Minimum Bend Radius Sheet Metal Aluminum

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.

Minimum bend radius sheet metal aluminum.

In general mild steel and type 304 stainless sheet can be formed with sharp bends 1t without concern up to 1 8. It requires an inside bend radius of at least 6x the material thickness. You described a rough rule to find a steel s minimum bend radius. This tool allows you to determine tonnage internal radius v die opening and minimum flange you just have to insert the characteristics of the sheet metal to be bent.

It is possible to choose other bends if you require but additional lead time and tooling charges may apply. The minimum bend radius for aluminum when working with aluminum over sheet metal several variables need to be considered. The bend radii listed are standard minimum if manufacturing for aircraft and aerospace applications. Steel american iron and steel institute 1 see aisi s fabrication guidlines for cold bending thk 6061 t6.

For example 6061 t6 aluminum is very difficult to bend. The tool can calculate the required bending force for bending aluminum stainless steel mild steel and weldox or strenx high strength steels. The tables below show bend radii and minimum bend sizes for materials and tooling combinations stocked by protocase. Divide 50 by the material s reduction percentage as specified by the material supplier subtract by 1 and then multiply by the plate thickness.

Brittle metal such as aluminum generally requires a larger bend radius than ductile material like cold rolled steel. Aluminum where necessary 5052 h32 may be bent to 1t and 6061 t6 to 1 1 2t. Use this document to choose values that are both manufacturable and meet your needs. Aluminum minimum bend radii for 90 degree cold forming of sheet and plate.

The minimum bend radius data shown in these charts is measured to the inside of the bend. We go beyond the general rules of sheet metal bending as our customers want tight bend radii for sheet metal parts. Discover all our calculation tools in the calculators section of the top menu. 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.

3003 h14 is extremely ductile. It is most economical to use a single bend radius throughout the design but if necessary you can utilize multiple radii. In general parts should be designed with a minimum 1t bend radius radius matching the sheet thickness for the simplest setup and to ensure we can form the intended geometry. Radii for various thicknesses expressed in terms of thickness t.

5052 h32 aluminum bends in about the same way as mild steel. Aluminum is typically thicker and stronger and requires more force to bend as well as consideration of edge conditions and punch nose radii.