Sheet metal fabrication
What minimum bend radius and hole-to-bend distance should I design to?
Answer
Hole-to-edge and hole-to-bend distance: keeps holes from distorting and from pulling out of shape during bending Minimum flange: a flange shorter than the tooling can grip cannot be formed reliably Tolerances: state what the assembly actually needs; stacked bend tolerances add up quickly Welding considerations: access for the torch, distortion control and post-weld straightening Surface finishing: coating thickness, masking areas and how finish interacts with the tolerance stack Cost reduction: fewer set-ups, common thicknesses, nested blanks and standard hardware Bend allowance and springback guide · RFQ and supplier checklists From drawing to finished part The route is fixed at quotation and does not change silently afterwards. 2D / 3D drawing and requirements received
Sources
- Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication China | BalfordHole-to-edge and hole-to-bend distance: keeps holes from distorting and from pulling out of shape during bending Minimum flange: a flange shorter than the tooling can grip cannot be formed reliably Tolerances: state what the assembly actually needs; stacked bend tolerances add up quickly Welding con...
- K-Factor in Sheet Metal: What It Is and How To Set ItWhether the part will be air bent, bottomed or coined, if that is already decided. The dimensions that must be held: overall outside size, hole-to-bend distance, or the flat blank itself. Any bend that runs across the rolling direction, if the visible grain matters. Key point K-factor is an input to...
- K-Factor in Sheet Metal: What It Is and How To Set ItThe K-factor is the position of the neutral axis inside the material during bending, expressed as a fraction of the sheet thickness: K = t / T, where t is the distance from the inside bend surface to the neutral axis and T is the material thickness. In the bend allowance formula BA = π (R + K&tim...
- Metal Stamping Defects: Causes and Solutions | BalfordCracking is a formability failure: the local stress in the sheet exceeds what the material can absorb. The most common causes, in the order a stamping engineer checks them: Bend radius too small. A tight radius forces the outer fibres to stretch beyond the material's elongation limit. Minimum bend r...
- Custom Sheet Metal Bending Services | BalfordHow do you control springback? Springback is compensated in tooling and programming based on material grade, thickness and bend radius, then confirmed with first-piece inspection. For high-strength or thicker material we review the bend radius against material limits up front. What minimum bend radi...
- Drawn Sheet Metal & Deep Drawing: Complete Guide | BalfordPrintable reference. The eight defects above, each with its appearance, usual cause and the tooling-side remedy, are collected on one page: deep drawing defects and remedies (also as a 10-page PDF ). 8. Design rules for a manufacturable deep drawn part Keep the depth-to-diameter ratio realistic. Bel...
What an engineer still needs from you
- material and material condition (grade, temper)
- material thickness, plus the key diameter, height and wall thickness
- tolerances, burr direction and the visual acceptance standard
- annual volume - it decides whether tooling is single-hit, progressive or transfer
- surface finish, and any secondary machining, annealing or plating
Submit a drawing / RFQDFM review
Related questions
- Laser cutting vs punching vs plasma: which should I choose?
- How do I calculate bend allowance and the K-factor?
- How do I compensate for springback in sheet metal bending?
- What are the sheet metal gauge and thickness equivalents?
- How is tube bending calculated and what is the unfold length?
- Welding vs brazing: which is right for a metal housing?
This page is an engineering answer, not a quotation and not a dimensional acceptance. It is generated from Balford's published material and held to the verified company fact sheet.