Fathom uses the latest in sheet metal bending technology to produce high quality parts for its customers. Whether your project is time-sensitive, high-precision, highly complex or short production run related, Fathom will meet your requirements and deadlines.
Bending is used to transform a flat piece of sheet metal into the desired form needed for production. Force is applied to change the shape of the sheet metal using a press brake machine. Bending techniques may include u-bending, roll bending, air bending, rotary bending and more. Bending is incorporated into the manufacturing process for a variety of applications including automotive, aerospace and industrial parts.
For each project, sheet metal with the appropriate thickness should be used. By selecting sheet metal with the right thickness, the part’s efficiency, durability, and weatherability will be maximized. Parts that must be rigid will require thicker material. Components that require flexibility will need thinner sheet metal. Heat treating and temper can also influence flexibility and spring like characteristics of parts.
The cost of a sheet metal project is influenced by the volume of parts ordered. Set up cost can be amortized throughout the overall quantity ordered… this is an inverse relationship… the more parts that are ordered the less set up charges affect piece price. Costs can also be minimized by stacking parts during cutting to save time and labor. Quotes are often based on how long the job takes on the cutting machine.
Manufacturing sheet metal is a cost-efficient process. Lead time can be minimized by selecting an automated manufacturing process. Fathom offers an all-in-one approach to manufacturing and can handle everything from production to finishing and assembly, saving you time and money.
| Alloy | Temper | Ductility | Strength | Corrosion Resistance | Heat Treatable | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6061 | T6 | Low | Mid | Good | No | Minimum bend radii of 3x raw material thickness. |
| 6061 | T0 | High | Low | Good | Yes | Higher-cost heat treating due to warping and need for secondary straightening. |
| 5052 | H32 | High | Mid | Good | No | Most commonly used aluminum alloy and temper. |
| 5052 | H34 | Mid | High | Good | No | Small radii bends in line with grain may fracture. |
| 3003 | H14 | High | Low | Good | No | Good for deep drawn parts. |
| Alloy | Temper | Ductility | Strength | Corrosion Resistance | Heat Treatable | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 302 304 | *Range | **High | High | Excellent | No | Small radii bends in line with grain may fracture in full hard temper. Full hard temper is cost effective for springs as there is no need for heat treating or plating. |
| 316 316L | Annealed | High | High | Excellent | No | Used heavily in the medical industry. |
| 410 | Annealed | High | Mid | Mid | Yes | Excellent for springs. Stays stable in heat treating and has a bright finish. |
| 17-4 PH | Annealed | Low | Excellent | Mid | Yes | Small radii bends in line with grain may fracture. |
| 17-7 PH Cond. A | Annealed | Mid | High | Mid | Yes | Excellent for springs intended for repeated cycles. Remains stable during heat treating. |
| 17-7 PH Cond. C | Mill Hardened | Low | High | Mid | Yes | Small radii bends in line with grain may fracture. Highest hardness and strength achievable in alloy 17-7 PH. |
*Annealed, 1/2, 1/4, 3/4, and full hard possible
**Ductility decreases in harder tempers and mill hardened materials
| Alloy | Temper | Ductility | Strength | Corrosion Resistance | Heat Treatable | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1008 1010 | Soft, 1/2, 1/4 Full Hard | High | Mid | *Poor | **Yes | When rolled at or near room temperature, excellent ductility and strength is produced and is more uniform than hot rolled steel. |
| 1008 1010 | Annealed | High | Mid | *Poor | **Yes | Rolled at a temperature greater than the recrystallization point, which produces surface scale. Good ductility, but weaker and less uniform than cold rolled steel. |
| HSLA | Annealed | Mid | High | *Poor | **Yes | Requires 25-30% more power to form than cold rolled steel or hot rolled steel. |
| 1050 1074 1075 1095 | Annealed | Excellent | ***High | *Poor | Yes | 1095 has the highest carbon content of the materials listed. Higher carbon content yields higher strength with less ductility after heat treating. |
| 1095 | Blue Tempered | Low | High | Mid | No | Good for flat springs or leaf springs with large radii. |
*Poor without plating or surface treatment
** Limited to carburizing
*** High strength after heat treatment
| Alloy | Temper | Ductility | Strength | Corrosion Resistance | Heat Treatable | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C10 Cooper | Wide Range | High | Mid | Good | No | Highly conductive. High cost. |
| C172 Beryllium Copper | Wide Range | Excellent | Excellent | Fair | Yes | Excellent for electrical spring contacts. Highly conductive, excellent electroplating adhesion coefficient and remains very stable during heat treating. Moderate cost. |
| C260 Brass | Wide Range | *Ranges | High | Good | No | Small radii bends in line with grain may fracture in full hard and spring tempers. |
| C510 Phosphor Bronze | Wide Range | *Ranges | High | Fair | No | Small radii bends in line with grain may fracture in full hard and spring tempers. |
*Ranges according to temper
Standard lead times are below, but 24hr expedite options are available.
| Parts | Delivery time |
|---|---|
| 1-500 formed parts | 6-8 days |
Let Fathom handle your next project that requires sheet metal bending. In addition to bending, our services include laser cutting, photo photochemical machining, Microcut™ and more. We can also take care of post-processing requirements like welding, bead blasting and deburring. Sheet metal bending is just one of 28 manufacturing services offered by Fathom.
