Review hole & slot placement before production
Hole & Slot Placement Guide for Sheet Metal Design
DFM Rules, Edge Distances, Bend Proximity & Production Fit
Hole and slot placement is one of the most underestimated contributors to scrap and assembly failure in sheet metal products. Features that appear geometrically correct in CAD often deform, shift, or weaken the surrounding material once the part is cut and formed. These small geometric choices frequently become the root cause of fastener misalignment, cracked edges, and visible distortion in finished assemblies.
In real manufacturing, sheet metal parts do not remain dimensionally static. Material stretches during bending, relaxes after forming, and responds differently depending on thickness and grade. Holes that are placed too close to bends or edges experience uneven stress during forming. Over production runs, this results in ovalized holes, elongated slots, and inconsistent fit across batches. What looks like a minor placement issue during design often becomes a recurring quality problem at scale.
The cost of poor placement compounds with volume. In prototyping, operators can manually adjust parts to make assemblies fit. In production, the same misplacement repeats across hundreds or thousands of parts, driving rework, inspection overhead, and delayed shipments. This is why hole and slot placement must be treated as a manufacturability decision, not just a drafting choice
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Role of Hole & Slot Placement in Manufacturing Outcomes
Hole and slot placement influences how a sheet metal part behaves under forming loads, how it carries fastener forces, and how reliably it assembles in production. Poor placement rarely causes a single visible failure. Instead, it creates a pattern of small defects that accumulate into quality and reliability issues.
How Placement Affects Structural Integrity
Every hole or slot removes material from the sheet. When features are placed in high-stress regions, such as near bends or load-bearing edges, the remaining ligament of material becomes a weak point. Under service loads, these regions are more likely to deform, elongate, or crack. Over time, this leads to joint loosening and reduced fatigue life of the assembly.
How Placement Drives Bend Distortion
During bending, the material near the bend line experiences the highest strain. Features located in this zone are exposed to uneven stress, which causes round holes to ovalize and slots to distort. This distortion may not be obvious in flat patterns but becomes visible after forming, especially in thicker materials and tighter bend radii. Poor placement near bends is a leading cause of post-forming dimensional drift.
How Placement Impacts Fastener Alignment
Fasteners rely on consistent hole geometry and positional stability. When features shift due to forming-induced movement, fasteners no longer align cleanly with mating parts. This results in cross-threading, uneven clamp load, and visible gaps in assemblies. Even small placement errors can cascade into assembly delays and quality escapes at scale.
How Placement Contributes to Edge Cracking
Features placed too close to edges concentrate stress in narrow strips of material. During punching, this can cause edge tearing. During bending, it can initiate micro-cracks that propagate under load or vibration. Edge cracking is often a delayed failure mode that traces back to insufficient edge distance during design.
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Hole Placement Fundamentals in Sheet Metal Design
Hole placement defines whether fasteners seat correctly, whether features survive forming without distortion, and whether parts assemble consistently at scale. While CAD allows holes to be placed anywhere geometrically, manufacturing imposes clear constraints on how close holes can be to edges, bends, and other features without compromising part integrity.
In production, holes fail not because they are the wrong size, but because the surrounding material cannot support forming and fastener loads. The most common outcomes of poor placement are hole ovalization after bending, edge tearing during punching, and misalignment during assembly.
Production-Oriented Hole Placement Rules
| Design Parameter | Practical Guideline (Indicative) | What Fails in Production If Violated |
|---|---|---|
| Hole to edge distance | ≥ 1.5–2× material thickness | Edge tearing, local cracking, burrs |
| Hole to bend line | ≥ 2–3× material thickness from bend line | Hole distortion, ovalization after forming |
| Hole spacing (ligament) | ≥ 1× material thickness between holes | Local weakening, tearing between features |
| Hole diameter vs thickness | Hole Ø ≥ material thickness | Poor hole quality, tool wear, tapering |
These guidelines exist because sheet metal around holes carries load and absorbs forming strain. When too little material surrounds a hole, stress concentrates in narrow ligaments that cannot sustain repeated forming or service loads. Over time, these regions deform, crack, or elongate, leading to loose fasteners and visible quality issues.
