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About Bend Relief

Bend relief helps control the sheet metal material behavior and prevents unwanted
deformation.
For example, an unrelieved bend might not represent the accurate, real life model you
need due to material stretching. By adding the appropriate bend relief, like RipRelief,
your sheet metal bend will meet your design intent and enable you to create an accurate
flat model.
After you sketch and regenerate the bend, the RELIEF menu appears with the following
relief options:
No ReliefCreate the bend without any relief.
StrtchReliefStretch the material to provide relief where the bend crosses an existing
edge of the fixed material.
RipReliefCut the material at each bend endpoint. The cuts are made normal to the bend
line.
RectReliefAdd a rectangular relief at each bend endpoint.
ObrndReliefAdd an obround relief at each bend endpoint.
No Relief StrtchRelief Rip Relief RectRelief ObrndRelief

You can either assign bend relief individually or you can set automatic bend relief using
the SMT_DFLT_BEND_REL_TYPE default.
See Also
About Bends
About Sheet Metal Defaults and Parameters

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Coining Sheet Metal
Coining fabrication is a basic type of bending in which the workpiece is stamped between the punch
and die. Both the punch tip and the punch actually penetrate into the metal past the neutral axis
under a high amount of pressure. The term Coining comes from the idea that when it comes to money
each metal coin is made exactly the same as the last despite being mass produced. From this idea
the name Coining was applied to the bending method which creates accurate bends consistently.

