Bending is one of the most common sheet metal fabrication operations.
Bending aluminum sheet curve.
Shaping small pieces with an arbor press.
Curving or rolling aluminum can be a little bit more difficult than curving or rolling normal carbon steel.
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.
You can find your bend allowance with the following formula.
Buy or rent an arbor press online or at your area home.
Make sure the first bend mark lines up exactly with the curve in the form so that the bending will begin in the right spot.
Purchase a metal bending brake online or at your local.
Tooling aluminum by hand.
Although there are many different grades and tempers of aluminum two of the most frequently worked with are 6061 t6 and 6063 t52.
How to bend aluminum method 1 of 3.
This is done through the application of force on a workpiece.
Using protective gloves hold the free end of the metal sheet with one hand and with the other hand use a mallet or hammer to begin bending the sheet down and around the curved radius of the wood form.
The force must exceed the material s yield strength to achieve a plastic deformation.