Sheet metal bending is a metal forming process with a simple geometric interpretation and usually a 2D analysis is considered. The bend over a sheet metal blank consists of a V shape forming by using a punch, with a certain nose radius, forcing the plate against an open die, with a V section. The forming result is a part with an angle obtained between the V legs (flanges), which is known as the bending angle. The operation to get the required V angle is called air bending, or five bending. The main variables controlled by the CNC are the punch penetration inside the die and the position of the back gauge, which is determined by the bend allowance. However this penetration is not the only responsible for the resulting bending angle and the gauging position is not the only responsible for the flange length. Additionally, the radius inside the V shape edge, known as bending radius, influences the geometry and correspondingly the bend allowance. Some authors believe that the punch nose radius has direct influence, both in the bending angle and bend allowance. In this paper, results are presented describing the use of finite element analysis as an aid in the prediction of the inside bending radius, that influences both punch penetration for the final bending angle and the bend allowance for the final flange length. From the air bending analysis, a natural inside bending radius is presented as an important variable in these kind of processes, as well as its minor dependence on the punch nose radius.
