine , the base carrying an upper shaft and a lower shaft and a plurality of working units adapted to be driven by the upper or the lower shaft so as to perform linear vertical working motions and arranged in a side - by - side fashion . the forming machine can conduct a variety of works by virtue of provision of two shafts on the base and can cope with demands for various forming operations having different number of steps owing to the detachable nature of the base .