Hole placement must also consider how the part will be fixtured during bending. Holes placed in unsupported regions are more likely to shift position as the sheet flexes under forming loads. This positional drift becomes a source of fastener misalignment in assemblies, even when flat-pattern dimensions are within tolerance.
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Fundamentals of Slot Placement in Sheet Metal Parts
Slots are commonly used in sheet metal designs to allow for adjustment during assembly, accommodate tolerance variation, or enable parts to float into position. While slots can improve assembly flexibility, poor slot placement often introduces new problems such as local weakening, distortion during forming, and uneven load distribution around fasteners.
Production-Oriented Slot Placement Rules
| Design Parameter | Practical Guideline (Indicative) | What Fails in Production If Violated |
|---|---|---|
| Slot to edge distance | ≥ 1.5–2× material thickness | Edge distortion, tearing near slots |
| Slot to bend line | ≥ 2–3× material thickness from bend line | Slot elongation and distortion after forming |
| Slot width vs fastener Ø | Slot width ≈ fastener Ø + clearance | Uneven clamp load, fastener slip |
| Slot length vs ligament | Maintain ≥ 1× material thickness of ligament | Local weakening, fatigue cracks |
When to Use Slots Instead of Holes
Slots are most useful when parts need positional adjustability during assembly. For example, when mating components have accumulated tolerance variation, slots allow fasteners to be aligned without forcing parts into position. However, slots should not be used as a workaround for poor tolerance design. Over-reliance on slots can mask underlying design issues and reduce the structural stiffness of the part.
Slot Orientation and Load Direction
The orientation of a slot relative to the applied load matters. When slots are aligned with the primary load direction, fasteners can shift under load, leading to creep or loosening over time. Slots oriented perpendicular to the primary load direction provide better resistance to movement and help maintain joint integrity. Designers should consider how loads flow through the joint when choosing slot orientation.
Slot Length and Structural Integrity
Long slots remove more material and can significantly weaken the surrounding area, especially in thin sheet metal. Excessively long slots near edges or bends reduce the stiffness of flanges and can become initiation points for cracking. Slot length should be minimized to what is necessary for assembly adjustment, rather than maximized for convenience.
Slot Placement Near Bends and Edges
Slots placed close to bend lines or edges are more likely to deform during forming. The remaining material around the slot may not be sufficient to maintain shape when the part is bent, leading to elongated or distorted slots. Providing adequate clearance from bends and edges helps preserve slot geometry and ensures fasteners seat properly after forming.
Fastener Seating and Slot Geometry
Slot width and edge quality affect how fasteners seat against the sheet metal surface. Poorly proportioned slots can lead to uneven clamping pressure, which in turn causes vibration issues or loosening in service. Slot geometry should be designed to support stable fastener seating and consistent clamp load.
Using slots to fix fit issues but still seeing misalignment in assembly?
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Hole & Slot Placement Near Bends: What Changes After Forming
Hole and slot placement that looks correct in a flat pattern often behaves differently after bending. This is because bending introduces stretching, compression, and springback in the material around the bend line. Features placed too close to bends are exposed to higher deformation and stress concentration, which affects both geometry and long-term performance.
Bend-Proximity Design Rules (Production-Oriented)
| Design Parameter | Practical Guideline (Indicative) | What Fails in Production If Violated |
|---|---|---|
| Feature to bend line distance | ≥ 2–3× material thickness from bend line | Hole ovalization, slot distortion |
| Feature to bend radius | Maintain clearance beyond inside bend radius | Stress concentration, cracking |
| Feature alignment with bend | Avoid placing features directly on bend line | Feature tearing, severe deformation |
These guidelines exist because the material near the bend line carries the highest forming strain. When features intrude into this zone, the surrounding material cannot flow uniformly during bending. This non-uniform flow distorts feature geometry and shifts feature position relative to mating parts, leading to assembly misalignment.
Designers should also consider how springback affects feature location. After bending, the part relaxes slightly, which can move features closer to or farther from mating interfaces. This positional drift is small in isolation but significant in assemblies with multiple bent features.
