Bending 16 Gauge Aluminum Sheet

Insert your aluminum sheet into the brake beneath the removable clamp bar.

Bending 16 gauge aluminum sheet.

If you want a sharp 90 bend tap along the crease with a mallet. If you need to reheat the metal and redo the bend. Metalpro sheet metal brake 8in. Grab the top of the metal with the pliers as the section you heated cools off and pull towards you gently at first.

Stainless steel 1 20 ga. Bend radii minimum bend sizes. Lift the clamp bar away from the rear of the brake frame and slide the sheet in perpendicularly to the direction you want to bend it. In sheet metal the k factor is the ratio of the neutral axis to the material thickness.

Hence this 120 ksi sheet will air form a radius that s about double that of mild cold rolled steel or 32 percent of the die opening 16 percent 2. The bending brake s design allows for a full 90º capacity in steel as thick as 16 gauge and can handle stock up to 18 in. Mild steel 1 brake shear slip roll 1. You will need to know your material thickness mt the bend angle b the inside radius ir and the k factor k.

As an example if you want to bend 24 gauge sheet metal at a 90 angle the calculation would be. Next place the wood parallel and slightly behind the bending line. Bends metal up to 18 in. That s double the 60 ksi of our baseline material.

Use the chart below to convert standard gauge numbers in decimals of an inch for sheet steel aluminum and stainless steel. The bend allowance formula takes into account the geometries of bending and the properties of your metal to determine the bend allowance. Shop 13 manual bending brakes at northern tool equipment. And now the k factor.

Finally bend the sheet up by hand to the angle desired. Browse a variety of top brands in manual bending brakes such as klutch jet and shop fox from the product experts. It is most economical to use a single bend radius throughout the design but if necessary you can utilize multiple radii. Metal gauges below you ll find the info you need with our sheet steel stainless steel and aluminum sheet metal charts.

The material thickness will be measured in decimal form not by the gauge number. 0 017453 x 90 x 0 020 0 33 x 0 024 0 0438558984 inch bend allowance keep in mind that some metals are more brittle than others. Mark a bend line and place the sheet metal on the edge of your bench. Wide handles material as thick as 16 gauge.

The brake is compact and lightweight yet sturdy enough for professional production runs. Then place the clamp bar back down on top of the aluminum crosswise.