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.

The minumum flange length is based on the die used to bend. Consult and Air Bend Force Chart to
determine typical minimum flange lengths.

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.

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.

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.

The distance between two countersinks should be kept to at least 8 times the material thickness.

To ensure strength the distance between a countersinks edge and the edge of the material should be 4
times the material thickness.

There should be at least %50 contact between the fastener and the surface of the countersink.

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.

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.

A hole should be at least the radius of the curl plus material thickness from the curl feature.

A bend should be at least the radius of the curl plus 6 times the material thickness from the curl feature.

Dimples

The diameter of a dimple should be no more than 6 times the material thickness.

The inside depth of a dimple should be no more than the inside radius.

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.

From the parts edge, dimples should be at least 4 times material thickness plus the radius of the dimple.

From a bend, dimples should be at least 2 times material thickness plus the dimple radius plus the bend
radius.

From another dimple, dimples should be 4 times material thickness plus the inside radius of each dimple.

Embossments & Ribbing

Embossments and offsets should be measured to the same side of material unless it is necessary to hold
an outside dimension.

For round embossments or ribs, maximum depth is equal to the internal radius of the embossment.

For flat embossments, the maximum depth is equal to the inside radius plus the outside radius.

For V embossments the maximum depth is equal to 3 times material thickness.

Embossments should be at least 3 times material thickness from a holes edge.

Between two parallel ribs, minimum distance is 10 times material thickness plus the radius of the ribs.

Extruded Holes

Between two extruded holes, distance should be at least 6 times material thickness.

From edge to extruded hole, distance should be at least 3 times material thickness.

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.

45 gussets shouldnt be designed to be more than 4 times material thickness on their flat edge

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.

For tear drop hems, the inside diameter should be equal to the material thickness.

For open hems, the bend will lose its roundness when the inside diameter is greater than the material
thickness.

For holes, the minimum distance between the holes edge is 2 times the material thickness plus the
hems radius.

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

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.

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.

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.

The minimum depth of a lance should be twice the material thickness and at least .125

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.

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.

From a hole, lances should be at least 3 time material thickness from the edge of the hole.

Notches & Reliefs

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.

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.

From a bend, the minimum distance is 3 times material length plus the bend radius.

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

Welding by hand should be restricted to gauges thicker than 20 gauge.

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.

Welded joints should be designed with as tight of tolerances as possible to remove the need for a welder
to add wire.

Wire material should always be the same as the material being welded.

Plating

Sharp edges and corners will typically receive about twice as much as the plating material because of the
current density in these areas.

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.

Avoid recessed areas which are difficult to reach.

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.

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.

Assume all areas of the part will be plated, masking is not recommended.

Bend Allowance
Understanding the Bend Allowance and consequently the Bend Deduction of a part is a crucial first step to
understanding how sheet metal parts are fabricated. When the sheet metal is put through the process of bending
the metal around the bend is deformed and stretched. As this happens you gain a small amount of total length in
your part. Likewise when you are trying to develop a flat pattern you will have to make a deduction from your
desired part size to get the correct flat size. The Bend Allowance is defined as the material you will add to the
actual leg lengths of the part in order to develop a flat pattern. The leg lengths are the part of the flange which is
outside of the bend radius. In our example below a part with flange lengths of 2 and 3 with an inside radius of .
250 at 90 will have leg lengths of 1.625 and 2.625 respectively. When we calculate the Bend Allowance we
find that it equals .457. In order to develop the flat pattern we add .457 to 1.625 and 2.625 to arrive at 4.707.
As you can see the Bend Allowance and Bend Deduction are closely related below.

