Most fabricators of sheet metal parts will require a minimum bend radius on formed objects.
Fda sheet metal bend radius.
Sheet metal bend radii.
Bend radii minimum bend sizes.
Steel american iron and steel institute.
Divide 50 by the material s tensile reduction percentage.
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.
Grain direction is formed in metal in the direction in which the sheet was rolled at the.
Subtract 1 from that answer.
According to fabricator steve benson there s a simple mathematical equation to determine a minimum and maximum bend radius for both sheet metal and aluminum and steel plates.
Use this document to choose values that are both manufacturable and meet your needs.
Bend radii and minimum bends are limited to certain values or ranges which are determined by the equipment and tooling combinations available to the manufacturer.
The inside bend radius should be equal to the thickness of the material that you re forming.
Where necessary 5052 h32 may be bent to 1t and 6061 t6 to 1 1 2t.
If you re bending 0 020 thick material use a 0 020 radius.
We recommend a minimum bend radius of 1t for all sheet metal parts.
We want to know the final length of the detail.
If these guidelines are not followed more research and or some form of analysis may be requried.
Thus the smallest radius of any bend in a sheet should be at least equal to the thickness of the sheet.
First we must start with the k factor.
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.
For aircraft and aerospace applications.
For example if the thickness of the sheet is 1 mm the minimum bend radius should be 1 mm.
When designing sheet metal parts and enclosures it is helpful to use these values as the basis for your design.
It is most economical to use a single bend radius throughout the design but if necessary you can utilize multiple radii.
The minimum bend radius should be a minimum of of the material thickness so if the material is 18 gauge or 0 048 thick then the inside radius would be 0 024 making the outside radius 0 072.