Springback after bending stainless is a common issue. Causes and countermeasures:

1) Cause: elastic recovery of the material; austenitic grades (304) work-harden noticeably and spring back more than mild steel; larger radius, wider V-die opening and thicker sheet increase springback. 2) Compensation: • Overbend: bend 1°–3° beyond target and let it spring back. • Tooling: adjust the V-die opening and punch radius. • Process: bend in stages, control bending speed and dwell time. • Material: harder tempers spring back more; consider softer temper or design changes. 3) Measurement: check the first piece with an angle gauge or template, then sample during production; springback can vary by heat, so re-try after a material change.

Note: bending cracks are often linked to too small a radius, burr orientation and hard temper; the radius should be a reasonable multiple of thickness for the grade and condition, verified by bend tests.

Write the bending parameters into the work instruction and approve the first piece before mass production.