Bend Allowance Calculator

Below is our simple Bend Allowance Calculator, it works by inputing the Material Thickness, Bend Angle, Inside
Radius and K-Factor. It simply processes these variables through the equations we will discuss below. Note that
the Bend Angle is the excluded angle, not the included angle.
The Bend Allowance Formula takes into account the geometries of bending and the properties of your metal to
determine the Bend Allowance. You will need to know your Material Thickness (MT), the Bend Angle (B<), the
Inside Radius (IR), and the K-Factor (K). The Material Thickness will be measured in decimal form, not by the
gauge number. For more information on gauges and their decimal equivalents and tolerances view our Gauge
Chart page. The Bend Angle will be something that you determine based on what the complimentary angle of
your part is going to be. It is important to convert from the included angle to the complimentary angle
before performing any calculations. The Inside Radius will be the finished radius of the included angle.
For information on how the Inside Radius is determined see our post on the Air Bend Force Chart. Finally the KFactor is a property of the material which you are bending. This property determines how the material is
stretched when bending. See our post on the K-Factor for better understanding as well as charts and formulas.
The Formula itself is rather simple:

Bend Allowance Chart

Because Bend Allowance is often confused with Bend Deduction it is important to understand which value you
intend on working with. Once you understand what these values represent you can use them to accurately and
quickly develop flat patterns for your sheet metal parts. Creating a chart with your standard values is a key
component of speeding up this process. Many software packages like Solid Works, Inventor and Solid Edge will
let you incorporate a Bend Allowance Chart into its calculations when developing flat patterns.
Unfortunately sheet metal bending is not always going to be the same in every shop. The largest variations come
from the materials themselves. Protective coatings, variations in the alloy and thickness as well as many other
small factors all add up to give you Bend Allowances unique to your operation. This chart will get you close
enough for most applications and may not require fine tuning on your part, however if you are truly dedicated to
precise bending, download the excel sheet and begin plugging in your own values.
The below Microsoft Excel chart is for even numbered gauges 8 through 24 and has a default K-Factor of .33 for
each. The inside radii are based off of a standard Air Bend Force Chart. You can easily modify the Material
Thickness, Inside Radius and K-Factor for each thickness at the top of each column.

Bend Deduction

Understanding the Bend Deduction and consequently the Bend Allowance of a part is a crucial first step to
understanding how sheet metal parts are fabricated. When the sheet metal is put through the process of bending
the metal around the bend is deformed and stretched. As this happens you gain a small amount of total length in
your part. Likewise when you are trying to develop a flat pattern you will have to make a deduction from your
desired part size to get the correct flat size. The Bend Deduction is defined as the material you will have to
remove from the total length of your flanges in order to arrive at the flat pattern. The flange lengths are always
measured to the apex of the bend. In our example below a part with flange lengths of 2 and 3 with an inside
radius of .250 at 90 will have a total length of 5. When we calculate the Bend Deduction we find that it equals .
293. In order to develop the flat pattern we will subtract .293 from 5 to arrive at 4.707. As you can see the
Bend Deduction and Bend Allowance are closely related below.

Bend Deduction Formula

The Bend Deduction Formula takes into account the geometries of bending and the properties of your metal to
determine the Bend Deduction. You will need to know your Material Thickness (MT), the Bend Angle (B<), the
Inside Radius (IR), and the K-Factor (K). The Material Thickness will be measured in decimal form, not by the
gauge number. For more information on gauges and their decimal equivalents and tolerances view our Gauge
Chart page. The Bend Angle will be something that you determine based on what the complimentary angle of
your part is going to be. It is important to convert from the included angle to the complimentary angle before
performing any calculations. The Inside Radius will be the finished radius of the included angle.
For information on how the Inside Radius is determined see our post on the Air Bend Force Chart. Finally the KFactor is a property of the material which you are bending. This property determines how the material is
stretched when bending. See our post on the K-Factor for better understanding as well as charts and formulas.
The Formula For Bend Deduction is rather long because it incorporates the Out Side Set Back as well as the
Bend Allowance.

If you have your Out Side Set Back (OSSB) and Bend Allowance (BA) then the Bend Deduction Formula is
shortened considerably.

Inside Setback
Understanding the Inside Setback of the workpiece is an important part of designing sheet metal parts. The
Inside Setback is the distance from the apex of the inside mold lines to the tangent point of the inside radius.
When the sheet metal is bent the inside radius pulls the edge of the material away from the apex of the bend.
Because this is a geometrical function it does not change with a metals K-Factor the way Bend Allowance and
Bend Deduction do. The Inside Setback is closely related to, but should not be confused with, the Outside
Setback. The below image shows the difference between the Inside Setback (ISSB) and the Outside Setback
(OSSB) . As you can see these values are heavily dependent on the Bend Angle.

