Bend Radius Sheet Metal Rule Thumb

What could be simpler than choosing the inner radius ir just the same as the material thickness.

Bend radius sheet metal rule thumb. The inside bend radius should be equal to the thickness of the material that you re forming. Here s a good rule of thumb for most materials. The sheet metal design rule of thumb in this case is. Outside radius of curls must be at least twice the sheet s thickness.

Note that this is just a rule of thumb. 2 5 material thickness bend radius. 5 1 4. Minimum sheet metal bending radius.

The distance between the sheet metal bend line and edge of the hole should be two times or greater the thickness of the sheet metal. If the material is 0 5 in. Larger radius will just make some other calculations a little more difficult. If you re bending 0 020 thick material use a 0 020 radius.

Now multiply that answer by the plate thickness. Next subtract 1 from that answer. The sheet metal design rule of thumb in this case is. If you have any questions or want to discuss your design contact us.

Determine your minimum bend by measuring the distance from your closest feature i e. Distance from outside mold line to the bottom of the cutout should be equal to the minimum flange length prescribed by the air bend force chart. Bends should be at least six times the material s thickness plus the radius of the curl. The more ductile the sheet metal the smaller the inner bend radius is possible.

Minimum sheet metal bend radius depends on the selection of tool and the process. 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. The minimum bend radius for mild steel sheet metal. 4 0 5 2.

This avoids later troubles overthinking and silly mistakes. A cutout or the edge of your flange to your bend. Choose a bend radius that matches your minimum bend.