Proto Labs : Chamfers and Radii on Sheet Metal Parts

Safety First

Most importantly, raw-cut edges on sheet metal corners are extremely sharp, making the part dangerous to handle. Laser cutting leaves a bit of slag on the edges and punch cuts leave a sharp edge and a small protrusion where the tools slice the metal-neither of which are ideal to handle as is.

Deburring cut edges is standard practice here and eliminates some of the risk of injury for both our employees and our customers. However, an easier and much safer fix is simply to round corners with radii or bevel corners at an angle with chamfers. Do that and you'll have no dangerous sharp corners and you won't have to buy bandages in bulk.

Mating & Connecting Parts

Sheet metal parts are often among the last pieces of the product development puzzle, enclosing or connecting other machined or molded parts, or off-the-shelf products. The most common sheet metal parts that incorporate chamfers or radii are brackets, enclosures, and faceplates, most of which typically connect to other parts of an assembly.

Clearance

It's not uncommon for a sheet metal part to include a radius or chamfer to help it fit easily inside another component. Sharp 90-degree corners don't always allow for easy clearance when trying to affix or nestle one part inside or within another.