The Inside Setback is only considered in angles up to about 170 because as the angle approaches a 180
bend the values of the Inside Setback and Outside Setback approach infinity. This will throw off any Bend
Allowance or Bend Deduction formulas you are trying to use to calculate your flat pattern. Because of this there
are different considerations given to hem allowances. We have anentire post relating to hems if you are
interested in their design and uses. Below you can see how these values become very large compared to the part
itself as the bend approaches a flat. Below is shown at 170 , the largest practical value for the Inside and
Outside Setbacks.

The Inside Setback Formula takes into account only the geometries of bending rather than the physical properties
of the metal. You will need to know your Material Thickness (MT), the Bend Angle (B<) and the Inside Radius
(IR). The Material Thickness will be measured in decimal form, not by the gauge number. For more information on
gauges and their decimal equivalents and tolerances view our Gauge Chart page. The Bend Angle will be
something that you determine based on what the complimentary angle of your part is going to be. It is important
to convert from the included angle to the complimentary angle before performing any calculations. The
Inside Radius will be the finished radius of the included angle. For information on how the Inside Radius is
determined see our post on the Air Bend Force Chart.
The Formula itself is rather simple:

Designing With The Inside Setback

As you can see below ignoring the Inside Setback when designing two mating flanges you will end up with
interferences or poorly finished edges. On the left is the assumed design ignoring the inside and Outside
Setbacks. If these values are ignored in the design you will have design issues. On the left you can see the
interference left from ignoring the Inside Setback, on the right you can see an unfavorable overhang due to
ignoring the Outside Setback.

When the Inside and Outside Setbacks are properly accounted for the finished design is superior in both fit and
finish. The lack of interference means that the parts will fit together in a predictable fashion. The lack of an
overhang means a smoother edge which is safer to handle and will look more professional.

Outside Setback
Understanding the Outside Setback of the workpiece is an important part of designing sheet metal parts. The
Outside Setback is the distance from the apex of the outside mold lines to the tangent point of the outside radius.
When the sheet metal is bent the inside radius pulls the edge of the material away from the apex of the bend.
Because this is a geometrical function it does not change with a metals K-Factor the way Bend
Allowance and Bend Deduction do. The Outside Setback is closely related to, but should not be confused with,
the Inside Setback. The below image shows the difference between the Outside Setback (OSSB) and the Inside
Setback (ISSB). As you can see these values are heavily dependent on the Bend Angle.

The Outside Setback is only considered in angles up to about 170 because as the angle approaches a 180
bend the values of the Outside Setback and Inside Setback approach infinity. This will throw off any Bend

Allowance or Bend Deduction formulas you are trying to use to calculate your flat pattern. Because of this there
are different considerations given to hem allowances. We have anentire post relating to hems if you are
interested in their design and uses. Below you can see how these values become very large compared to the part
itself as the bend approaches a flat. Below is shown at 170 , the largest practical value for the Outside and
Inside Setbacks.

The Outside Setback Formula takes into account only the geometries of bending rather than the physical
properties of the metal. You will need to know your Material Thickness (MT), the Bend Angle (B<) and the Inside
Radius (IR). The Material Thickness will be measured in decimal form, not by the gauge number. For more
information on gauges and their decimal equivalents and tolerances view our Gauge Chart page. The Bend
Angle will be something that you determine based on what the complimentary angle of your part is going to be. It
is important to convert from the included angle to the complimentary angle before performing any
calculations. The Inside Radius will be the finished radius of the included angle. For information on how the
Inside Radius is determined see our post on the Air Bend Force Chart.
The Formula itself is rather simple:

Designing With The Outside Setback

As you can see below ignoring the Outside Setback when designing two mating flanges you will end up with
interferences or poorly finished edges. On the left is the assumed design ignoring the outside and Inside
Setbacks. If these values are ignored in the design you will have design issues. On the left you can see the
interference left from ignoring the Inside Setback, on the right you can see an unfavorable overhang due to
ignoring the Outside Setback.

