Aluminium profile load calculator: bending and buckling

Bending and buckling: check in a few seconds whether a Systéal aluminium profile can carry your load, and compare two solutions before you order.

The calculator

What the tool calculates

  • In bending: the deflection, the stress, the allowable load and the maximum profile length, for the allowable deflection you choose.
  • In buckling: the Euler critical load, the slenderness and the allowable load with the safety factor of your choice.
  • The profile's own weight, added to the load if you wish, and better-suited profiles suggested when yours does not pass.
  • A comparison of two cases A and B: two profiles, two orientations or two mountings, with a table and a load-deflection curve.

How it works

  1. Choose the range, then the profile by its reference and name.
  2. Select the mounting, the profile orientation, the load (in kg or N) and the length.
  3. Read the utilisation rate and the allowable load, compare with a second case, then order the profile at the calculated length.

9 bending mountings, 4 buckling cases

Bending

  1. Cantilever, load at the end
  2. Cantilever, load at a
  3. Cantilever, distributed load
  4. Two supports, load at the centre
  5. Two supports, load distributed over m
  6. Two supports, distributed load
  7. Two supports, load at a
  8. Fixed both ends, load at the centre
  9. Fixed both ends, distributed load

Buckling

  1. Pinned – pinned
  2. Fixed – fixed (guided)
  3. Fixed – pinned
  4. Fixed – free

Profiles covered

122 aluminium profiles from the catalogue are available in the calculator:

Calculation assumptions

  • Aluminium EN AW-6063-T5, Young's modulus E = 70 000 N/mm², yield strength Rp0.2 = 110 N/mm², safety factor γ = 1,5 on stress.
  • Static loads only, without shock, vibration or fatigue. Simplified buckling method, without the Eurocode 9 buckling curves.
  • Profile properties (moments of inertia, cross-section, linear mass) taken from the catalogue product pages.

Results are indicative and do not replace a structural calculation. Any critical application, or any application involving people's safety, must be validated by a qualified engineering office.

Frequently asked questions

Is the load calculator free?

Yes. It is available to customers with a Systéal account, which is free to create.

Which profiles can be calculated?

All aluminium profiles in the catalogue whose mechanical properties are given on the product page, i.e. 122 profiles today. New profiles appear automatically.

What is the difference between bending and buckling?

Bending applies to a beam loaded across its axis: cross-member, shelf, cantilever. Buckling applies to a post compressed along its axis, which can give way sideways long before the material reaches its yield strength.

Which allowable deflection should I choose?

The larger the denominator, the stiffer the structure: L/1000 for a machine or precise guiding, L/500 for a standard frame, L/300 for a shelf or cladding, L/200 when deformation matters little.

Do the results replace a structural calculation?

No. The tool is a pre-sizing aid based on simplified assumptions. Any critical application, or any application involving people's safety, must be validated by a qualified engineering office.

How do I order the profile at the right length?

Below each result, the "Open this profile to order it" button opens the profile page with the case length already entered in the configurator.