Cable Tray Offset Bend Formula and Worked Layout

Define the rise and available horizontal run

Measure rise H between the two base planes. Use θ for the sloped section’s angle above horizontal, S for its base-edge length and Q for its horizontal projection. In this tutorial h denotes side-wall height and W denotes base width.

Enter H = 150 mm, θ = 30°, W = 200 mm, h = 50 mm and available horizontal run R = 600 mm. R goes from the starting end to joint B in the formed side view. It includes the lead-in and Q. The trailing section is measured separately.

Solve the triangle and developed stations

Use S = H / sin θ and Q = H / tan θ. The lead-in is L = R − Q. On the original straight base, mark A at L and B at L + S. These original-stock stations use the full sloped length S.

At 30°, the 150 mm rise gives S = 300 mm and Q ≈ 259.81 mm. This leaves L ≈ 340.19 mm, so station B is about 640.19 mm from the stock start. Keep the 600 mm formed horizontal run and the 640.19 mm developed station identified separately in your notes.

Worked example dimensions

These values are calculated by the same geometry modules as the linked tool. The example link loads this exact input set, including millimetres.

Read the two side-wall joints

At A, the side-wall closing V has half-width d = h × tan(θ / 2) and full opening 2d. At B, the continuous-base construction slits both side walls to the base and counter-folds so the tail returns to horizontal. The formed top-edge gap is 2h × sin(θ / 2).

Read the V width on the original wall and the gap on the formed wall. Their formulas describe different geometric measurements. Inspect both sides in the linked 3D calculator and check a suitable connection detail for the opening joint.

Compare 30 and 45 degree offsets

For the same 150 mm rise, increasing the angle to 45° reduces the slope to about 212.13 mm and horizontal reach to 150 mm. With the same 600 mm available run, the lead-in increases to 450 mm. The wall notch and opening gap also change with angle.

A steeper route may fit a shorter horizontal space, while the actual cable path and product forming limits still need review. Check for sufficient lead-in, adjacent notch setbacks, profile features and material allowances. The model tail is max(150 mm, 2h), which is 150 mm in this example.

Same rise, two slope angles