When the Inside and Outside Setbacks are properly accounted for the finished design is superior in both fit and
finish. The lack of interference means that the parts will fit together in a predictable fashion. The lack of an
overhang means a smoother edge which is safer to handle and will look more professional.

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

0 - Mt.

.33

.38

.40

Mt. - 3*Mt.

.40

.43

.45

3*Mt. - >3*Mt.

.50

.50

.50

.42

.44

.46

Air Bending

Bottom Bending

0 - Mt.

Radius

Soft / Aluminum

Medium / Steel

Hard / Stainless Steel

Mt. - 3*Mt.

.46

.47

.48

3*Mt. - >3*Mt.

.50

.50

.50

0 - Mt.

.38

.41

.44

Mt. - 3*Mt.

.44

.46

.47

3*Mt. - >3*Mt.

.50

.50

.50

Coining

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.

Y-Factor
The Y-Factor is simply a variable based of the more commonly used K-Factor. It is derived by taking half of the KFactor multiplied by pi.

The Y-Factor is used, as far as I know, solely by PTCs Pro-Engineer, now known as Creo Elements/Pro. From
and is defaulted at .5, leading to a K-Factor of approximately .318, which is not a terrible starting place for sheet
metal design. The Y and K-Factors affect how the part stretches when transitioning from a flat pattern to a
finished piece so it is important to understand their values. However to achieve truly accurate parts and designs
you are almost always going to have to edit the Y-Factor. To do so there are a few basic methods.
The first method I would recommended is to edit the Material file. You can do this by simply using the
PTC_INITIAL_BEND_Y_FACTOR parameter when in the Material Definition screen. This will allow you to set
specific Y-Factors to your materials. To my best understanding you cannot set specific values to individual
gauges, but this is a common limitation with design software. Being able to set a specific factor for each material
should get you very close to perfect when designing parts. If, after setting the material, you un-assign your
material from the part the K-Factor will remain whatever it was set to last. This should be taken into account when
switching materials.
The second method for editing the Y-Factor is to use the Set Up command. This will allow you to initialize the YFactor creating a new default. New parts created after the set up will have your new Y-Factor as their default. This
may not be the best method as different materials will exhibit the need for different Y-Factors. Again you can
reference our posting on the K-Factor, complete with charts and explanations.

The third option is to edit your configuration file and permanently set the Y-Factor for all new parts. This is
practically speaking the same as using the Set Up command and is thusly not recommended if youre working
with a variety of materials, or trying to get very accurate parts.
To add an extra level of accuracy to your parts the Y-Factor can be edited for individual features. This can be
beneficial towards the extreme ends of the Bend Angles or radii where the neutral axis becomes less and less
aligned to the proper Bend Allowances.
If you wish to avoid using the Y-Factor Pro-Sheet Metal, as well as most design programs, will allow you to
substitute a bend table in place of its own calculations. These tables are typically based off of the Machinists
Handbook, a must have for all manufacturing engineers. These tables were in turn based off of experimentation.
As far as I know there is no absolute or all encompassing formula for deducting a flat pattern.
Y-Factor Chart
Below Ive included a chart based off of our K-Factor chart. This will give you a good starting point when
experimenting with Y-Factors in your designs. I know new engineers hate to hear it but experimentation is really
the best way to get to a perfect part, however using these charts in addition to what can be learned about tooling
geometry and the different types of bending you will certainly be able to get close enough for %99 of applications.

Radius

Soft / Aluminum

Medium / Steel

Hard / Stainless Steel

0 - Mt.

.52

.60

.63

Mt. - 3*Mt.

.63

.68

.71

3*Mt. - >3*Mt.

.79

.79

.79

0 - Mt.

.66

.69

.72

Mt. - 3*Mt.

.72

.74

.75

3*Mt. - >3*Mt.

.79

.79

.79

0 - Mt.

.60

.64

.69

Mt. - 3*Mt.

.69

.72

.74

Air Bending

Bottom Bending

Coining

Radius

Soft / Aluminum

Medium / Steel

Hard / Stainless Steel

3*Mt. - >3*Mt.

