A press brake consists of a punch and die: the punch presses the sheet down into the die to bend the sheet. You can perform bending using a press brake machine or a bending machine. K-factor deals with the position of the neutral axis, and in this article, you'll learn how to calculate the K-factor.īefore we get into the K-factor, let's look at the bending process for a sheet. The focus of this article is the K-factor associated with the sheet metal bending process. These sheets undergo different fabrication processes like bending, forming, and punching and are also joined together using welding. It could be any metal as per the demand and loads, but the most commonly manufactured sheets are aluminum, brass, copper, and steel sheets. Other applications of sheet metal include piping, medical equipment, machine components, and transformers used in power transmission.įirst, the metal is worked into thin sheets for the uses mentioned above and more. roofing calculator) or the geyser that supplies water for your warm showers and baths all use sheet metal for the fabrication process. Sheet metal is the building block of structures, from forming the body of automobiles to the skin of aircraft wings. This K-factor calculator will assist you in finding the K-factor for sheet metal.