Enter the bend allowance, inside bend radius, material thickness, and bend angle into the calculator to determine the K Factor for sheet metal bending in Autodesk Inventor.
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Inventor K Factor Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the K Factor in sheet metal bending:
K = \frac{\frac{BA}{A_r} - R}{T}Variables:
- BA is the bend allowance (any consistent length unit)
- R is the inside bend radius (same length unit as BA)
- T is the material thickness (same length unit as BA)
- A is the bend angle (degrees)
- A_r is the bend angle in radians (A_r = A \cdot \pi / 180)
- K is the K Factor
To calculate the K Factor, convert the bend angle from degrees to radians, then apply the formula using the bend allowance, inside radius, and material thickness (using consistent length units).
What is a K Factor?
The K Factor is a ratio that represents the location of the neutral axis with respect to the thickness of the sheet metal being bent. It is a critical value used in sheet metal design to predict how the material will deform during bending. The K Factor varies depending on the material, the type of bending operation, and the specific machinery used.
How to Calculate K Factor?
The following steps outline how to calculate the K Factor:
- First, measure the bend allowance (BA).
- Next, measure the inside bend radius (R).
- Then, measure the material thickness (T).
- Measure the bend angle (A) in degrees and convert it to radians (A_r).
- Use the formula to calculate the K Factor (K).
- After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.
Example Problem:
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.
bend allowance (BA) = 2.10 mm
inside bend radius (R) = 1.00 mm
material thickness (T) = 1.00 mm
bend angle (A) = 90 degrees
