Hello i am now starting to use sw sheetmetal, and am wondering whether i really need to worry about k factors.
we use ali, mild steel, 430 & 441 stainless nothing any thicker than 1.2mm is the metal really going to grow enough to worry about k factors????
we do not anything that is that accuracy critical.
any help would be appreciated
thank you
Hi.
Just perform some trials to see what you get with different k-factors. I dont know what is desired accuracy level.
what is working for us so far is to set the bend radii and the thickness to the same size and use a k factor of 5 I have asked this same question and the answer keeps coming back to setting up bend tables based on your equipment because every machine and die is different. we work with materials from 10ga to 1" our tolerance is 1/8" however occasionally we come up as much as an inch short on a cone that is 20ft round. we have not identified exactly where the error is however according to another piece of software each piece of the cone was 1/16" short * 8 parts and the rest was most likely shrinkage from welding.
I ran across this and found it useful. Perhaps you could put together a table of your own using your tooling.
Here is a tutorial on K-Factors and how to use them:
And here is a sample of a spreadsheet you can put together to calculate the K-factors for your situation. The formula shown in cell G5 is actually the formula that is in F5.
(I don't know how to post files here so these images will have to do.)
I hope this helps.
- - -Dennis
Dennis,
if you click on the "Used advanced editor" text in the upper right corner of the dialog box,
The Attach option will be available in the lower right corner, along with some additional text editing stuff in the top toolbar. You can attach practically any type of file, not just SW types.
Also, if you need to post a SW assembly or drawing, use "Pack and Go..." to a zip file so that all the needed part files are included.
This has been a confusing part of this forum forever, and figuring it out has become some sort of initiation rite for new users. Someone somewhere must have a reason why the text can't be made more clear, as to what it does and the fact that it is clickable, but they have never seen fit to tell us.
Erik,
Thanks for the tip. I've not been on the forum for quite a while and have never had the need to post files until this one.
Sean, see the attached files.
- - -Dennis
In a word. Yes. Depending on what your application is depends on how critical the accuracy of the bend calculation. We were using k-factors and found that k-factors not matter how good our calculation was inaccurate for us, we have since set up gauge tables for our different processes. I have set up one for Aluminium usage as well as our galvanized sheet. As a sign company it's important for us to have pieces that fit with low tolerance so to have a cleaner finish but if you are bending a pan around a frame you need it to be accurate.