Enter the distance between the inside radius of the bend and the neutral bend line, and the sheet metal thickness to calculate the K Factor.

## K Factor Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the K Factor of a bend.

K = D / T

• Where K is the K factor
• D is the distance from the inside radius of a bend and the neutral bend line
• T is the thickness of the material

## K Factor Definition

What is a k factor? A k factor is a term used in manufacturing used to describe the ratio of the distance between the inner radius and the neutral bend line. This k factor is used to determine the length of a flat sheet that is required to make a bend of a specific radius.

## Example Problem

How to calculate a k factor?

1. First, determine the distance between the inner radius and neutral bend line.

For this example, this distance is found to be 2.25″.

2. Next, determine the thickness of the material.

In this material, the being used is 1.5″

3. Finally, calculate the k factor.

Using the formula, the k factor is found to be 2.25/1.5 = 1.5