Bending Aluminum Sheet With Heat

These are small little cracks that are forming on the surface of the material.

Bending aluminum sheet with heat.

It s usually not a big deal but under some conditions this might be a problem. To create these precipitates the aluminum is heated using a solution treatment at high temperatures and at a prescribed time then quenched for rapid cooling. This weakens the aluminium and creates a fracture line. In the event that you are bending a thick piece of sheet metal you can apply heat from a blowtorch along the seam of your bend line to facilitate your bend.

Typically pure aluminum is more easily worked than the alloys. Place the fracture line over the edge of a table and bend the overhang slightly downwards. Keep in mind that many kinds of fabricated metal have extremely high melting points and applying your torch injudiciously could cause damage or do harm to your sheet metal or equipment. Lift the clamp bar away from the rear of the brake frame and slide the sheet in perpendicularly to the direction you want to bend it.

Heat it up to 1000 f let it soak at that temperature for about an hour then water quench it. Nothing complicated here just heat it up till it s red if it s ferrous and bend it. Then place the clamp bar back down on top of the aluminum crosswise. Insert your aluminum sheet into the brake beneath the removable clamp bar.

This type of hardening typically is performed in an inert atmosphere vacuum at temperatures between 900 and 1 150 degrees f. Make sure the bar is seated firmly inside the frame. Depending on designation alloys go through different heat treatment procedures during production. If you bend aluminum cold and without annealing it you ll probably see that the stretched side turns kinda white.

Try to re heat treat any annealed parts before machining if possible. Flip the sheet over and repeat.