There are a few significant advantages to coin bending sheet metal, the first of which are high
repeatability, precision, and the ability to reduce the inside radius to as small as desired. During the
Coining process the material is put under enough pressure that the punch tip penetrates the material
at the bottom of the bend and it begins to flow into the die. Because the sheet metal flows during the
process of Coining the bend radius formed by Coining is always equal to that of the punch tip. The
penetration into the metal also relieves the internal stress and is thought to be a contributing factor to
the elimination of Spring Back.
A final advantage of Coining is that this method does not require sophisticated CNC machines to
execute. It does however very large tonnages compared to the other two bending methods, typically it
will require 5-8 times the tonnage of Bottom Bending. Because of these tonnage requirements, wear
and tear on the machines will be much greater than air or Bottom Bending. Tooling required for
Coining must be robust and this can limit your tooling and geometry options. Because of the tooling
restrictions and the large tonnages required to coin this process is rare in the press brake world.
When determining the V-width for tooling it is preferable to use a v-opening of 5*Mt. This reduces the
initial inside radius, before the punch tip begins to penetrate, and reduces the amount of metal the tip
actually has to penetrate. The smaller v-opening also means that the surface area between the sheet
metal and the bottom die is reduced, this increases the average tonnage per area on the inside of
the v-opening, the keY-Factor in eliminating Spring Back. When selecting the tooling for a Coining
operation the punch and die should have the same angle as the desired finished bend. Spring back is
not taken into consideration when making this selection. If you desire a 90 bend you should select a
90 punch and a 90 die.
Pros:
o Accuracy
o No Spring Back
o Repeatability
o No sophisticated machinery
o Small inside radii are possible
Cons:
o High tonnage required
o Tooling limitations
o Increased wear on machinery
o Larger brakes required to produce extra tonnage
Formulas For Coining
The actual formulas for Coining are fairly simple as they are just based off of the formulas for Air
Bending, modified for the affects of Coining. For the tonnage formula below Ive given 7.5 as a
multiplier, this may be higher or lower depending on the material youre bending. The rule of thumb I
use for this is the higher the tensile strength of the material the higher the tonnage multiplier. You
should always start low and work your way up until you get the desired results. Use the Air Bend
Force Chart to find your initial tonnage. You can also reference the tensile strengths for different
materials below.
Tonnage = L * F * (Tensile Strength / 45) *7.5
V Opening = 5 * Mt.
Inside Radius = Punch Tip Radius
Tensile Strengths
Material Soft (kg/mm^2) Hard (kg/mm^2)
Lead 2.5 - 4 -
Tin 4 - 5 -
Aluminum 9.3 171
Aluminum Alloy Type 4 23 48
Duralumin 26 48
Material Soft (kg/mm^2) Hard (kg/mm^2)
Zinc 15 25
Copper 22-28 30-40
Brass (70:30) 33 53
Brass (60:40) 38 49
Phosphor Bronze / Bronze 40-50 50-75
Nickel Silver 35-45 55-70
Cold Rolled Iron 32-38 -
Steel .1% Carbon 32 40
Steel .2% Carbon 40 50
Steel .3% Carbon 45 60
Steel .4% Carbon 56 72
Steel .6% Carbon 72 90
Steel .8% Carbon 90 110
Steel 1.0% Carbon 100 130
Silicon Steel 55 65
Stainless Steel 65-70 -
Nickel 44-50 57-63
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Design Guidelines
Bends
Bends are the most typical feature of sheet metal parts and can be formed by a variety of methods
and machines which negate the absolute need for some of the below tips. However for typical parts
meant to be cost effective and easily produced the following tips should be useful.
o The minumum flange length is based on the die used to bend. Consult and Air Bend Force
Chart to determine typical minimum flange lengths.
o When multiple bends are on the same plane try and design the part so the bends all face the same
direction. This will prevent the need for the operator to flip the part. This also benefits man leaf
and panel benders which can only bend one direction per setup.
o Avoid large parts when possible, and especially large parts with small or detailed flanges. Chasing
a large part through each bend can be dangerous and exhausting for an operator. This also makes
you vulnerable to reduced part accuracy.
o Always consult a tooling profile chart when developing your part. Know the tools available in your
shop or the standards if you are outsourcing production. Specialized tooling cen be
very expensive.
Counterbores & Countersinks
While thinner gauge sheets wont often be countersunk there are a few guidelines to try and follow on
thicker sheets to preserve the strength of the material and prevent deformation fo the features during
forming.
o The distance between two countersinks should be kept to at least 8 times the material thickness.
o To ensure strength the distance between a countersinks edge and the edge of the material should
be 4 times the material thickness.
o There should be at least %50 contact between the fastener and the surface of the countersink.
o To prevent any deformation of the hole the edge of the countersink should be at least 3 times the
material thickness from the tangent point of the bend.
Curls
When adding a Curl to the edge of a sheet the following guidelines will ensure that no special tooling
is required.
o The outside radius of a curl can be no smaller than 2 times the material thickness. This will create
an opening with a 1 material thickness radius.
o A hole should be at least the radius of the curl plus material thickness from the curl feature.
o A bend should be at least the radius of the curl plus 6 times the material thickness from the curl
feature.
Dimples
o The diameter of a dimple should be no more than 6 times the material thickness.
o The inside depth of a dimple should be no more than the inside radius.
o A hole should be at least three times material thickness away from the edge of the dimple. Or the
inside radius of the dimple plus 3 times material thickness.
o From the parts edge, dimples should be at least 4 times material thickness plus the radius of the
dimple.
o From a bend, dimples should be at least 2 times material thickness plus the dimple radius plus the
bend radius.
o From another dimple, dimples should be 4 times material thickness plus the inside radius of each
dimple.
Embossments & Ribbing
o Embossments and offsets should be measured to the same side of material unless it is necessary
to hold an outside dimension.
o For round embossments or ribs, maximum depth is equal to the internal radius of the embossment.
o For flat embossments, the maximum depth is equal to the inside radius plus the outside radius.
o For V embossments the maximum depth is equal to 3 times material thickness.
o Embossments should be at least 3 times material thickness from a holes edge.
o Between two parallel ribs, minimum distance is 10 times material thickness plus the radius of the
ribs.
Extruded Holes
o Between two extruded holes, distance should be at least 6 times material thickness.
o From edge to extruded hole, distance should be at least 3 times material thickness.
o From bend to extruded hole, distance should be 3 times material thickness plus bend radius.
Gussets
Gussets are used to strengthen a flange without the need for secondary processes such as
welding. While gussets will almost always require custom tooling some basic guidlines should
help. Be sure to consult with your factorys Brake Press department to learn what they are equipped
to bend.
o 45 gussets shouldnt be designed to be more than 4 times material thickness on their flat edge
o For holes, the distance between the gusset and the holes edge should be at least 8 times material
thickness.
Hems
Hems are used to create folds in sheet metal in order to stiffen edges and create an edge safe to
touch.
o For tear drop hems, the inside diameter should be equal to the material thickness.
o For open hems, the bend will lose its roundness when the inside diameter is greater than the
material thickness.
o For holes, the minimum distance between the holes edge is 2 times the material thickness plus the
hems radius.
o For bends, the minimum distance between the inside edge of the bend and the outside of the hem
should be 5 times material thickness plus bend radius plus hem radius.

