How To Form A C Channel In Aluminum Sheet

Continental steel offers aluminum 7075 in a variety of sizes and shapes including channels.

How to form a c channel in aluminum sheet.

With the aid of a straight edge and a sharp knife score both sides of the aluminium sheet. If your sheet metal is long ask a friend to stabilize the part hanging out from the form blocks so it doesn t affect the bend. Sheet metal forming processes are those in which force is applied to a piece of sheet metal to modify its geometry rather than remove any material. This would be ideal for a press brake but i do not want to invest a ton of money in a heavy duty one.

Sheet aluminium can be cut without the need for a guillotine or tin snips which tend to deform the metal. On 1 4 1 2 hard aluminum aluminum c channel aluminum box channel thicknesses can reach up to 250 thick. When i bend both sides 90 degrees i get about a 1 5 inch thick channel which works great. Through the use of resistance welding this alloy is commonly utilized in demanding applications such as highly stressed structural parts aircraft fittings and missile components.

C channels are designated by the letter c followed by the nominal depth in inches and the weight in pounds per foot. The sheet metal i am forming is 20 gauge. I can not make thin u channels. Aluminum formed channel is an aerospace shape that is formed from an aluminum sheet either roll formed or brake formed.

Next put your wooden or metal form blocks in the vice and clamp your sheet of metal between the forms. It is available in the clad form which improves corrosion resistance. Thus c 7 12 25 designates an american standard c channel with a depth of 7 inches and a nominal. Some coatings can be used however up to 125 thick such as a.

Many different decorative pre coated metals are generally not recommended when more than 030 thickness is required unless larger than normal corner radii can be used. By doing so the sheet can be bent or stretched into a variety of complex shapes. The applied force stresses the metal beyond its yield strength causing the material to plastically deform but not to fail. C channel sizes chart for steel channels.

I am using 24 long sheet metal stock cut into 4 thick pieces. This weakens the aluminium and creates a fracture line.