Neutral Axis In Sheet Metal Bending

Neutral axis is a line where material is neither compressed or stretched.

Neutral axis in sheet metal bending.

When metal is bent the top section is going to undergo compression and the bottom section will be stretched. In sheet metal bending process when metal is bent the material along the inner bend radius is going to undergo compression and the material along the outer bend radius will be stretched. The following equation relates the k factor to the bend allowance. Look closely a figure 1.

Displaystyle k frac r frac ba pi a 180 t. When steel plate is bent the inside surface of the bend is compressed and the outside surface of the bend is stretched. Somewhere in between lies the neutral axis which is a line in the steel that is neither compressed nor stretched. The neutral axis position depends on the bend angle inside bend radius and method of forming.

The location of the neutral axis varies and is based on the material s physical properties and its thickness. Somewhere in between the thickness of material lies neutral axis. The line where the transition from compression to stretching occurs is called the neutral axis or the neutral sheet. The line where the transition from compression to stretching occurs is called the neutral axis.

Our design engineers typically use a factor of 0 4 for our air formed press brake parts. When you bend sheet metal the neutral axis shifts toward the inside surface of the bend. The neutral axis is the zone or plane that separates the tension from the compression. The tighter the radius the bigger the opposing forces become bringing up the concept of minimal radius.

The neutral axis s behavior is the main reason the flat part needs to be smaller than the total of the formed piece s outside dimensions. The k factor is the ratio of the neutral axis location t to the material thickness mt. Input material thickness and and inner radius to get the data of k factor y factor neutral layer. Notice how the sheet has thinned at the bend.

Then input leg length a and b to get the flat size of the sheet. 12 k r b a π a 180 t. I had a question on k factors for our 3 d modeling software. During sheet metal bending.