Holes / Slots
o Distance from outside mold line to the bottom of the cutout should be equal to the minimum flange
length prescribed by the air bend force chart.
o Rule Of Thumb: 2.5* Material Thickness + Bend Radius.
o When using a punch press the diameter of a hole should always be equal to that of your tooling
and you should never use a tool whos diameter is less than that of the materials thickness.
o Rule Of Thumb: Never design a hole smaller than .040 Diameter unless laser cutting.
o When using a punch press holes should be at least 1 material thickness from any edge. This
prevents bulging along the edge.
Lances & Louvers
Formed lances and louvers will almost always require specialized tooling so be sure to understand
what is available to you before designing the feature.
o The minimum depth of a lance should be twice the material thickness and at least .125
o If the lance if formed with standard tooling be sure that the length of the bend is dividable by a
standard set of Sectionalized Tooling.
o From a bend, lances should be at least 3 times material thickness plus bend radius, however the
actual minimum is often much greater than this and driven by the tooling profile.
o From a hole, lances should be at least 3 time material thickness from the edge of the hole.
Notches & Reliefs
o The minimum width of a notch is equal to the material thickness and at least .04. This is negated if
the blank is being cut by a Laser System in which case the minimum is only the kerf of the laser.
o When determining the length of a notch it is very important to understand the tooling used to cut the
notch. When possible the notch should be equal to a multiple of the punchs length in order to
prevent nibbling from occurring.
o From a bend, the minimum distance is 3 times material length plus the bend radius.
o When fabricating with a Punch Press the minimum space between two notches should be at least 2
time material thickness and at least .125
Welding
o Welding by hand should be restricted to gauges thicker than 20 gauge.
o Spot welding should be used for joining equally thick co-planar surfaces. The arm geometry and
throat depth of the spot welder will be a limiting factor.
o Welded joints should be designed with as tight of tolerances as possible to remove the need for a
welder to add wire.
o Wire material should always be the same as the material being welded.
Plating
o Sharp edges and corners will typically receive about twice as much as the plating material because
of the current density in these areas.
o If possible tap and thread after plating, else assume that the material will grow up to 4 times the
typical platting thickness, compensate pitch and depth accordingly.
o Avoid recessed areas which are difficult to reach.
o Because the parts are going to be hung from hooks and dipped it is beneficial to design hanging
holes into your part rather than leaving the decision to the plater. These holes can be small, just
enough to get a wire hook through. These holes will also give you control over how the part is
positioned when it is dipped.
o In addition to hanging holes design drainage holes. Knowing the orientation of the part from your
hanging holes make sure the part can be easily cleaned after plating.
o Assume all areas of the part will be plated, masking is not recommended.

