Best Aluminum Sheet Metal For Bending

Aluminium alloy 6063 is a good choice for example while 6082 is more difficult.

Best aluminum sheet metal for bending.

The best aluminum alloys for bending come down to series 3xxx and series 5xxx and sometimes series 6xxx. How to bend sheet metal without a brake. Proper bending can be done with annealing the aluminum first although it s not an ideal candidate for formed parts. Most frequently expensive sheet metal bending tools called brakes are used to bend sheet metal but you can also complete this task without one.

6061 t6 aluminum is tempered and notorious for not bending easily. The bend radius you select may not be available if the geometry of the part will not allow us to bend with the specific tooling required to achieve that radius. Use the minimum bend dimension values in the charts below for your minimum closeness of cutout to a bend. The best series for forming and thus for bending are the alloy series 3xxx 5xxx and in some cases 6xxx.

From non heat treatable 3003 and 5052 to the heat treatable 2024 6061 and 7075 you have many options from which to choose. Material bend radii and minimum bend size charts please note. Bending sheet metal by hand is a manageable task if the piece of sheet metal is small and thin enough to handle. Miserable to bend cracking is very common and cold bending will always weaken the metal.

We re having trouble bending 6061 t6 aluminum without cracking and i was wondering if you could give us a few pointers. Purchase a metal bending brake online or at your local hardware store. I would avoid using alloys in the 2xxx and 7xxx families because they are so strong and therefore difficult to form. How to bend sheet metal without a brake in 4 different methods with minimal or homemade tools.

A bending brake is a specialized metalworking tool used to create precise linear bends and folds in light gauge sheet metals like the kind used to make flashing for doors windows and roofs. Highly formable and one of the best kinds of aluminum to bend. The top 3 aluminum alloys for being are the 3003 which has medium strength and the best cold workability the 5052 which is the highest strength alloy of the more common non heat treatable grades and the 6061 which is one of the more.