7 Design Tips for Sheet Metal Parts Made by CNC Bending

A good sheet metal design is easy to make, and parts that are easy to make cost less and arrive sooner. These seven tips come from the jobs we see every week on our CNC press brake.

1. Keep holes away from bend lines

Holes too close to a bend stretch into ovals. Keep a distance of at least 2 to 3 times the sheet thickness from the bend.

2. Use a consistent inside radius

One bend radius across the part means fewer tool changes and lower cost.

3. Respect minimum flange length

Very short flanges cannot sit properly on the die. Ask us for the minimum for your thickness.

4. Add bend relief

Small relief cuts where a bend meets an edge prevent tearing and bulging.

5. Think about grain direction

For harder materials, bending across the grain reduces cracking.

6. Dimension from the right side

Tell us whether dimensions are inside or outside. It changes the flat blank size.

7. Share the full 3D model if possible

A STEP file lets us calculate bend allowance exactly, so the laser-cut blank folds to the right size first time.

Because we cut and bend in-house, we adjust the flat pattern for our own tooling. You get accurate parts without trial and error.