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Tooling Terminology
Tooling Terminology:
o Acute - Tooling with an angle less than 90.
o Adapter - Intermediate tooling which converts an American Style punch holder to a European
Style, or vice versa. They can also be used to lengthen the punch holder.
o Adjustable - A die where the v opening can be changed by turning a screw mechanism to spread
the two sides of the v.
o American Style - Tooling for press brakes comes in two main forms; American and European.
o Box - Tooling specifically designed to form boxes with flanges on 2, 3 and 4 sides.
o Channel - Tooling which is used to form sheet metal channels.
o Curling - Tooling which creates an open circular roll at the end of the sheet, this is different than
hemming.
o Die - The bottom section of a press brake tool which typically features a v shaped groove.
o Die Holder - Attached permanently to the lower beam this clamping mechanism will hold the die or
rail in position.
o Die Set - The term applied to a specific combination of holder, die, punch and any spacers or rails.
o European Style - Press brake tooling comes in two main forms, European and
American. European style tooling has an offset between the center of the tool and where it is
clamped to the brake.
o Goose Neck Punch - A term for punches with deep profiles to allow for large return flanges when
bending.
o Hemming - Tooling which is specially designed to produce hems in to stages, without tool change
over.
o Offset - Offset tooling is a combination punch and die which has a Z shape and performs two bends
in one stroke to produce a jog, or offset, in the metal.
o Punch - The upper section of tooling which generally features a v shaped profile matching the die.
o Punch Holder - A clamping mechanism which holds the punch, allowing for easy switching of
punches.
o Radius - Tooling specifically designed for forming a larger radius in the work piece.
o Ribbing - Tooling which ads a round or v shaped grooved to the sheet metal in a single stroke.
o Sash Punch - A generally straight thin tool with a sharp relief offset at the bottom, used for bending
special relief profiles.
o Sash Die - A thin single v die with a center tang, allowing for tighter profiles to be bent around the
die.
o Seaming - Punch and Die sets which are designed to prepare and close seams on one or more
pieces of sheet metal.
o Shimming - The act of adding material to the bend process in order to compensate for distortion
along the bend line.
o Spacer Block - An intermediate piece of tooling which adds height to the die holder.
o Squaring Arm - A device which attaches to and moves with the press brake and work piece to hold
work pieces square, or at a set angle.
o Straight Punch - Also known as sword punches these are characterized by long, straight, thin
punches used for bending symmetrical profiles.
o Two, Three & Four Sided Die - A specialized die which has a square shape and a special profile
cut into each side to allow for multiple setups from a single die.
o Rail - An intermediary holder which is seated in the die holder and adds height, or a special profile,
to the die holder. This also allows for quick accurate switching of dies.
o Rolla V - A specialized die which has two half cylinders which support the flanges as the work piece
is bent.
o Rotary Die - Rotary dies have a cylindrical shape with v cut along its axis is seated in a saddle.
o Tang - A locating protrusion on a piece of tooling which fits into a matching groove. Typically found
at the center of American Tooling.
o Unbalanced - Tooling which does not evenly distribute the tonnage front to back and thus creates
a thrust force on the punch holder. Often seen in 30-60 type tooling.
o Urethane Die - Press brake dies which incorporate a urethane pad to aid in the bending process.
o Window Punch - A bend setup which creates an open area above the punch to allow deep
drawn parts to pass through.
o Wipe Die - Wiping die bending is performed by holding the sheet between a pad and die then
sliding the wiping punch across the face bending the sheet metal which protrudes from the pad and
die.
Machine Specific:
o Brake Press
o Laser
o Panel Bender
o Punch Press
o Pyramid Roller
o Shear
o Water Jet

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Air Bending
Air bending is the most common type of 3 Types Of Bending used in sheet metal shops today. In this
process the workpiece comes in contact with the outside edges of the die, as well as the punch tip.
The punch is then forced past the top of the die into the v-opening without coming into contact with
the bottom of the v. The v opening is typically deeper than the angle which is sought in the work
piece. This allows for over bending to compensate for the Spring Back of the work piece.
Typically Acute Angle Tooling can be used to fully air bend and 90 or 88 tooling can be used to
partially air bend. There has recently been the introduction of 75 tooling to allow for full Air Bending,
without the tooling restrictions of acute punches. (Acute punches are almost always knife dies with no
goose-neck.)
Because the punch tip does not penetrate the workpiece the inside radius of the bend is controlled
almost entirely by the size of the v opening of the bottom die. The larger the v opening the larger the
radius. This means that the operator can control the radius of a bend even when working with the
same material and thickness just by changing the bottom die. This can be used to compensate for
errors in the layout or achieve a wider variety of design options. This is the reason why the inside
radius of your finished product is not the same as your punch tip. If it is your intended goal to achieve
a radius equal to your punch tip you will actually have to force the tip into the metal, this is known
as Bottom Bending. Below you can see an example of Air Bending, notice there are only three points
of contact.

