Aluminum or steel "C" channel

I need a "C" channel that has no change in thickness, like bending a plate. The channel needs to have about a 1-1/2" inside width 1" legs and 3/16" -

5/16" thick. I'll use pieces 1" long and might need thousands of them for a new product. I've Googled steel/Al channel and can't see anything that doesn't have the legs thicken as they meet the base. I don't know what to call that type of channel

Another option would be to make it out of 3/16" steel strip or 5/16" Al and bend the legs on a press. Can I bend the Al without breaking or cracking it? Can I bend both legs at the same time using a 60 ton OBI press?

What do you call it when you punch a hole in a piece of stock but leave the slug half way in the hole?

I think what you want is called roll-formed U channel. Do a search on that.

Aren't the slugs in electrical boxes called knock outs?

I make these out of flat sheet blanks and invest in a die and doing all of these operations at once in a punch press. Steve

There are also two holes that can be punched if the die is progressive. It's a simple die...I think, I did one other bending die but that was 25 years ago. One of the holes then has to be threaded 1/4-20 and I just happen to have a tapping head.

I've seen similar used for hoist track and festoon track. Also similar for conveying parts hung on hooks through a factory.

RogerN

You could run the channel through your milling machine and take off the thick section at the base. If you only need a couple thousand it wouldn't take forever, since the pieces are only an inch long.

Union standard operating procedure

>

Actually, if it's aluminum, just cut the radius out on a table saw.

Upform?

Like this:

I'm hoping to need thousands of pieces and want to limit the number of operations and the cost target of course is as low as possible.

So, like heavy-section Unistrut/Superstrut kinda stuff?

If what you need is only short (1") lengths, you could make a press die that will fold up plate to that shape. Depending on the radius allowance, hot-working or multiple press operations would help. I'd think in terms of pressing a bar to a W, then flattening the center to make it a U...

Tom,

My thought is that this part is a candidate for an aluminum extrusion. If they don't have a stock die for the channel you want, costs for an extrusion die is relativly modest and can be done quickly. The system they have can be set to cut the blanks to length as they come out of their "play dough pumper", giving you near zero waste, an excelent finish. The parts can even be bulk anodized in almost any color you want on the cheap.

Bending a sharp corner on aluminum doesn;t work really well and would probably require heat treatment as a second op.

(Note: I haven't done any business with any of the above but it seems to me that they should get you started with some ideas.)

Roger Shoaf

I used to visit this extrusion plant in Ohio. They did a lot of custom extrusions for OEMs in the area.

RS at work wrote in rec.crafts.metalworking on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 15:16:08 -0700 (PDT):

Could you take square tubing and cut it in half?

Yes, that's an option and split square tubing would have the right profile.

I like that!

Oh, I missed you when you visited my shop. Sorry!

What you want is architectural channel

You would need 3003 aluminum to be able to bend it.

As for a custom exstrusion.... I've been told you need a 10,000 pound first order to get it made. If it's a small cross section that's a lot of feet.

Thank You, Randy

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