Minimum Bend Radius Sheet Metal Aluminum

We recommend 5052 h32 for aluminum chassis projects.

Minimum bend radius sheet metal aluminum. The tool can calculate the required bending force for bending aluminum stainless steel mild steel and weldox or strenx high strength steels. 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. Brittle metal such as aluminum generally requires a larger bend radius than ductile material like cold rolled steel.

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. Steel american iron and steel institute 1 see aisi s fabrication guidlines for cold bending thk 6061 t6. Aluminum is typically thicker and stronger and requires more force to bend as well as consideration of edge conditions and punch nose radii. It requires an inside bend radius of at least 6x the material thickness.

Radii for various thicknesses expressed in terms of thickness t. We go beyond the general rules of sheet metal bending as our customers want tight bend radii for sheet metal parts. In general mild steel and type 304 stainless sheet can be formed with sharp bends 1t without concern up to 1 8. 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.

Bend radii minimum bend sizes. 5052 h32 aluminum bends in about the same way as mild steel. Use this document to choose values that are both manufacturable and meet your needs. Discover all our calculation tools in the calculators section of the top menu.

Aluminum minimum bend radii for 90 degree cold forming of sheet and plate. It is most economical to use a single bend radius throughout the design but if necessary you can utilize multiple radii. Aluminum where necessary 5052 h32 may be bent to 1t and 6061 t6 to 1 1 2t. Divide 50 by the material s reduction percentage as specified by the material supplier subtract by 1 and then multiply by the plate thickness.

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. Per the aluminum association inc. 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. The tables below show bend radii and minimum bend sizes for materials and tooling combinations stocked by protocase.

For example 6061 t6 aluminum is very difficult to bend. You described a rough rule to find a steel s minimum bend radius.