Minimum Radius Sheet Metal Bends

Use this document to choose values that are both manufacturable and meet your needs.

Minimum radius sheet metal bends.

The problem with bending too tightly. Curls the minimum radius is two times the. In steel between 0 5 and 0 8 in. Layout method sheet metal stretches when it bends is an oversimplification.

It is most economical to use a single bend radius throughout the design but if necessary you can utilize multiple radii. 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. Commonly used bends include v bend z bend offset bend and hemming bend etc. 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.

Bend radii minimum bend sizes. If a piece of material is bent too tightly problems can occur. The minimum inside bend radius is even larger when bending with the grain. Let s say i have a 2 mm thick sheet and i want to bend it.

Each and every bend in a piece of sheet metal has a certain minimum internal radius that needs to be taken into account when planning the design of a sheet metal form. Bends specified as angles may be toleranced at plus or minus one half degree at a location adjacent to the 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. To keep it simple i also use a 2 mm inside radius.

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 minimum bend radius data shown in these charts is measured to the inside of the bend. 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. Bending is a stamping process that uses pressure to force the material to plastically deform.

When designing sheet metal parts and enclosures it is helpful to use these values as the basis for your design. 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. The bend radii listed are standard minimum if manufacturing for aircraft and aerospace applications. But for harder materials e g.

It is most economical to use a single bend radius throughout the. Crca inside bend radius equal to 0 65 times of sheet thickness is also enough. Thereby forming a certain angle and curvature shape.