CNC bending (in combination with laser cutting) is among the most underappreciated procedures for medium and low capacity sheet metal manufacturing, particularly where numbers (a few hundred to many thousand per lot or even more) don't rationalize the incorporation of expensive, hard-to-maintain stamping devices, or where pace and flexibility are essential.
Sheet metal bending is a vital weapon in the armory of product innovators, designers, and company owners when wanting to produce metal components because of its ability to generate a wide variety of component shapes without equipment, rapid turnaround times, and increased levels of reproducibility, and automation.
This article from ARES will serve as a guide on metal sheet bends and will tend to explore metal sheet bending from various aspects.
What is Sheet Metal Bending?
Sheet metal bending is a technique for bending and shaping metal sheets to create a product with a certain form. Making metal stamping pieces is also a fundamental process. With the aid of sheet metal bender machinery, force is exerted on a component to modify its geometry and achieve the required shape.
The method of bending sheets is not as straightforward as it looks, and specific measurements and regulations must be followed in order to complete a sheet metal bending technique, such as verifying the product's material, computing the k-factor, and determining the metal's form, among other things. The metal's elasticity makes it particularly useful for bending.
Bending work is done by a variety of machinery in the manufacturing industry. To accomplish the same task, a single machine might employ a variety of bending techniques. All goods that need bending throughout the production process follow the same procedures, which will be discussed later in this article. Let's get started with the advantages of sheet metal bending.
Sheet metal pieces may be manufactured very fast once conceived and programmed, because of the absence of equipment and high levels of automation (many shops may work 24/7 with only a few people overseeing operation), allowing vast numbers of parts to be manufactured in a short amount of time.
Welding frequently necessitates many operations to produce a product; heat can deform the material, necessitating straightening, and weld spatter must be cleaned by a time-consuming & labor-intensive grinding process. With bending, neither of these concerns exist; the item is prepared to use right out of the factory.
Producing a part out of a single piece of material rather of many components with joints saves time, lowers possible mistakes, eliminates failure sites, and simplifies procurement.
Because of the variety of bends possible, strength and stiffness may be accomplished with a small amount of material, lowering part weight. This is advantageous at every stage of the supply chain, including transportation.
Sheet metal pieces may be exceedingly precise if design factors are taken into account properly, with laser cut openings being within 0.1 millimeters. There is a high degree of reproducibility here, thanks to the use of programmable laser cutters with CNC bending equipment with the right software and hardware.
CNC cutting and bending reduce the amount of manual labor necessary to manufacture components, and also, the sheet metal bending procedure has gained the most from this innovation. With CNC monitored tooling, components can be manufactured by less-skilled laborers in much less time, all of which results in a lower overall cost.
Because most manufacturers sell a range of conventional tools that can make most ordinary bending, laser cutting as well as sheet metal bending procedures generally reduce the requirement for specialist equipment. There is no obligation to wait for sophisticated tooling to be made, tested, or changed, which means no tooling expenditure and much faster lead times.
Sheet metal bending is the technique of exerting force on a sheet metal object in order to modify its shape. The force allows the sheet metal to be stressed outside of its yield strength, enabling it to mechanically deform rather than shatter or collapse. A press brake is a standard sheet metal bending equipment. It creates the appropriate shape by dropping a punch onto sheet metal mounted on a die.
And though sheet metal bending appears to be a simple procedure, there is more to it than what can be seen. There are various sheet metal bending processes, for instance, all of which are identical in purpose but operate differently. As a result, determining the best process to use is the first step in completing any sheet metal bending task.
The most popular sheet metal bending technique is V-bending. The v-bending methodology uses a v-shaped die as well as a punch to curve metals at specified inclinations, as the name indicates. The sheet metal component is forced into the "v-shaped" slot in the press by the v-shaped punch, resulting in sheet metals having various bending angles. Based on the v-shaped punch with press angle, you may obtain acute, obtuse, as well as 90 degrees bend angles.
You may bend sheet metal, creating rolls, cylinders, cones, or bent forms with the roll bending technique. Pairs of rollers feed the raw metal sheet to the correct curve in this innovative sheet metal forming procedure. Roll bending may be used to curve metal sheets into a variety of cross-section configurations with multiple bending angles.
