Thick Sheet Metal Bending

When sheet metal is bent it stretches in length.

Thick sheet metal bending.

The largest variations come from the materials themselves. The bend radius refers to the inside radius. 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. This is done through the application of force on a workpiece.

For 0 5 in thick 7050 aluminum the minimum bend radius may be specified as much as 9 5 times material thickness. Again the minimum inside bend radius is even larger when bending with the grain. Determine your minimum bend by measuring the distance from your closest feature i e. How to bend sheet metal without a brake.

In the event that you are bending a thick piece of sheet metal you can apply heat from a blowtorch along the seam of your bend line to facilitate your bend. If you have any questions or want to discuss your design contact us. The bend deduction is the amount the sheet metal will stretch when bent as measured from the outside edges of the bend. The formed bend radius is dependent upon the dies used the material properties and the material thickness.

A cutout or the edge of your flange to your bend. Protective coatings variations in the alloy and thickness as well as many other small factors all add up to give you bend allowances unique to your operation. Bending is one of the most common sheet metal fabrication operations. Keep in mind that many kinds of fabricated metal have extremely high melting points and applying your torch injudiciously could cause damage or do harm to your sheet metal or equipment.

If you re bending 0 020 thick material use a 0 020 radius. To think about bending a sheet of metal that has appreciable thickness focus on an imaginary central sheet the so called neutral line or neutral axis within the thickness. How to bend sheet metal without a brake in 4 different methods with minimal or homemade tools. We are here to help.

Choose a bend radius that matches your minimum bend. The force must exceed the material s yield strength to achieve a plastic deformation. In steel between 0 5 and 0 8 in. Bending a sheet will create forces that act in the bend region and through the thickness of the sheet.

Thick grade 350 and 400 may have a minimum bend radius of 2 5 times the material thickness when transverse bending. The inside bend radius should be equal to the thickness of the material that you re forming.