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
To calculate the k factor, divide the distance from the inside radius of the bend and the bend line by the thickness.
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.
How to calculate a k factor?
- First, determine the distance between the inner radius and neutral bend line.
For this example, this distance is found to be 2.25″.
- Next, determine the thickness of the material.
In this material, the being used is 1.5″
- Finally, calculate the k factor.
Using the formula, the k factor is found to be 2.25/1.5 = 1.5
About K Factor
What is a k factor and y factor? K factors and Y Factors are both constants used in calculations of bending sheet metal of a certain thickness to a certain radius and angle.
Can y factor be negative? K factors range from 0 to 1 and will not be negative in absolute terms since neither the bend radius nor thickness can be negative.