Bending 304 Stainless Steel Sheet

Like many other fabrication methods for stainless steel bending can be done using the same equipment used to bend other metals.

Bending 304 stainless steel sheet.

Bend radii minimum bend sizes. And by that i mean the cut out prior to bending comes out to the right size. 304 stainless 16 gauge bent on a van mark sheet metal brake. For instance right now in solidworks for say 11 ga sheet metal i use a bend radii of 0 005 and a k factor of 0 275 and that seems to work pretty well when i put the flat views on my prints.

So i am looking for the parameters for 304 ss that will have the same outcome. Equally equipment capacity will be much lower than for carbon steels. A difference is that working hardening rates may mean a need for more rigid equipment and higher power levels. These are vent stack covers for a tankless hot water exhaust system.

The tables below show bend radii and minimum bend sizes for materials and tooling combinations stocked by protocase. In the same situation the spring back of 304 stainless is 2 less than 301 stainless steel. Bending of stainless steel. Shot with the sony a7rii in 4k with a sigma 18 35mm art lens.

Slide the marked stainless steel sheet under the clamping leaf align the two center marked bending locations with the pivot line of the lower bending leaf and pull the clamping leaf handles toward you to lock the stainless steel sheet in position. We go beyond the general rules of sheet metal bending as our customers want tight bend radii for sheet metal parts. It is possible to choose other bends if you require but additional lead time and tooling charges may apply. Aisi 304 grade stainless steel uns s30400 aisi 304 stainless steel uns s30400 is the most commonly used material in stainless steels and is usually purchased in an annealed or cold worked state.

To help you begin i ve included a k factor chart below which contains common k factor starting points good for general fabrication for steel aluminum and stainless steel. The larger the ratio the larger the rebound the spring back of sus301 stainless steel is bigger than sus304 stainless steel. Step 3 pull the bending handles of the bending leaf up to bend the stainless steel sheet. It is most economical to use a single bend radius throughout the design but if necessary you can utilize multiple radii.