Why Features Near Bends Deform
During bending, material on the outside of the bend stretches while material on the inside compresses. Holes and slots located in this deformation zone experience uneven stress. As a result, round holes can become slightly oval, and slots can elongate or distort. This deformation may seem minor on a single part, but it becomes significant when repeated across production batches.
Impact on Fastener Alignment and Assembly
When features near bends shift after forming, fastener alignment is affected. Screws may not seat squarely, and bolts may require force to engage threads. This leads to uneven clamp loads and increases the risk of cross-threading or fastener loosening over time. Assemblies that rely on precise alignment are particularly sensitive to feature movement near bends.
Stress Concentration and Crack Initiation
Features placed near bends concentrate stress in already highly strained regions. Over repeated loading or vibration, these areas become more prone to cracking. This risk increases in harder materials and thicker gauges where forming stresses are higher. Keeping holes and slots away from bend lines reduces stress concentration and improves fatigue life.
Designing Clearance from Bend Lines
Providing adequate clearance between features and bend lines allows material to flow more uniformly during forming. This preserves feature geometry and reduces the likelihood of distortion. In practice, clearance rules should be defined during design and validated during DFM to ensure they are realistic for the chosen material and bending method.
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Edge Distance Rules for Holes & Slots in Sheet Metal
Edge distance refers to how far a hole or slot is placed from the nearest edge of a sheet metal part. This spacing plays a critical role in how well the feature holds its shape during cutting and forming, and how reliably it performs under fastener load in service. When edge distance is too small, the surrounding material does not provide enough support, leading to deformation, tearing, or cracking.
Minimum Edge Distance Guidelines (Production-Oriented)
| Feature Type | Practical Guideline (Indicative) | What Fails in Production If Violated |
|---|---|---|
| Hole to edge | ≥ 1.5–2× material thickness | Edge tearing, burrs, crack initiation |
| Slot to edge | ≥ 2× material thickness | Edge distortion, local buckling |
| Feature to corner | Increase distance vs straight edge | Stress concentration at corners |
These guidelines exist because edges act as stress concentrators during both forming and service loading. Corners are especially vulnerable, as stresses accumulate from multiple directions. Placing features too close to corners magnifies these effects and leads to early failure, even when parts pass initial inspection.
Compact designs often push holes and slots toward edges to save space. While this may improve packaging efficiency, it increases manufacturing risk and reduces long-term durability. Reviewing edge distances during DFM helps strike the right balance between compact design and structural integrity.
Why Edge Distance Matters in Manufacturing
During cutting and punching, features placed close to an edge experience higher localized stress. The remaining material between the feature and the edge can tear or deform, especially in thinner sheets or harder materials. Even when parts pass initial inspection, insufficient edge distance can lead to premature failure when fasteners are tightened or when the part is subjected to vibration.
Edge Distance and Fastener Load Transfer
Fasteners introduce concentrated loads around holes and slots. When the feature is too close to an edge, these loads are transferred into a narrow strip of material. Over time, this can cause elongation of holes, local cracking, or visible deformation at the edge. Providing adequate edge distance distributes load more evenly and improves joint durability.
Process-Specific Considerations
Edge distance requirements vary with manufacturing process. Punching requires more edge support to prevent tearing, while laser cutting can hold closer distances but may introduce localized heat effects in thin sections. Bending further complicates edge distance behavior, as material near edges is more prone to distortion during forming. Designers should account for the full manufacturing sequence when defining minimum edge distances.
Balancing Compact Design with Structural Integrity
Designers often push features close to edges to minimize part size or achieve compact packaging. While this may save space, it increases manufacturing risk. A balanced approach considers both packaging constraints and the need for sufficient material support around features. This trade-off should be reviewed during DFM to avoid downstream quality issues.
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Impact of Hole & Slot Placement on Manufacturing Processes
Hole and slot placement does not just affect the final geometry of a part. It directly influences how smoothly the part moves through cutting, forming, and secondary operations. Features that are poorly positioned increase distortion risk, accelerate tool wear, and often require rework to make parts usable in assembly.
In real production, placement-related issues rarely show up in isolation. A feature placed too close to an edge may cut cleanly but deform during bending. Similarly, a feature placed near a bend line may pass forming but fail during assembly due to positional drift. Understanding how each manufacturing process interacts with placement helps prevent these cascading failures.