This same versatility can work against you as well as it can lead to bad parts if the wrong Press Brake
Dies are used. It is my recommendation that the dies you are using be clearly marked for their
intended gauges and that using the larger dies to achieve larger radii be done only with knowledge of
how it will affect the part. Be aware that you should never use smaller dies to bend heavier gauges
due to the risk of damaging the die. For a list of radii compared to v openings refer to your Air Bend
Force Chart. A further note on Air Bending is that it should almost never be used on older,
mechanical, Brake Presses because of their inherent margin of error; even the difference of a few
thousandths of an inch can result in bad parts. These press brakes are more suited for Bottom
Bending and Coining.
Advantages Of Air Bending
Because the punch tip does not need to be forced past the surface of the metal much less tonnage is
required to bend compared to Bottom Bending and Coining. This gives Air Bending a significant
advantage in terms of tooling, both in geometry and longevity. Air bending also means that non
specific tooling can be used, within reason, the inside radius is determined by the die width, not
the punch tip.
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3 Types Of Bending
There are three types of bends used to form metal that any sheet metal engineer or press brake
operator must be familiar with; Air Bending, Bottom Bending and Coining.
Air Bending
Air Bending is the most common type of bending process used in sheet metal shops today. In this
process the work piece is only in contact with the edge of the Die and the tip of the Punch. The punch
is them forced past the top of the die into the v-opening without coming into contact with the bottom of
the v. The v opening is typically deeper than the angle which is sought in the work piece. This allows
for over bending, compensating for the Spring Back of the work piece. Typically 30 degree tooling
can be used to fully air bend and 90 or 88 degree tooling can be used to partially air bend. There has
recently been the introduction of 75 degree tooling to allow for full Air Bending, without the tooling
restrictions of Acute Angle Tooling. (Acute punches are almost always knife dies with no goose-
neck.) Because the punch tip does not penetrate the work piece the inside radius of the bend is
controlled almost entirely by the size of the v-opening of the bottom die. The larger the v-opening the
larger the radius will be. This has both pros and cons, the pros being that the operator can control the
radius of a bend even when working with the same material and thickness just by changing the
bottom die. This can be used to compensate for errors in the layout or achieve a wider variety of
design options. This same versatility can work against you as well as it can lead to bad parts if the
wrong dies are used. Dies should be clearly marked for their intended gauges. The determination of
tooling is done with the assistance of an Air Bend Force Chart. A further note on Air Bending is that it
should almost never be used on older, mechanical, Brake Presses because of their inherent margin of
error, even the difference of a few thousands of an inch can result in bad parts.
Coining
Coining is a very basic type of bending in which the work piece is stamped between the punch and
die. The material is put under enough pressure that the punch tip penetrates the material and it
begins to flow into the die. This method produces excellent accuracy and repeatability, and does not
require sophisticated machines to execute. It does however very large tonnages compared to Air
Bending. Often times in excess of 50 tons per inch of material, compared to 1 or 2 tons per inch
for Air Bending. Because of these tonnage requirements wear and tear on the machines will be much
greater than air or Bottom Bending. Tooling required for Coining must be robust and this can limit
your tooling and geometry options. Because of the tooling restrictions and the large tonnages
required to coin this process is rare in the press brake world.
Bottom Bending
Bottom Bending has similarities to both Air Bending and Coining. In this process the die angle should
match the intended angle of the work piece, adjusting a few degrees for Spring Back, hence
the existence of 88 degree tooling to achieve 90 degree angles. The work piece is first bottomed
against the die, then the radius of the punch is forced into the work piece which achieves the angle of
the punch, it is then released and the work piece springs back to meet the die again. Unlike Coining
however the material is not under so much tonnage that the metal flows. Because of this there is still
Spring Back which must be compensated for. In order to do compensate the angle of the punch can
be smaller than the angle of the die by a few degrees allowing an over-bend when the punch tip is
forced into the work piece, it should not be larger or else you will damage the tooling. This method
can give an operator excellent repeatability if properly set up. Setting up a Bottom Bending operation
accurately requires knowledge in the tooling, material, tonnages and even the timing of the different
steps so it lends itself to a more skilled operator.

