Bend Rad For 16g Sheet Metal

The minimum bend radius data shown in these charts is measured to the inside of the bend.

Bend rad for 16g sheet metal.

With coining and bottom bending the punch nose radius establishes the inside bend radius value to be inserted into the formulas for the bend deduction. To help this blog will explain the gauge system and features a sheet metal gauge chart. We go beyond the general rules of sheet metal bending as our customers want tight bend radii for sheet metal parts. When metal is bent the top section is going to undergo compression and the bottom section will be stretched.

When working with sheet metal it is common for the term gauge to be used someone unfamiliar with the gauge system may not understand what is meant by 18 gauge steel for example. The line where the transition from compression to stretching occurs is called the neutral axis. This is done through the application of force on a workpiece. Material bend radii and minimum bend size charts please note.

The bend allowance and bend deduction are two measures that relate the bent length of a piece of sheet metal to the flat length. The bend allowance describes the length of the neutral axis between the bend lines or in other words the arc length of the bend. Therefore the bend allowance added to the flange lengths is equal to the total flat. With this free online tool we quickly get the sheet metal bend deduction and therefore the sheet metal blank initial flat length from the finished part measurements.

Understanding the bend allowance and consequently the bend deduction of a part is a crucial first step to understanding how sheet metal parts are fabricated. But air forming adds some complexity because the bending method produces an inside bend radius on the part in a completely different way see figure 3. As this happens you gain a small amount of total length in your part. The k factor in sheet metal working is the ratio of the neutral axis to the material thickness.

The bend radii listed are standard minimum if manufacturing for aircraft and aerospace applications. Bending is one of the most common sheet metal fabrication operations. Use the minimum bend dimension values in the charts below for your minimum closeness of cutout to a bend. 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 bend radius you select may not be available if the geometry of the part will not allow us to bend with the specific tooling required to achieve that radius. Cells on the right will output the desired values. It is possible to choose other bends if you require but additional lead time and tooling charges may apply. When the sheet metal is put through the process of bending the metal around the bend is deformed and stretched.

The tables below show bend radii and minimum bend sizes for materials and tooling combinations stocked by protocase.