Laser Cutting: Heat Input & Thin Ligaments
Laser cutting offers high positional accuracy, but features placed very close to edges or adjacent cutouts create thin ligaments of material. These thin sections absorb heat unevenly and are prone to warping, especially in thin-gauge sheet metal. Warped regions often shift during bending, leading to misalignment in assemblies even when flat-pattern dimensions were within tolerance.
Punching: Tool Support & Tear-Out Risk
Punching requires sufficient material around the feature to support cutting forces. When holes or slots are placed too close to edges or other features, the surrounding material tears or deforms under load. This not only degrades feature quality but also accelerates tool wear, leading to inconsistent results over long production runs.
Bending & Forming: Feature Distortion
During bending, features near high-strain regions distort due to uneven material flow. Holes can ovalize, and slots can elongate. Additionally, parts with dense feature placement near bend regions are harder to fixture consistently, which increases variation in final geometry across batches.
Secondary Operations & Rework
Poor placement often forces manufacturers to introduce secondary operations such as reaming, slot correction, or manual straightening to make parts fit. These steps increase cycle time, introduce variability, and raise overall production cost. Designing placement with process behavior in mind improves first-pass yield and reduces dependence on rework.
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Hole & Slot Placement for Assembly & Fastening
Hole and slot placement has a direct impact on how easily parts come together during assembly. Even small positional shifts can cause fasteners to bind, misalign, or seat unevenly. When placement rules are defined without considering the assembly sequence, production teams often compensate with force-fitting, which introduces long-term reliability issues.
Fastener Alignment and Thread Engagement
Fasteners rely on holes being positioned accurately relative to mating parts. If holes shift due to forming or distortion, fasteners may not engage threads smoothly. This increases the risk of cross-threading and uneven clamp load. Over time, joints assembled under misalignment are more prone to loosening and vibration-related failures.
Clamp Load Distribution and Joint Stability
The geometry around a hole or slot influences how clamp load is distributed across the joint. Features placed too close to edges or bends concentrate load in narrow regions, which can cause local deformation when fasteners are tightened. Proper placement ensures that clamp forces are spread over sufficient material, improving joint stability and fatigue performance.
Using Slots to Absorb Assembly Variation
Slots are often introduced to accommodate positional variation between mating parts. When used thoughtfully, they help parts align without forcing components into position. However, slots should be placed and oriented to control how parts float during assembly. Poorly oriented slots can allow unintended movement under load, which leads to loosening or joint creep over time.
Assembly Sequence and Accessibility
Placement also affects how accessible fasteners are during assembly. Holes positioned too close to flanges or enclosed corners can be difficult to access with tools, slowing down assembly and increasing the likelihood of tool-induced damage. Considering tool access during placement improves assembly efficiency and reduces operator error.
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Tolerance Stack-Up & Fit Issues from Poor Hole Placement
Hole and slot placement does not exist in isolation. Small positional variations introduced during cutting and forming accumulate across multiple parts in an assembly. When these variations combine, they can cause misalignment even when individual features are technically within tolerance. This is one of the most common reasons assemblies fail to fit in production.
How Small Variations Accumulate in Assemblies
Each sheet metal part carries its own dimensional variation. When multiple parts are joined, these variations stack along the tolerance path. For example, a slight shift in hole position on one panel and a similar shift on a mating panel can add up to a misalignment that prevents fasteners from engaging smoothly. This effect is amplified in assemblies with multiple bends and mating features.
Impact on Assembly Fit and Visual Quality
Tolerance stack-up affects not only functional fit but also visual alignment. Gaps between panels, uneven seams, and misaligned fastener heads are common symptoms. While these issues may not always compromise structural integrity, they affect perceived quality and often lead to rework in customer-facing products.
Designing to Manage Tolerance Stack-Up
Managing stack-up starts with identifying critical interfaces in the assembly. Features that control alignment should be prioritized for tighter control, while non-critical dimensions can be allowed more variation. Design strategies such as slots, floating mounts, or symmetric tolerance distribution can help absorb variation without forcing parts into position.
