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The following illustration shows the equation / calculation for determining the bend allowance when

forming sheet metal. Most sheet metal materials will conform to the calculations. This page also
includes a link to a on-line sheet metal bend allowance calculator.

Sheet Metal Bend Allowance Equations:

Custom sheet metal fabrication services providers are organizations that fabricate components by
forming, cutting, rolling, bending, punching, trimming, stamping and welding sheet metal. Many
organizations also offer sheet metal assembly services that include riveting, bolting, and other assembly
processes. Virtually all industries and technologies utilize sheet metal parts and these include:
electronics enclosures, computers, aircraft, spacecraft, automotive, computing racks, HVAC, industrial
and consumer appliances and equipment, and machine tools.

Fabrication of sheet metal parts involves methods and processes which are quite different from those
used for fabricating machined parts, and it is necessary that the designer understand these differences in
order to properly prepare drawings. Sheet metal parts are frequently cut out of flat stock using
developed patterns (templates) and then formed to finished parts. Other parts may be made from flat
blanks and deep drawn or formed into complex contours by dies in a punch press or hydro-press, or by
drop hammer dies. These parts are usually trimmed after forming to produce the finished part. These
are only some of the methods which force the establishment of certain special procedures for sheet
metal drawings.

Common fabrication processes applied to sheet metal:

• Stretching
• Drawing
• Deep drawing
• Bending and flanging
• Punching / shearing
• Spinning
• Press forming

Companies that fabricate sheet metal products understand that the most cost effective and
environmentally acceptable method of fabricating parts is by ensuring the the sheet metal component
design is robust and manufacturable it in the first place. Services organizations should be given the
opportunity to review part and assembly designs before asking for a quote.
Damper HVAC are used to cutoff HVAC, air conditioning heat or cooling to an unused area or room.
HVAC dampers are also used to regulate room temperatures or other environmental parameters.
HVAC dampers may be operated manually, or the vanes may be driven by electrical or pneumatic
control mechanisms.

Within chimney flue's, dampers are used to cutoff airflow to the outside of the structure. Chimney
dampers also are used to remove access to the inside of the structure from intrusion by outside animals.

Typically, dampers are made from sheet metal. Materials typically used are aluminum,or galvanized
steel.

Deep drawing Metal Stamping manufacturing technology is defined as the stretching of sheet metal
stock, commonly referred to as a blank, around a plug. The edges of the metal blank are restrained by
rings and the plug is drawn into a top die cavity to achieve the end shape that is desired. There are
many shapes that can be made through deep drawing and stamping such as cups, pans, cylinders,
domes and hemispheres, as well as irregular shaped products and features.

Any material in the annealed or solution heat treated condition can be deep draw formed. Materials
having the best drawing qualities are 6061 aluminum, 321 stainless steel, and unalloyed titanium. Other
metals may be processed using the deep drawing stamping techniques these include:

• Steel, Cold rolled


• Copper
• Steel, Galvanized
• Steel, Hot Rolled, Cold Rolled
• Zinc

The equation will calculate the force required to pierce or shear sheetmetal.

F = P x T x PSI

F is force required, in pounds


P is perimeter around area to be sheared, inches
T is sheet thickness in inches
PSI is the shear strength rating of the material in pounds per square inch

GAUGE Non-Ferrous Steel Sheets Strip & Tubing


no. Brown & Sharp Birmingham or Stubs
lbs./Sq.
lbs./Sq. ft. Gauge lbs./Sq. ft. Gauge Gauge
ft. lbs./Sq. ft.
1100,6061 Decimal Alloy 260 Decimal Decimal
Steel Steel Strip
Aluminum (inches) Brass (inches) (inches)
Strip
000000 - .5800 - - - - -
00000 - .5165 - - - .500 20.40
0000 - .4600 - - - .454 18.52
000 - .4096 - - - .425 17.34
00 - .3648 - - - .380 15.50
0 - .3249 - - - .340 13.87
1 - .2893 - - - .300 12.24
2 - .2576 - - - .284 11.59
3 - .2294 - .2391 9.754 .259 10.57
4 - .2043 - .2242 9.146 .238 9.710
5 - .1819 - .2092 8.534 .220 8.975
6 2.286 .1620 7.185 .1943 7.926 .203 8.281
7 2.036 .1443 6.400 .1793 7.315 .180 7.343
8 1.813 .1285 5.699 .1644 6.707 .165 6.731
9 1.614 .1144 5.074 .1495 6.099 .148 6.038
10 1.438 .1019 4.520 .1345 5.487 .134 5.467
11 1.280 .0907 4.023 .1196 4.879 .120 4.895
12 1.140 .0808 3.584 .1046 4.267 .109 4.447
13 1.016 .0720 3.193 .0897 3.659 .095 3.876
14 .905 .0641 2.843 .0747 3.047 .083 3.386
15 .806 .0571 2.532 .0673 2.746 .072 2.937
16 .717 .0508 2.253 .0598 2.440 .065 2.652
17 .639 .0453 2.009 .0538 2.195 .058 2.366
18 .569 .0403 1.787 .0478 1.950 .049 1.999
19 .507 .0359 1.592 .0418 1.705 .042 1.713
20 .452 .0320 1.419 .0359 1.465 .035 1.428
21 .402 .0285 1.264 .0329 1.342 .032 1.305
22 .357 .0253 1.122 .0299 1.220 .028 1.142
23 .319 .0226 1.002 .0269 1.097 .025 1.020
24 .284 .0201 .892 .0239 .975 .022 .898
25 .253 .0179 .794 .0209 .853 .020 .816
26 .224 .0159 .705 .0179 .730 .018 .734
27 .200 .0142 .630 .0164 .669

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