Aluminum Sheet Metal Forming

Item 168753 model 11786.

Aluminum sheet metal forming.

Material bend radii and minimum bend size charts. Aluminum or aluminium in british english is also a popular metal used in sheet metal due to its flexibility wide range of options cost effectiveness and other properties. The face and head are made of aluminum bronze that is factory mutual approved so these tools inhibit sparking resist corrosion and are nonmagnetic. Most general use aluminum alloys have elongation percentages ranging from 10 percent up to perhaps 25 percent.

How can you go about shaping metal with hand tools alone. The sheet metal takes the form of the design cut into the die. Aluminum sheets and bars the most widely used aluminum 6061 is fabricated into everything from pipe fittings and containers to automotive and aerospace parts. They exhibit a very good combination of high strength resistance to corrosion formability and good weldability.

In both sheet metal is sunk or pressed into a die. Aluminum strains locally meaning that it has poor stretch distribution as well as poor elasticity. If i could give one bit of advice to those forming aluminum it would be to limit extensive stretching in small areas. The flat striking face is for driving nails pins punches and chisels.

Use the domed end of the head for forming soft metal rounding off edges and closing rivets. This series has the addition of silicon thus lowering the melting point and for this reason it is used entirely for manufacturing welding wire. It is strong and corrosion resistant plus it s easy to machine and weld. Series 5xxx are the aluminum magnesium alloys.

Follow along as i demonstrate how you can begin shaping metal with hand tools only. Hillman 12 in x 24 in cold rolled steel expanded sheet metal. Series 4xxx are the aluminum silicon alloys. Usually a diamond shaped mesh is preferred as it has a structural advantage over other shapes.

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. This forming process is commonly used for manufacturing fences catwalks platforms grating etc. This series is one of the most preferable for forming applications.