.79

.79

.79

Tooling Terminology:

Acute Tooling with an angle less than 90.

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.

Adjustable A die where the v opening can be changed by turning a screw mechanism to spread the
two sides of the v.

American Style Tooling for press brakes comes in two main forms; American and European.

Box Tooling specifically designed to form boxes with flanges on 2, 3 and 4 sides.

Channel Tooling which is used to form sheet metal channels.

Curling Tooling which creates an open circular roll at the end of the sheet, this is different than
hemming.

Die The bottom section of a press brake tool which typically features a v shaped groove.

Die Holder Attached permanently to the lower beam this clamping mechanism will hold the die or rail in
position.

Die Set The term applied to a specific combination of holder, die, punch and any spacers or rails.

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.

Goose Neck Punch A term for punches with deep profiles to allow for large return flanges when
bending.

Hemming Tooling which is specially designed to produce hems in to stages, without tool change over.

Narrow Punch Also known as sword punches or straight punches these are characterized by long,
straight, thin punches used for bending symmetrical profiles.

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.

Louver A raised feature which allows air to pass through the work piece while simultaneously
protecting the opening.

Punch The upper section of tooling which generally features a v shaped profile matching the die.

Punch Holder A clamping mechanism which holds the punch, allowing for easy switching of punches.

Radius Tooling specifically designed for forming a larger radius in the work piece.

Ribbing Tooling which ads a round or v shaped grooved to the sheet metal in a single stroke.

Sash Punch A generally straight thin tool with a sharp relief offset at the bottom, used for bending
special relief profiles.

Sash Die A thin single v die with a center tang, allowing for tighter profiles to be bent around the die.

Seaming Punch and Die sets which are designed to prepare and close seams on one or more pieces
of sheet metal.

Shimming The act of adding material to the bend process in order to compensate for distortion along
the bend line.

Spacer Block An intermediate piece of tooling which adds height to the die holder.

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.

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.

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.

Rolla V A specialized die which has two half cylinders which support the flanges as the work piece is
bent.

Rotary Die Rotary dies have a cylindrical shape with v cut along its axis is seated in a saddle.

Tang A locating protrusion on a piece of tooling which fits into a matching groove. Typically found at
the center of American Tooling.

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.

Urethane Die Press brake dies which incorporate a urethane pad to aid in the bending process.

Window Punch A bend setup which creates an open area above the punch to allow deep drawn parts to
pass through.

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:

Brake Press

Laser

Panel Bender

Punch Press

Pyramid Roller

Shear

Water Jet

Sheet Metal Gauge Chart

Sheet metal thickness is denoted by gauge, sometimes spelled gage, which indicates a standard thickness
before processing. Click here for a Gauge to mm Conversion Chart. Processing may include polishing, or the
applying of protective plastics which will decrease or increase a sheets thickness respectively. As the gauge
number increases the materials thickness decreases. Below is our best attempt to capture all of the standard
gauge thickness of different materials. Be sure to check with your supplier when purchasing steel what your
actual thickness is going to be, especially if youre receiving polished or treated material.

Gauge
#

Standard
Steel
(Inches)

Standard
Steel
(mm)

Strip /
Tubing
(Inches
)

NonFerrous /
Aluminum
(Inches)

NonFerrous /
Aluminum
(mm)

Galvanized
Steel
(Inches)

Galvaniz
Steel (mm

0000000

Gauge
#

Standard
Steel
(Inches)

Standard
Steel
(mm)

Strip /
Tubing
(Inches
)

NonFerrous /
Aluminum
(Inches)

NonFerrous /
Aluminum
(mm)

Galvanized
Steel
(Inches)

