Sheet Metal Minimum Bend Radius Table

The bend radii listed are standard minimum if manufacturing for aircraft and aerospace applications.

Sheet metal minimum bend radius table.

The gauge inside radius die opening and minimum flange length are all interconnected through different equations and relationships the air bend force. 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 design but if necessary you can utilize multiple radii. Where necessary 5052 h32 may be bent to 1t and 6061 t6 to 1 1 2t.

Use this document to choose values that are both manufacturable and meet your needs. Sheet metal bend radii. To keep it simple i also use a 2 mm inside radius. For example if the thickness of the sheet is 1 mm the minimum bend radius should be 1 mm.

Preferred recommended 90 degree bend radii for various sheet metals. 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 shall be equal to three times of sheet thickness plus bend radius. An air bend force chart or force chart breaks down a number of key components of sheet metal bending in an easy to reference format.

You will need to know your material thickness mt the bend angle b the inside radius ir and the k factor k. Thus the smallest radius of any bend in a sheet should be at least equal to the thickness of the sheet. The material thickness will be measured in decimal form not by the gauge number. The data in the above table is the preferred data and is for reference only.

Minimum sheet metal flange bend length is required to avoid cracks in the bending area. Below is xometry s minimum bend radius reference table which is based on theoretical sheet metal gauge thicknesses. Bend radii minimum bend sizes. It is possible to choose other bends if you require but additional lead time and tooling charges may apply.

Therefore the bending inner radius of our sheet metal parts is basically 0 2. Being able to read a bend force chart is crucial for any brake press operator and sheet metal engineer. 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. In fact the manufacturer s bending knives usually have a rounded corner of 0 3 and a small number of bending knives have a rounded corner of 0 5.

We go beyond the general rules of sheet metal bending as our customers want tight bend radii for sheet metal parts. The tables below show bend radii and minimum bend sizes for materials and tooling combinations stocked by protocase. Steel american iron and steel institute. Minimum sheet metal flange bend length 3 x sheet thickness bend radius minimum hole diameter guidelines.