1. The hardness of the aluminium plate
Some aluminum alloy plates are too hard to bend and they are easy to crack. For example, 6061, 2a12, and 7075 aluminum plates are not easy to bend, and forced bending will inevitably lead to cracking. Therefore, in general, the aluminum plates that need to be bent are selected from 1000, 3000 and 5000 series like 3003 h24 aluminum sheet.
Note: Generally, the strength used in industry is more accurate, and the strength and hardness are closely related. In view of the better understanding of hardness, the following are all expressed in terms of hardness.
2. The thickness of the aluminum plate
Even if the hardness is not high, if the aluminum plate is too thick, it is not easy to bend.
3. Aluminum grain direction
The bending direction should be perpendicular to the grain direction of the aluminum plate, not parallel. For aluminum plate parts that need to be drawn, if the process permits, it is best to bend and then draw the shape, otherwise the probability of bending and cracking will increase.
4. The bending R angle
The larger the bending R angle is, the easier it is to bend, so try to increase the bending R angle as much as possible. The larger the bending angle, the easier it is to bend and the less likely it is to crack.
First of all, in terms of the hardness that can be achieved by various grades of aluminum alloys, generally 7>2>6>5>3>1, that is, the 7 series is the hardest, so the general bending grades are basically soft aluminum 1, 3, and 5 series. The typical ones are 1060, 3003 and 5052.
Secondly, the general state of aluminum alloy is divided into full hard, semi hard, soft state. The bending effect of full hard is basically not good (the state of aluminum plate is H18, H19, H38, etc. are all hard ); semi-hard or softer aluminum plates can basically be bent (H24 is semi-hard, H32 is a quarter hard).
Combined with the actual processing situation, the 1060-O aluminum is softest, suitable for bending or stamping, and 90-degree bending is also possible. But in most cases, the aluminum plate needs to be bent and has a certain strength. Although 1060 aluminum is no problem to bend, it is not suitable for most occasions.
3003 H24, 3003 H112, 5052-O, 5052 h112 and 5052 h32 aluminum are often chosen for bending. Generally speaking, if the R angle is large, the slightly harder aluminum plate can also be bent. To choose a best grade of aluminum sheet for your product needs to consider the needs of industrial design, processability, aesthetics, strength and durability.