Determine Natural Bend Of Sheet Aluminum

Figure 2 illustrates the sheet that is bent with the bend angle of 90 degrees.

Determine natural bend of sheet aluminum. Cells on the right will output the desired values. Since commercial sheet metal bending can be done with less concern for stresses caused during forming operation the radius can be near zero for thin sheet metal. Determine your minimum bend by measuring the distance from your closest feature i e. In other words if you re bending 1 8 sheet use a tool with a 1 8 radius to form the inside of the bend.

With this free online tool we quickly get the sheet metal bend deduction and therefore the sheet metal blank initial flat length from the finished part measurements. For most applications with stainless steel or aluminum you can get away with a zero radius bend on anything under 0 050 thick. The bend allowance describes the length of the neutral axis between the bend lines or in other words the arc length of the bend. You will use the protractor to gauge the brake as you bend the metal little by little.

Cut the section of metal out or otherwise prepare the metal to be bent by removing any burrs or sharp edges. You will need to know your material thickness mt the bend angle b the inside radius ir and the k factor k. After bending the sheet we need to do some measurements as shown in figure 2. A cutout or the edge of your flange to your bend.

Also know that for the best results and fewer cracks on the outside of the bend the bend line should go across or diagonal to the material grain when and where possible. If your sheet metal is too thick you may need special machinery like a brake or a torch to bend your sheet into the desired shape. You only have to insert interior angle flange lengths k factor inside radius and material thickness. When bending aluminum know that the smaller your inside bend radius the larger the chance that cracking will occur in the part.

90 degrees bend angle. If you have any questions or want to discuss your design contact us. Determine the angle at which you want to brake the metal and mark it on the protractor. The bend radii listed are standard minimum if manufacturing for aircraft and aerospace applications.

Determine the thickness of your sheet. Choose a bend radius that matches your minimum bend. General advice on aluminum. You can use a tape measure or ruler to measure the thickness of your sheet metal.

From there we can calculate the k factor and the bend deduction. The bend allowance formula takes into account the geometries of bending and the properties of your metal to determine the bend allowance. This measurement will be necessary for calculating your bend allowance. If you re bending 0 020 thick material use a 0 020 radius.

We will start by calculating the bend allowance.