Anybody here have press brake experience? I was to start with 3x3x.375
6061-T6 aluminum Tee extrusion, 4 inches long, and bend up the top of
the Tee on each side 30 degrees. So the part will then have a Y shape.
Can 6061-T6 be bent that much without cracking? And how much tonnage
should the press be to do this work?
Thanks,
Eric

On Mon, 12 Oct 2015 11:31:12 -0700, wrote:

Anybody here have press brake experience? I was to start with 3x3x.375
6061-T6 aluminum Tee extrusion, 4 inches long, and bend up the top of
the Tee on each side 30 degrees. So the part will then have a Y shape.
Can 6061-T6 be bent that much without cracking? And how much tonnage
should the press be to do this work?
Thanks,
Eric

You are going to have to anneal it with a torch before bending
anything that thick and Id be using a radiused bender.

Just saying....

Gunner

fired this volley in
:

Anybody here have press brake experience? I was to start with 3x3x.375
6061-T6 aluminum Tee extrusion, 4 inches long, and bend up the top of
the Tee on each side 30 degrees. So the part will then have a Y shape.
Can 6061-T6 be bent that much without cracking? And how much tonnage
should the press be to do this work?

Just guessing from the extrusions I've used, but it sounds like you
should probably weld those up from straight members, instead of trying to
brake form them.

Extrusions tend to have a 'grain' along the line of extrusion that can be
a source of breakage when trying to bend such.

Lloyd

wrote in message ...

Anybody here have press brake experience? I was to start with 3x3x.375
6061-T6 aluminum Tee extrusion, 4 inches long, and bend up the top of
the Tee on each side 30 degrees. So the part will then have a Y shape.
Can 6061-T6 be bent that much without cracking? And how much tonnage
should the press be to do this work?
Thanks,
Eric
================================================== ============

For flat sheet the minimum inside bend radius for 6061 is roughly equal to
the thickness for a 90 deg bend, without annealing, but for .375" thick
material I'd probably try to keep the inside radius at 0.5" or more, just
for safety. Nothing worse than bending a radius that you knew was too
tight, seeing some small surface cracking, telling yourself "it'll be fine,
I can barely see that", and then coming back the next day and seeing the
cracks go half way through :-). It also matters whether you are going with
the grain or perpendicular to it; with the grain is better. You will be
going with the grain and only going 30 deg so you might be able to get a bit
tighter than 0.375" inside radius. I assume you will make a die with a deep
slot to accommodate the bottom leg, and come down from the top on center
with the punch to basically make both bends at once, just like it was a
single bend in flat stock? I did a quick google search for bend force
calculators, and http://www.custompartnet.com/calculator/v-bending-force was
about the first hit and says you will need 6-12 tons to make the bend.

-----
Regards,
Carl Ijames

On Monday, October 12, 2015 at 11:25:15 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Anybody here have press brake experience? I was to start with 3x3x.375
6061-T6 aluminum Tee extrusion, 4 inches long, and bend up... a Y shape.

T6 is HARD, not gonna bend well (will crack unless you have a BIG radius of bend).
Any extrusion in aluminum is straightened (in tension) and work-hardens somewhat.
A custom extrusion (or semicustom) might be an easier route. I've seen Y=shapes
for rail-riding glides.

On Mon, 12 Oct 2015 11:31:12 -0700, wrote:

Anybody here have press brake experience? I was to start with 3x3x.375
6061-T6 aluminum Tee extrusion, 4 inches long, and bend up the top of
the Tee on each side 30 degrees. So the part will then have a Y shape.
Can 6061-T6 be bent that much without cracking? And how much tonnage
should the press be to do this work?
Thanks,
Eric

See http://www.americanmachinetools.com/bend_radius.htm

If your .375 is the thickness of the flange than the bending radius is
going to be pretty large.

3" - .357 = ~1.32 available width and the recommended bend radius will
be in the neighborhood of 1 inch.

But why not try annealing a trial piece then bend it. If it doesn't
crack try a hard piece.
--
cheers,

John B.