Galvaniz
Steel (mm

000000

.5800

14.732

00000

.500

.5165

13.119

0000

.454

.4600

11.684

000

.425

.4096

10.404

00

.380

.3648

9.266

.340

.3249

8.252

.300

.2893

7.348

.284

.2576

6.543

.2391

6.073

.259

.2294

5.827

.2242

5.695

.238

.2043

5.189

.2092

5.314

.220

.1819

4.620

.1943

4.935

.203

.1620

4.115

.1793

4.554

.180

.1443

3.665

.1644

4.176

.165

.1285

3.264

4.270

.1495

3.797

.148

.1144

2.906

.1532

3.891

10

.1345

3.416

.134

.1019

2.588

.1382

3.510

11

.1196

3.038

.120

.0907

2.304

.1233

3.132

12

.1046

2.657

.109

.0808

2.052

.1084

2.753

13

.0897

2.278

.095

.0720

1.829

.0934

2.372

14

.0747

1.897

.083

.0641

1.628

.0785

1.994

15

.0673

1.709

.072

.0571

1.450

.0710

1.803

16

.0598

1.519

.065

.0508

1.290

.0635

1.613

17

.0538

1.367

.058

.0453

1.151

.0575

1.461

18

.0478

1.214

.049

.0403

1.024

.0516

1.311

19

.0418

1.062

.042

.0359

.912

.0456

1.158

20

.0359

.912

.035

.0320

.813

.0396

1.006

21

.0329

.836

.032

.0285

.724

.0366

.930

Gauge
#

Standard
Steel
(Inches)

Standard
Steel
(mm)

Strip /
Tubing
(Inches
)

NonFerrous /
Aluminum
(Inches)

NonFerrous /
Aluminum
(mm)

Galvanized
Steel
(Inches)

Galvaniz
Steel (mm

22

.0299

.759

.028

.0253

.643

.0306

.853

23

.0269

.683

.025

.0226

.574

.0276

.777

24

.0239

.607

.022

.0201

.511

.0247

.701

25

.0209

.531

.020

.0179

.455

.0217

.627

26

.0179

.455

.018

.0159

.404

.0202

.551

27

.0164

.417

.0142

.361

.0187

.513

28

.0149

.378

.0126

.320

.0172

.475

29

.0135

.343

.0113

.287

.0157

.437

30

.0120

.305

.0100

.254

.0142

.399

31

.0105

.267

.0089

.226

.0134

.361

32

.0097

.246

.0080

.203

.340

33

.0090

.229

.0071

.180

34

.0082

.208

.0063

.160

35

.0075

.191

.0056

.140

36

.0067

.170

.0050

.127

37

.163

.0045

.114

38

.152

.004

.102

39

.089

40

.079

41

42

43

44

Sheet Metal Tolerances

Because sheets are rolled to the desired thickness there is almost always some crowning of the
rollers, resulting in a thinner sheet on the edges compared to the center.

Steel / Stainless Steel

Aluminum

Thickness

36'' Wide Sheet

48'' Wide Sheet

Thickness

36'' Wide Sheet

48'' W

.170 - .030

.0015

.002

.018 - .028

.002

.002

.031 - .041

.002

.003

.029 - .036

.002

.002

.042 - .059

.003

.004

.037 - .045

.0025

.003

.060 - .073

.003

.0045

.046 - .068

.003

.004

.074 - .084

.004

.0055

.069 - .076

.003

.004

.085 - .099

.004

.006

.077 - .096

.0035

.004

.100 - .115

.005

.007

.097 - .108

.004

.005

.116 - .131

.005

.0075

.109 - .125

.0045

.005

.132 - .146

.006

.009

.126 - .140

.0045

.005

.147 - .187

.007

.0105

.141 - .172

.006

.008

.173 - .203

.007

.010

.204 - .249

.009

.011

Galvanized Coating Thicknesses

As you can see from our first chart the galvanized columns are thicker than the regular steel. The process of
galvanizing bonds a layer of zinc to the steel. This layers thickness can be controlled and the different
thicknesses are designated below. The thicknesses are based off of how many ounces per square foot of the
galvanizing material is added to the base steel.
Triple Spot

Single Spot

Designation

Both Sides

One Side

Both Sides

G235

2.35

.80

2.00

Triple Spot

Single Spot

G210

2.10

.72

1.80

G185

1.85

.64

1.60

G165

1.65

.56

1.40

G140

1.40

.48

1.20

G115

1.15

.40

1.00

G90

.90

.32

.80

G60 / A60

.60

.20

.50

G40 / A40

.40

.12

.30

G30 / A30

.30

.10

.25

A25

.25

.08

.20