Aluminum Sheet Metal Bend Radius

Bending is one of the most common sheet metal fabrication operations.

Aluminum sheet metal bend radius.

We go beyond the general rules of sheet metal bending as our customers want tight bend radii for sheet metal parts. Still if you want to avoid cracking abide by the minimum bend radius in 0 25 in thick 6061 t6 which is quite large see figure 3 and avoid bending acute angles. The tables below show bend radii and minimum bend sizes for materials and tooling combinations stocked by protocase. Advantages of bottoming include greater accuracy and less springback.

The bend allowance formula takes into account the geometries of bending and the properties of your metal to determine the bend allowance. Radii for various thicknesses expressed in terms of thickness t. The bend radius you select may not be available if the geometry of the part will not allow us to bend with the specific tooling required to achieve that radius. In a previous bending basics article you mention a material s tensile reduction percentage used for calculating the minimum inside bend radius of various metals.

Sheet metal bend radii if these guidelines are not followed more research and or some form of analysis may be requried. This is done through the application of force on a workpiece. Per the aluminum association inc. Table 1 preferred recommended 90 degree bend radii for various sheet metals.

If your bend radius needs to be adjusted a member of engineering design services team will contact you before your design is manufactured. The bending radius must be at least 0 8 t to 2 t for sheet steel. Aluminum minimum bend radii for 90 degree cold forming of sheet and plate. Also known as press braking flanging die bending folding and edging this method is used to deform a material to an angular shape.

You described a rough rule to find a steel s minimum bend radius. Recommended minimum bend radii for steel and aluminum. Larger bend radii require about the same force for bottoming as they do for air bending however smaller radii require greater force up to five times as much than air bending. 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.

The minimum bend radius data shown in these charts is measured to the inside of the bend. The force must exceed the material s yield strength to achieve a plastic deformation. You will need to know your material thickness mt the bend angle b the inside radius ir and the k factor k. Aluminum where necessary 5052 h32 may be bent to 1t and 6061 t6 to 1 1 2t.

It is possible to choose other bends if you require but additional lead time and tooling charges may apply. The material thickness will be measured in decimal form not by the gauge number.