Validating Stack-Up Before Production
Tolerance stack-up should be evaluated before production begins, not discovered during assembly. Reviewing stack-up during DFM helps identify potential fit issues early, when design changes are still low-cost. This proactive approach reduces the risk of late-stage rework and production delays.
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Common Hole & Slot Placement Mistakes in Sheet Metal Design
Many sheet metal issues trace back to a few repeated placement mistakes that seem minor during design but become costly in production. These mistakes often arise from designing features in isolation, without considering how the part will be cut, bent, and assembled.
Placing Features Too Close to Edges or Bends
One of the most common mistakes is positioning holes or slots too close to edges or bend lines. While this may help achieve compact layouts, it leaves insufficient material to support the feature during forming. The result is distortion around the hole, tearing near edges, or visible deformation after bending. Over time, these areas become more susceptible to cracking under load.
Using Slots as a Shortcut for Poor Tolerance Control
Slots are sometimes added late in the design process to “fix” alignment issues observed in prototypes. While slots can absorb some positional variation, using them as a substitute for proper tolerance design weakens the part and can introduce unintended movement under load. Slots should be a deliberate design choice, not a patch for upstream tolerance problems.
Ignoring Manufacturing Sequence During Placement
Designs are often created based on flat patterns without considering how the part will change shape after forming. Holes that appear well placed in the flat state may shift relative to mating parts after bending. Ignoring the manufacturing sequence leads to misalignment that only becomes visible during assembly.
Overcrowding Features in High-Stress Regions
Clustering multiple holes and slots in a small area reduces local stiffness and concentrates stress. This increases the risk of deformation during forming and fatigue failure in service. Spacing features appropriately helps distribute loads and maintain part integrity.
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Hole & Slot Placement Guidelines: Prototypes vs Production
Designs that appear acceptable during prototyping often reveal placement weaknesses when moved into volume production. The key difference is that prototypes tolerate manual adjustment, while production depends on repeatable, process-stable geometry. Treating prototype success as proof of production readiness is one of the most common causes of late-stage rework.
How Placement Behavior Changes from Prototype to Production
| Aspect | Prototype Builds | Production Builds |
|---|---|---|
| Assembly tolerance | Manual adjustment possible | No manual correction at scale |
| Feature alignment | Can be forced into place | Must align consistently without force |
| Forming repeatability | Limited runs hide variation | Variation repeats across batches |
| Tool wear impact | Minimal | Progressive tool wear affects placement |
| Inspection rigor | Informal or selective | Formal, standardized inspection |
This difference explains why holes that “worked” in prototype builds often become the source of repeated misalignment in production. Small positional shifts that were adjusted by hand in early builds now propagate across every part, creating systemic assembly issues.
Design Implications for Production-Ready Placement
Placement rules should be defined for production conditions, not prototype convenience. Features should maintain sufficient clearance from bends and edges to account for forming-induced movement and tool wear over time. Slot orientation and length should be chosen to absorb realistic tolerance variation without allowing unintended movement under load.
Design validation should include a review of how placement behaves after forming, not just in the flat pattern. When placement is marginal, early DFM feedback helps correct geometry before tooling is locked.
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How Manufyn Validates Hole & Slot Placement During DFM
Feature placement that looks acceptable in CAD often fails once parts are cut, formed, and assembled at scale. Manufyn’s DFM process is designed to surface these risks early, before tooling is finalized and production begins. The focus is on validating that hole and slot placement will hold up across real manufacturing conditions, not just in idealized drawings.
Placement Validation Across the Manufacturing Sequence
Placement is reviewed in the context of the complete manufacturing flow, including cutting, bending, and final assembly. Features are checked for proximity to bend lines and edges in the formed state, not only in the flat pattern. This prevents post-forming distortion and positional drift that commonly cause fastener misalignment.
Process Capability & Tooling Constraints
Manufyn’s engineers assess whether placement rules align with the capability of the chosen manufacturing process. This includes reviewing edge distances for punching, thermal effects for laser cutting, and fixture stability during bending. Where placement is marginal, design adjustments are recommended to improve repeatability and reduce the risk of tearing or distortion.
Assembly-Level Fit Validation
Placement is also evaluated at the assembly level. Critical fastener interfaces are reviewed for tolerance stack-up risk, and slot orientation is checked against expected load directions. This ensures that placement decisions support reliable assembly without relying on force-fitting or manual correction.