It's particularly handy for producing lengthy sheet metal parts having thicknesses varying from 0.005-0.126 in and widths up to 21 inches. The roll bending equipment, for instance, may make components like panels, rails, and shelves (which are commonly used in structures for lights, roofs, and HVAC purposes).
The U-bending technique is identical to the V-bending process. A U-shaped punch and a U-shaped die are used in this procedure. The main distinction between V and U bending techniques is that the resultant sheet is in the form of a U instead of a V.
The rotational bending technique is used anywhere a bending of more than a 90° angle is necessary. It's comparable to V-bending. However, the result in this procedure is more consistent and attractive since the metal sheet bending machinery utilized in this approach doesn't touch the sheet's surfaces.
Hemming is a shaping process in which the sheet's ends are rolled or wrapped over another section to create a comfortable fit. Hemming procedures are commonly used to join components, enhance the look of a piece, and strengthen part edges. The precision of the hemming process is critical because it influences the look and durability of the surface.
A press pad holds the metal sheet across a wipe press in the rubbing bending procedure. The punch then pushes up on the sheet's side that goes further than the die and stress pad, bending it over the die's edge. This approach has a mechanical benefit in that it requires less power to get the necessary bends.
A bending machine is not capable of bending an elastic-plastic substance. If you try it, you risk damaging your equipment. When selecting materials for sheet metal bending within a production process, extra caution must be exercised. Let's have a peek at a few of the excellent materials used in sheet metal bending and shaping.
Carbon steel
In a sheet metal process, carbon steel is among the most malleable and robust materials available. Because this substance is recyclable, it will also assist in minimizing carbon emissions.
Aluminum
Aluminum, being a lightweight metal, is widely utilized for sheet bending. When trying to bend aluminum, extra care should be exercised to prevent the material from breaking or fracturing at the edges.
Stainless Steel
Whenever a product's durability and metallic strength are required, stainless steel is the first material that springs to mind. In order to form stainless steel, a greater-power metal sheet bending equipment is required.
Titanium
Titanium represents a corrosion-proof, high-strength material that is well-suited to sheet metal bending methods. If the products are medical or sporting equipment, titanium will be the most recommended material on your checklist.
Copper
Copper is the strongest anti-corrosive substance while also being the least expensive option. Copper allows for highly precise sheet metal bending. Copper is a tried and true material that is frequently utilized in the metal bending industry for a variety of purposes.
We've put up some ideas that you may use in any sheet metal bending procedures to guarantee that the metal bending proceeds properly.
Use the Bending Allowance
Bend allowance refers to the amount to which a metal may be bent. Bend allowance computations, which establish the length of sheet necessary to produce a bend of a certain angle and curvature, are recommended. During the production process, bearing the bend allowance as well as bending force in mind can assist you in producing a sleeker result. It will also assist you in producing a flattened production model that is precise.
Use Heat to Bend
When metals are bent by force, they are more likely to shatter or crack. To achieve the necessary bending in sheet metal, these metals necessitate the application of heat rather than force. If we discuss bending with heat, two technical phrases are used: hot shaping and annealing.
Annealing softens a metal, making it more malleable. On the other hand, hot bending is merely heating the metal until it becomes red and then bending it with force. These techniques significantly lower the likelihood of metal breakage and fracturing.
Do Not Bend Too Sharp Inner Corners
Internal stress is increased when internal corners flex sharply. It's possible that the metal, although ductile and malleable, will shatter. This problem can be greatly reduced if the curvature of the bending equipment is taken into account. Working repeatedly between the bend lines till the sheet metal is curved to the proper angle is recommended.
Be cautious of the inner bending radius that must be equivalent to the thickness of the manufacturing sheet metal. For instance, if you're curving a 3-millimeters thick material, the inner bend radius must be 3-millimeters as well.
Sheet metal bending provides a number of advantages over other methods, notably better output, cheaper cost, and greater design freedom. This metal bending also eliminates many of the challenges that come with assembly techniques like welding and hammering. Sheet metal components may be created tougher, lighter, and faster than traditional manufacturing with due deliberation throughout the construction process and the use of current technologies.
There are several companies to choose from regarding the services of sheet metal bending. Finding the correct one is critical to achieving the desired results. At ARES CNC Machining, we offer high-quality sheet metal bending services that meet all the needs of our customers. You can find more information about our sheet metal bending services at ARES.
