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Sheet Metal Specifications Guidelines

K-factors, bend radius, gauge charts, hole specs, welding, and cost optimization

+/- 0.005"

Tightest Tolerance

0.5°–1°

Bend Tol

0.015"-0.375"

Thickness Range

2-14 days

Lead time

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Bending Guidelines ▾

Material	Min Bend Radius
Aluminum 5052	0.5t – 1.0t
Aluminum	1.0t – 2.0t
Cold Rolled Steel	0.5t – 1.0t
Stainless 304	1.0t – 2.0t
Copper	0.5t – 1.0t

K-Factor & Bend Relief ▾

K-FACTOR: Soft (AL) 0.33–0.40, Medium (Steel) 0.40–0.45, Hard (SS) 0.45–0.50
RELIEF WIDTH: Material thickness or 0.030″, whichever greater
RELIEF DEPTH: 1.5× material thickness minimum
MIN FLANGE: Standard 4× thickness, Absolute min 3×, Hems 5×

Holes & Cutouts ▾

Min hole Ø: 1.0× thickness (min 0.031″)
Hole to edge: ≥2× thickness (min 0.062″)
Hole to bend: ≥2.5× thickness + bend radius
Countersink: 82° or 100°, max 60–70% depth
Slots: Min width 1.0× thickness, radius ≥0.5× width
PEM: Add 0.005–0.010″ clearance, min edge 2.5× hole Ø

Gauge to Thickness Chart +/-0.005" ▾

Gauge	Thickness	Gauge	Thickness
30 ga	0.012" (0.3mm)	26 ga	0.018" (0.5mm)
24 ga	0.024" (0.6mm)	22 ga	0.030" (0.8mm)
20 ga	0.036" (0.9mm)	18 ga	0.048" (1.2mm)
16 ga	0.060" (1.5mm)	14 ga	0.075" (1.9mm)
12 ga	0.105" (2.7mm)	11 ga	0.125" (3.1mm)
10 ga	0.135" (3.4mm)	9 ga	0.156" (3.9mm)
7 ga	0.188" (4.7mm)	3 ga	0.250" (6.3mm)

Material Selection ▾

AL 5052-H32: Best forming, corrosion resistant
AL 6061-T6: Structural, harder to form
Cold Rolled Steel: Cost-effective, paintable
Galvanized: Corrosion protection
SS 304: Corrosion resistant, food grade
SS 316: Marine, chemical resistant
Copper: Electrical, decorative

Welding & Hardware ▾

Min for welding: 0.030″ (0.8mm)
MIG: Steel, AL. TIG: Thin/SS. Spot: Assemblies.
Edge prep for >0.125″. No galvanized welding.
PEM nuts (0.040″+), studs (one-side), standoffs

Cost Optimization ▾

Use standard sheets (48×96″, 60×120″)
Minimize bends, use standard radii
Design for single setup/orientation
Powder coat > wet paint usually
Nest parts to minimize scrap