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Corner relief and Bend relief
Corner Relief Relief the Sheet metal Corners


Bend Relief Use the Between Bending Areas


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K-Factor
The K-Factor in sheet metal working is the ratio of the neutral axis to the material thickness. When
metal is bent the top section is going to undergo compression and the bottom section will be
stretched. The line where the transition from compression to stretching occurs is called the neutral
axis. The location of the neutral axis varies and is based on the materials physical properties and its
thickness. The K-Factor is the ratio of the Neutral Axis Offset (t) and the Material Thickness
(MT). Below the image shows how the top of the bend is compressed, and the bottom is stretched.

The K-Factor is used to calculate flat patterns because it is directly related to how much material is
stretched during the bend. Its used to determine Bend Allowances and Bend Deductions ahead of
the first piece. Having an accurate idea of your K-Factor is key to designing good parts because it
can anticipate Bend Deductions for a variety of angles without relying on a chart. Because of this it is
often used by design software such as Solid Edge, Solid Works and Pro-Engineer, though Pro-
Engineer uses a variation called the Y-Factor.
If you have a Bend Allowance (BA) you can derive the K-Factor from it. This is useful if you are
transitioning from hand layouts to an advanced design software. Subsequently you can use the K-
Factor to extrapolate allowances for new angles and radii.
Calculating the K-Factor
Since the K-Factor is based on the property of the metal and its thickness there is no simple way to
calculate it ahead of the first bend. Typically the K-Factor is going to be between 0 and .5. In order to
find the K-Factor you will need to bend a sample piece and deduce the Bend Allowance. The Bend
Allowance is then plugged into the above equation to find the K-Factor.
1. Begin by preparing sample blanks which are of equal and known sizes. The blanks should be at
least a foot long to ensure an even bend, and a few inches deep to make sure you can sit them
against the back stops. For our example lets take a piece that is 14 Gauge, .075, 4 Wide and
12 Long. The length of the piece wont be used in our calculations. Preparing at least 3 samples
and taking the average measurements from each will help
2. Set up your press brake with the desired tooling youll be using to fabricate this metal thickness
and place a 90 bend in the center of the piece. For our example this means a bend at the 2
mark.
3. Once youve bent your sample pieces carefully measure the flange lengths of each
piece. Record each length and take the average of lengths. The length should be something
over half the original length. For our example the average flange length is 2.073
4. Second measure the inside radius formed during the bending. A set of radius gauges will get you
you fairly close to finding the correct measurement, however to get an exact measurement an
optical comparator will give you the most accurate reading. For our example the inside radius is
measured at .105
5. Now that you have your measurements, well determine the Bend Allowance. To do this first
determine your leg length by subtracting the material thickness and inside radius from the flange
length. (Note this equation only works for 90 bends because the leg length is from the tangent
point.) For our example the leg length will be 2.073 .105 .075 = 1.893.
6. Subtract twice the leg length from the initial length to determine the Bend Allowance. 4 1.893 *
2 = .214.
7. Plug the Bend Allowance (BA), the Bend Angle (B<), Inside Radius (IR) and Material Thickness
(MT) into the below equation to determine the K-Factor (K). For our example it comes to

K-Factor Chart
A K-Factor will typically range between 0 and .5 for standard materials and thicknesses though
smaller and larger K-Factors are possible. To help you begin Ive included a K-Factor Chart below
which contains common K-Factor starting points, good for general fabrication, for steel, aluminum and
stainless steel.
Radius Soft / Aluminum Medium / Steel Hard / Stainless Steel
Air Bending
0 - Mt. .33 .38 .40
Mt. - 3*Mt. .40 .43 .45
3*Mt. - >3*Mt. .50 .50 .50
Bottom Bending
0 - Mt. .42 .44 .46
Mt. - 3*Mt. .46 .47 .48
3*Mt. - >3*Mt. .50 .50 .50
Coining
0 - Mt. .38 .41 .44
Mt. - 3*Mt. .44 .46 .47
3*Mt. - >3*Mt. .50 .50 .50
The K-Factor of a 180 Bend (Hem)
The K-Factor for a 180 bend is going to be meaningless because its tied to the Outside Setback
which approaches infinity as the bend approaches 180. Because of this K-Factors are not used to
calculate allowances over 174. Instead a hem allowance of 43% of the material thickness is
used. See our post on Sheet Metal Hems for more information.

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