Scaling Across Suppliers & Regions
For programs involving multiple suppliers or global production, placement rules are harmonized to ensure consistent outcomes across facilities with different machine setups. This reduces the risk of fit issues when sourcing shifts between vendors or regions.
Seeing placement-related fit issues during DFM or early builds?
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Design Checklist: Hole & Slot Placement (Production-Ready)
Use this checklist to validate hole and slot placement before releasing designs to manufacturing. These checks are intended to prevent common production failures such as feature distortion after bending, edge tearing during cutting, and fastener misalignment during assembly.
Pre-Release Placement Checks (DFM)
Feature Location & Support
- Verify minimum edge distances are met for holes and slots based on material thickness and cutting method.
- Confirm features are not located within high-strain regions near bend lines in the formed state.
- Ensure sufficient ligament width remains between adjacent features to maintain local stiffness.
Forming & Bend Interaction
- Review feature proximity to bends after forming, not only in the flat pattern.
- Check that springback does not shift critical holes into misalignment with mating parts.
- Avoid placing critical fastener holes directly on or near bend lines.
Manufacturing Process Compatibility
- Validate placement rules against the selected process (laser cutting vs punching).
- Confirm tool clearance and material support are adequate to prevent tearing or burr formation.
- Review fixture support around dense feature regions to minimize distortion during bending.
Assembly & Functional Fit
- Identify which holes and slots control alignment in the final assembly and prioritize their placement robustness.
- Ensure slot orientation supports intended load paths and does not allow unintended movement under service loads.
- Check tool access for fasteners to avoid assembly slowdowns or tool-induced damage.
Production Scaling Readiness
- Review placement under production conditions, accounting for tool wear and process drift.
- Confirm inspection feasibility for critical feature locations.
- Validate placement consistency across potential suppliers if sourcing globally.
Finding multiple red flags in your placement checklist?
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Final Conversion: Design Sheet Metal Parts That Assemble Right the First Time
Hole and slot placement decisions determine whether sheet metal parts assemble smoothly, survive forming without distortion, and scale across production volumes without recurring rework. Designs that ignore manufacturing realities often look precise in CAD but fail on the shop floor due to misalignment, cracking, and assembly delays.
By applying production-oriented placement rules, validating feature behavior after forming, and accounting for tolerance stack-up at the assembly level, teams can avoid costly late-stage design changes. This manufacturing-aware approach becomes even more critical when scaling across suppliers and regions.
Manufyn supports production-ready sheet metal design through DFM reviews that validate hole and slot placement against real process capability and assembly requirements. This helps ensure that parts fit the first time and continue to fit as production scales.
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FAQs: Hole & Slot Placement in Sheet Metal
How close can a hole be to a bend in sheet metal?
Holes placed too close to a bend line are likely to distort during forming due to high strain in the bend region. As a practical guideline, holes should be placed at least 2–3× the material thickness away from the bend line in the formed state. This helps preserve hole geometry and reduces fastener misalignment after bending.
What is the minimum edge distance for holes in sheet metal?
Minimum edge distance depends on material thickness and the cutting process used. In general, holes should be placed at least 1.5–2× the material thickness away from the nearest edge. This ensures sufficient material support to prevent tearing during punching and cracking under fastener load.
When should slots be used instead of holes?
Slots are useful when parts require positional adjustability during assembly or when tolerance stack-up needs to be absorbed. However, slots should not be used as a substitute for poor placement or tolerance design. Slot orientation and length should be chosen carefully to avoid unintended movement under load.
Can holes be placed near corners in sheet metal parts?
Placing holes near corners increases stress concentration because corners already carry higher forming and service stresses. Holes should be placed farther from corners than from straight edges to reduce the risk of cracking and distortion during forming and in service.
Do laser-cut holes allow closer placement than punched holes?
Laser cutting generally allows slightly closer placement to edges compared to punching because it does not rely on mechanical shearing. However, thin ligaments of material near edges are still prone to warping and post-forming distortion. Placement rules should consider the full manufacturing sequence, not just the cutting method.
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