Bending sheet metal on interior area

[Whiskeymike]

Not sure if I'll be able to explain it, if not, I'll draw up a picture later.

I'm looking to make the sides of a cabinet for compartmentalized small parts boxes. My plan is to use 16ga sheet and I would cut u shaped cuts and then bend those pieces up at 90 degree angles. They will serve as the shelf supports for the boxes to rest on.

I have a finger press brake as well as pan and box brake. But I don't think I can use those to bend the interior. My plan is to place a steel plate over the sheet at the edge of the welding table and then pry the tab up, but not sure if that will result in very clean edges.

Any suggestions on how this is done?

 

[machine_punk]

I'll try to help with the answer...but I'm going to need a bit of a sketch to get the idea of what you are trying to do.

Kev

 

[bend_it]

you're trying to create platforms bent from a u shaped cut out to 90 degrees yeah? clamp it down to a piece of angle iron/flat stock/ bench edge etc and use drifts to drive it down, much easier than prying it up. It nay be worth making a die up that supports it at the ends but that can done with a few pieces of angle iron and some bolts.

 

[readhead]

Absolutely need a sketch. Unless you are supporting something pretty heavy 16ga seems kinda thick.

 

[txvwnut]

A drawing or a pic is going to be helpful for this. If you have a box/pan brake then you should be able to make the bends with it.

 

[gorilla]

I think that this could be done in a pressbrake if you cut a bottom die the width of the tab and a punch the width of the tab and had enough clearance to the bed of the machine for the material to swing. You would need a good back gage and some fixtureing to hold position. I'm not sure why you want to work this hard? Why not just bend up some angles and spot weld them in place?

 

[Whiskeymike]

Attached is a drawing.

 

[Whiskeymike]

I think that this could be done in a pressbrake if you cut a bottom die the width of the tab and a punch the width of the tab and had enough clearance to the bed of the machine for the material to swing. You would need a good back gage and some fixtureing to hold position. I'm not sure why you want to work this hard? Why not just bend up some angles and spot weld them in place?

Interesting idea. Maybe bottom piece of plate with a hole the similar size or a box. Or a piece of channel with the edge extended with plate to clamp it to. Anyone have pictures of something like this? I think I've seen something similar for making louvers manually.

Re: Hard Work - I have a CNC Plasma table, so the cuts are fast and clean. If I can make the bends in a repeatable fashion, I think it will come out pretty nice. Besides, I get to learn how to make an usual bend.

 

[readhead]

Easy on a press brake. You could make a short piece of die for the leaf on a pan brake but you wouldn't be able to come up 90.

 

[Whiskeymike]

Easy on a press brake. You could make a short piece of die for the leaf on a pan brake but you wouldn't be able to come up 90.

Yea, I'd love to see pics of something similar so it's not completely trial and error. If anyone has any pics or videos they'd recommend, I'd appreciate it. I'll good press brake dies and see what I can find as examples.

The other thing I could do, but was trying to avoid is making broken cut lines on the bend line and then it would be simple to bend by hand. But it would also be weaker.

 

[Whiskeymike]

Found this really interesting write up on bending - http://thelibraryofmanufacturing.com/sheetmetal_bending.html .

Looks like I'm trying to make an "Internal Flange". And the method perhaps to do it is "Edge Bending" using a "Wiping Die".

http://sheetmetal.me/tooling-terminology/wiping-die/

It's amazing what you can find when you figure out the terms!

 

[4 FN 27]

Found this really interesting write up on bending - http://thelibraryofmanufacturing.com/sheetmetal_bending.html .

Looks like I'm trying to make an "Internal Flange". And the method perhaps to do it is "Edge Bending" using a "Wiping Die".

http://sheetmetal.me/tooling-terminology/wiping-die/

It's amazing what you can find when you figure out the terms!

Pretty expensive tool to build. If you have access to a conventional Brake Press it is pretty simple. As others have mentioned the bottom die must be the length of the bend. The top punch can be any length (longer than the bottom) so long as it does not interfere with any other forms on the part.

You can achieve 90° with standard 90° or 88° bottom dies. With acute dies you can go as far as 35° over 90. But you will have to make the back gage get out of the way before the machine goes all the way through the stroke.

Here are a couple of pics of things done like this today. I'll try and get some action shots tomorrow if we have anything running like this.

The Brake Press you see in the pic is the set-up for the little part. You can see the "window form" offset in the part.

 

[rsanter]

Press brake will do that....

Bob

 

[62blue]

WM. I think you are trying to do is make sides that parts boxes will slide into is that correct? I believe that you could bend the sheet metal and attaché it to the sides of the cabinet. Now you could make a frame to hold your boxes or if it is a cabinet you could bend the angle across the back for support the front and back. I do not know what type boxes you have but I made a similar unit to hold nuts and bolts plus other things. Oh and my boxes are metal so it was so easy to fab it up.
Don

 

[Whiskeymike]

WM. I think you are trying to do is make sides that parts boxes will slide into is that correct? I believe that you could bend the sheet metal and attaché it to the sides of the cabinet. Now you could make a frame to hold your boxes or if it is a cabinet you could bend the angle across the back for support the front and back. I do not know what type boxes you have but I made a similar unit to hold nuts and bolts plus other things. Oh and my boxes are metal so it was so easy to fab it up.
Don

That's correct. My intent is that they become the sides, and I'll make top and bottom pieces that will attach into the wall of my shop, as a built in type cabinet. I plan to use the HF parts boxes. My difficulty is how to bend the interior flange.

I think I'll cut some out this weekend with a bottom die plate that I can clamp to my press brake and try it out this weekend.

 

[dr_clyde]

Its funny, I designed almost the exact same part, for the exact same use, just haven't had the parts cut yet.

Press brake will make quick work of it with dies cut to the right length.

Formed sheet metal will always look more professional than angle iron, IMO. Less work, too, if you have the right tools.

 

[kkroger]

Louver punch can do what you want... I'd probably just use angle iron myself or even make Angle Iron from your 16 ga... I could cut all the "U" shapes with the plasma, then use a piece of bar for a "punch" and a piece of Channel for a die so you can line them up..
but the time it would take... meh...

 

[62blue]

Mike I have a few more questions? Are you going enclose the boxes? Looking at HF box racks that would work great just the way they come. Now if you want each box to pull out just build a frame work out of flat and make sheet metal 90's back to back on the flat all the way down. I can send you some pics: of mine through the US Mail. as I do not have a way to put them on here at this time.
62blue
Don

 

[Whiskeymike]

Thanks for the offer 62. I've considered also cutting a front face or full bottom supports that would run side to side. But I'm holding off till I get the sides together to determine if it would be useful.

Unfortunately it was pretty cold this weekend and I couldn't pry my *** out of the recliner to go out to the shop. Fortunately, my Dolphins did pretty well against the Jets, so not all was lost.

 

[leonv2017]

There were no sizes but if possible to do this job with punching the punching unit together with the source of force or hydraulic universal press can do this job and could be one of the cheapest solution. For sure next story is the press brake if dimensions of bended pieces are too high to perform it with punching.