Learning Sheet metal design for product development

Knowing how to design sheet metal parts is a key skill for design engineer in designing mechanical products

Sheet metal components are very commonly used in products today, Learning how to design sheet metal components is important skillset for versatile design engineer.

What should we learn?

  1.  Understand and gain insight on the processes - There are multiple number of processes by which sheet metal can be bent, formed, rolled. Knowing them is key to deciding which is most suitable for a design
  2. Bending Parameters in design
  3. Understand the material properties and their deviations.
  4. Understand the mechanics of plastic metal forming.
  5. Understand the forming and bending limits of sheet metal (not all materials can be formed into any geometry as desired)
  6. Design for Manufacture and ease of assembly
  7. Formability, Bendability
  8. Design for Sheet meta manufacturing – Guidelines and best practices
  9. Sheet metal Concept development
  10. Engineering analysis
  11. Practical application and projects

General sequence of operations includes

  1. Rolling from Billets
  2. Blanking
  3. Bending
  4. Forming


Blanking operation :



Bending processes:



Forming process :




Flanges are common design features in sheet metal.



Due to the low thickness sheet metal parts require stiffening.

Using dimples and beads, sheet metal parts are stiffened in forming



A sheet metal bracket in Vehicle Chassis

Combination of Forming and Bending



More  topics to learn:

  • The Theory behind Forming and Bending
  • What are Forming Limit diagrams? How are they created?
  • Bending allowances calculation
  • Minimum Bend radius
  • K factor, Neutral axis, Bend allowance
  • The concept of Spring-back and ways to reduce it
  • Deep drawing process and the design considerations
  • Joining processes and their comparison


To learn about Sheet metal design in deep here is a course which can help :

Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers

For more content on sheet metal design have a look at the list of articles here :

Sheet metal bracket design

Sheet metal design guidelines

How to Stiffen Sheet metal design

Sheet metal Formability

Bend allowance

Bend Deduction

Sheet metal stamping

Learning Sheet metal design




Categories: : Sheet metal