Sheet metal
Sheet metal calculator: layouts and flat patterns
Flat patterns of cones, shell courses, bends, square-to-round transitions and hoppers, plate pre-bending, mitre cuts, right triangles, plate and section weight, drilling and frame plans: the fabrication calculations of Metalary.
This page gathers the 11 sheet metal tools of Metalary and 1 reference chart. Each tool page shows a worked example with the default values and cites its sources; results are indicative.
Tools · Sheet metal
Cone and frustumPattern of a right cone or frustum: radii, sector angle, chord, sagitta, full-size template.Shell courseBlank length of a rolled cylinder on the neutral fibre, mass and pre-bend guide.Bend developmentFlat length of a bent plate (up to 4 bends) using a K-factor, bend deduction and bend-line positions.Plate and section weightMass of plate, flat bar, round bar, tube, angle or IPE / HEA / HEB / UPN: kg/m and total.Drilling and tappingISO tap drill for a thread, starting spindle speed and feed for the drill and the tap.Right triangleTwo known values (sides or angle): all sides, angles, slope and area.Mitre cutCut angle of two sections (equal or different widths) joining at a given angle.Square-to-round transitionRectangle to round, centred or offset: triangulated pattern (true lengths of the element lines) and a full-size template.Hopper (pyramid frustum)Rectangle to rectangle: pattern of the four faces (trapezoids), true edge lengths, bend angles, area and mass.Plate end pre-bendingFlat left by the plate roll, seam peaking, length to pre-bend, press hits, radius under load and checking template.Frame planCut lengths of a rectangular frame (mitred or butt), squareness diagonal and cut list.