Bending Aluminum Sheet Into U Channel

Bending is one of the most common sheet metal fabrication operations.

Bending aluminum sheet into u channel.

The easiest channel bending process is flanges out flanges in channel bending can be difficult if the flanges are relatively tall. How to bend sheet metal without a brake in 4 different methods with minimal or homemade tools. Insert your aluminum sheet into the brake beneath the removable clamp bar. Make sure the bar is seated firmly inside the frame.

This is done through the application of force on a workpiece. A u bend is made with a u shaped punch of the correct curvature. I am using 24 long sheet metal stock cut into 4 thick pieces. 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.

π 180 x b x ir k x mt bend allowance ba where b is the angle complementary to your desired bend angle 1 to 180 degrees mt is the thickness of the material ir is the inside radius and k is the k factor. Channel bending uses a shaped punch and die to form a sheet metal channel. This would be ideal for a press brake but i do not want to invest a ton of money in a heavy duty one. You can find your bend allowance with the following formula.

When i bend both sides 90 degrees i get about a 1 5 inch thick channel which works great. Also as aluminum comes from the mill it develops a coating aluminum oxide as it cools. I can not make thin u channels. Punch and die are manufactured with certain geometries in order to perform specific bends.

Then place the clamp bar back down on top of the aluminum crosswise. Chicago metal is the leading resource for steel and aluminum channel bending and more. Note that aluminum does not change color when heated so getting burned becomes a real concern. This should anneal the 6061 t6 or other t into a t 0 material.

This makes the aluminum about as bendable as it can get. I like scroll work but a lot of it looks very skinny and weak. The sheet metal i am forming is 20 gauge. 3 16th thickness steel is the max thickness most scrolling machines accept.

How to bend sheet metal without a brake.