Bending Aluminum Sheet Into U Channel

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

Bending aluminum sheet into u channel. π 180 x b x ir k x mt bend allowance ba where b is the angle complementary to your desired bend angle 1 to 180 degrees mt is the thickness of the material ir is the inside radius and k is the k factor. This would be ideal for a press brake but i do not want to invest a ton of money in a heavy duty one. Chicago metal is the leading resource for steel and aluminum channel bending and more. A u bend is made with a u shaped punch of the correct curvature.

Insert your aluminum sheet into the brake beneath the removable clamp bar. I am using 24 long sheet metal stock cut into 4 thick pieces. Lift the clamp bar away from the rear of the brake frame and slide the sheet in perpendicularly to the direction you want to bend it. How to bend sheet metal without a brake.

The easiest channel bending process is flanges out flanges in channel bending can be difficult if the flanges are relatively tall. 3 16th thickness steel is the max thickness most scrolling machines accept. We can bend channels with the flanges out with the flanges in and the hard way of the web. The force must exceed the material s yield strength to achieve a plastic deformation.

Channel bending uses a shaped punch and die to form a sheet metal channel. How to bend sheet metal without a brake in 4 different methods with minimal or homemade tools. This is done through the application of force on a workpiece. I can not make thin u channels.

Also as aluminum comes from the mill it develops a coating aluminum oxide as it cools. I like scroll work but a lot of it looks very skinny and weak. Note that aluminum does not change color when heated so getting burned becomes a real concern. The sheet metal i am forming is 20 gauge.

Make sure the bar is seated firmly inside the frame. You can find your bend allowance with the following formula. Punch and die are manufactured with certain geometries in order to perform specific bends. When i bend both sides 90 degrees i get about a 1 5 inch thick channel which works great.

This makes the aluminum about as bendable as it can get.