I’m making a custom LiFePO4 battery case (4S 280Ah) specifically to go behind the rear seat of a F-150 Super Crew. It requires a special shape to get the battery back there. I’m going to plasma cut it out of sheet metal and bend it on one of the box breaks. There is one flange that I think can’t be bent on the break but I though I’d ask if anyone knows of some special techniques. Here is the sheet view (from Solid Works) showing the flange that I think can’t be bent.
My first thought would be to make the walls of that notch as a separate L shaped piece with flanges that you spot weld or weld to the main body. Is this gonna be an open box or will you be attaching a cover?
The material is 20ga now because that’s what I have laying around but I might increase it to 18ga after the 1st prototype. Yes, I’m assuming the first attempt will fail . The whole thing might need to be stiffer given that these batteries weigh ~50lb total. The “wall” is 3" and the overall outer dimensions are roughly 30" x 16" x 3". I planned to cut it off and weld it, but thought I’d ask if it could be bent. I’ll need to weld a stiffener behind it regardless.
Once the batteries sit in the tray, and I insert all of the epoxy insulation sheets, there is a 29"x7"x3" strap that is wrapped all the way around and screwed to the case. That’s what you see in front of the batteries in the last assembly drawing. Last I have an acrylic cover on the top 6" which looks slightly translucent in the last drawing. The whole case is three pieces.
The typical brakes we have won’t be able to create that. However, if you 3D printed a lower die for the press brake, it maybe more likely to be successful. I don’t recall on our swag brake if the upper die locks to the press with the set screw. You would need to be sure to you have enough room for that longer portion to stick out.
Not on the big brake because the movable part is full width and even if you’ve got fingers on that piece, you’re still gonna bend the rest of it, albeit badly
. The whole thing might need to be stiffer given that these batteries weigh ~50lb total. The “wall” is 3" and the overall outer dimensions are roughly 30" x 16" x 3". I planned to cut it off and weld it, but thought I’d ask if it could be bent. I’ll need to weld a stiffener behind it regardless.