Fathom’s welding team uses a combination of heat and pressure to fuse two or more parts together. Welding services include arc welding, metal inert gas (MIG), tungsten inert gas (TIG), resistance spot welding and oxyfuel welding and cutting.
Fathom offers hardware installation services as part of its complete sheet metal fabricating program. We can ensure efficiency and great quality for both low and high-volume production runs.
Sanding and grinding services are both offered by Fathom. Grinding removes weld or adds any desired cosmetic surface. Sanding can remove scratches or burrs from parts after laser cutting or punching.
Liquid painting is a finishing process suitable for projects where powder coating cannot be used. Liquid painting can result in a professional finish, corrosion resistance, custom colors and more.
During powder coating, a sheet metal part is coated in a powder which is then cured. The resulting professional finish may be matte, smooth, textured and more. Fathom offers a variety of different powder coating finishes.
Sheet metal parts can be screen printed in a variety of different finishes and colors. Fathom can also add a design of your choice to your custom part.
Our team can perform assembly and kitting in-house. Services include installing hardware, manual or automated process, and more. Fathom will ensure your finished part is to your exact specifications.
Fathom maintains strategic partnerships that benefit our customers, including key suppliers of heat treating, plating, and powder coating. Our partners were chosen because they can meet our high quality and speed requirements. As part of the Fathom Manufacturing Platform, Fathom has access to a robust nationwide network of comprehensive additive and advanced manufacturing capabilities. Fathom Manufacturing’s extensive certifications include ISO 9001:2015, ISO 9001:2015 Design, ISO 13485:2016, AS9100:2016, NIST 800-171 and ITAR.
Occasionally post CNC machining is required to finish a part. Fathom’s CNC machining centers provide post-mill features on sheet metal components, allowing us to successfully manufacture parts while meeting tight deadlines.
Fathom’s team of engineers and master tool makers can develop creative tooling solutions for your quick turn sheet metal parts. We specialize in complex bending and precision and look forward to solving your most challenging design features.
Fathom understands that attention to detail is critical to manufacturing. We can uniformly remove laser-dross, mechanical burrs or sharps and other surface imperfections with our in-house deburring and finishing operations. Our processes range from hand sanding to automated deburring, tumbling and finishing equipment.
Fathom’s manufacturing facilities include over 530 machines, including mills, lathes, presses, press brakes, turret punches and additive systems. In addition, Fathom has equipment dedicated to sheet metal fabrication, including lasers, waterjet machines, finishing tools, autodeburring, 4 slide machines, multi-slide machines, press brakes, 300-ton presses, 22-ton presses, wire EDM machines, seely slide forming tools and 35-ton blanking presses.
Fathom is not limited to just sheet metal bending and fabrication, but also offers hybridized services that leverage sheet metal technology. Does your project call for sheet metal bending as part of a more complex design? Fathom can deliver.
A recent case study is listed below where Fathom delivered 20,000 parts in 27 days using 55+ tools, including metal prototype fabrication services:
A customer came to Fathom with a complex project that spanned the technologies and processes of rapid production—and needed it done fast. Fathom delivered.
55+ Tools to Injection
Mold 15,000 Parts
First Article in 2 Weeks
3,000+ 3D
Printed Parts
2,000+ Metal
Fabricated Parts
3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing—PolyJet, SLS, MJF.
DFM Analysis + CAD Mods.
CNC Machining. Laser Cutting.
Stamping. Die Cutting. Post-Opp Drilling.
24-hour Turnaround Urethane Casting.
Injection + Compression Molding.
Model Finishing. Insert Assembly.
Advanced Project Management.
Fathom has nationwide coverage with 3 US-based locations offering sheet metal services. Fathom’s prototyping and manufacturing technologies include chemical etching, metal 3D printing, CNC machining and more. We have provided over 200,000 quotes to leading US companies and are ready to provide you with a quote today.
Locations include:
COLORADO
7770 Washington Street
Denver, CO 80229
ISO 9001:2015
ITAR
NEW YORK
1920 Slaterville Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
ITAR
401 W. Shore Boulevard
Newark, NY 14513
ISO 9001:2015
AS910:2016
ITAR
A: Fathom’s certifications include ISO 9001:2015, ISO 9001:2015 Design, and ISO 13485:2016. For site-specific certifications, please visit https://fathommfg.com/fathom-manufacturing-certifications.
A: Yes, Fathom is ITAR certified. For site-specific certifications, please visit https://fathommfg.com/fathom-manufacturing-certifications.
A: Yes, Fathom is AS9100:2016. For site-specific certifications, please visit https://fathommfg.com/fathom-manufacturing-certifications.
A: Yes, Fathom’s certifications include NIST 800-171. For site-specific certifications, please visit https://fathommfg.com/fathom-manufacturing-certifications.
A: To transform sheet metal into its desired form, different processes may be used including v-bending, roll bending, u-bending or wipe bending.
A: To calculate bend allowance, use the formula Bend Allowance = Angle * (π/180) * (Radius + K-factor*Thickness).
A: To roll or bend sheet metal, a press brake, hydraulic press, and rollers may be used.
A: Bending sheet metal is difficult and it is best to let an experienced manufacturer with the proper machinery bend the sheet metal for you.
Does your next project require a sheet metal bending quote? Need to calculate costs for an upcoming project? Use Fathom’s SmartQuote application for a fast quote.
