Minimum Radius Sheet Metal Bends

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.

Minimum radius sheet metal bends.

The minimum inside bend radius is even larger when bending with the grain. Use this document to choose values that are both manufacturable and meet your needs. Bend radii minimum bend sizes. If a piece of material is bent too tightly problems can occur.

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. The minimum bend radius data shown in these charts is measured to the inside of the bend. Curls the minimum radius is two times the. The problem with bending too tightly.

I can now see that the minimum flange length is 8 5 mm for such a bend so i have to keep it in mind when designing. Bending is a stamping process that uses pressure to force the material to plastically deform. Upon close examination of the bends we find that the sheet metal stretches on the outer surface and that the inside surface seems to shrink. Layout method sheet metal stretches when it bends is an oversimplification.

Thereby forming a certain angle and curvature shape. The bend radii listed are standard minimum if manufacturing for aircraft and aerospace applications. Bends specified as angles may be toleranced at plus or minus one half degree at a location adjacent to the bends. Crca inside bend radius equal to 0 65 times of sheet thickness is also enough.

For bent sheet metal variation in the raw material thickness increases the recommended precision to 0 010 in. In low carbon steel sheet metal the minimum radius of a bend should be one half the material thickness or 0 80 mm 0 03 inch whichever is larger. 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. It is most economical to use a single bend radius throughout the design but if necessary you can utilize multiple radii.

The sheet metal bending height should be at least 2 times the thickness of the sheet metal plus the bending radius that is h 2t r. To keep it simple i also use a 2 mm inside radius. When designing sheet metal parts and enclosures it is helpful to use these values as the basis for your design. But for harder materials e g.

Let s say i have a 2 mm thick sheet and i want to bend it. It is most economical to use a single bend radius throughout the. In steel between 0 5 and 0 8 in.