Bend Radius For Steel Sheet

Determine your minimum bend by measuring the distance from your closest feature i e.

Bend radius for steel sheet. 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. Thick grade 350 and 400 may have a minimum bend radius of 2 5 times the material thickness when transverse bending while longitudinal bending may require a minimum bend radius that s 3 75 times the material thickness see figure 1. Bend radii minimum bend sizes. Recommended inside bend radius for sheet metal parts should be equal to material thickness.

Minimum bend includes minimum closeness of cutout to bend radius cold rolled steel 14 gauge 0 075 1 91mm. In our example below a part with flange lengths of 2 and 3 with an inside radius of 250 at 90 will have leg lengths of 1 625 and 2 625 respectively. The hardness of the metal. Preferred recommended 90 degree bend radii for various sheet metals.

When we calculate the bend allowance we find that it equals 457. Crca inside bend radius equal to 0 65 times of sheet thickness is also enough. Generally speaking the thicker a piece of sheet metal is the wider the internal bend radius will have to be. In order to develop the flat pattern we add 457 to 1 625 and 2 625 to arrive at 4 707.

1 steels with lower carbon content are easier to weld and form. Grain direction is formed in metal in the direction in which the sheet was rolled at the steel mill. Another way to determine the k factor is by following the rule of thumb. In general mild steel and type 304 stainless sheet can be formed with sharp bends 1t without concern up to 1 8 thick.

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. We want to know the final length of the detail. The bending angle is 90 sheet thickness 5 mm and the inside radius is 6 mm. 10 carbon content may be bent back on itself in any direction without cracking.

Sharp inside bend radius in sheetmetal parts can cause material flow problems in soft material and fracturing in hard material. First we must start with the k factor. But for harder materials e g. The thickness of the metal.

The minimum inside bend radius is even larger when bending with the grain. Choose a bend radius that matches your minimum bend.