Do you want to know the basics of sheet metal fabrication? Whether you’re a supply chain manager, a product designer, or a CEO who needs custom parts, understanding the basics can save you time and money. Let’s talk about the basics of sheet metal fabrication and how it can help your business.

Sheet metal fabrication is the process of cutting, bending, and finishing sheet metal to make useful parts for many industries. It’s a cost-effective way to make tough, lightweight parts used in cars, planes, medical devices, and more. When you know how to choose the right materials, finishes, and design features, you can make parts in a way that’s efficient and that makes your parts work better.

Sheet metal fabrication is a flexible process used in many industries. Whether you’re making a prototype or producing thousands of parts, you can get great parts for a good price. Knowing how to choose materials and finishes and how to design your parts can make a big difference in your projects. Let’s go through it to see how you can use sheet metal fabrication to help you.

What Are the Materials Used in Sheet Metal Fabrication?

• Aluminum：Aluminum is great because it doesn’t rust, it’s light, and it cools off nicely. People use 6061 and 6063 a lot for planes, cars, and buildings. For instance, 6061 aluminum is used for airplane parts because it’s light and strong.
• Brass：Brass is a mix of copper and zinc. It doesn’t rust, and it’s easy to work with. People use brass for boat parts, decorations, and things that need to conduct electricity. It’s strong and looks good, so people use it for things like grilles for radiators and things you can see.
• Copper：People use copper because it conducts electricity and heat well. They use it for electrical stuff, things that look cool, and airplane parts. Copper bends easily and doesn’t rust, so it’s easy to make stuff with it that lasts.
• Stainless Steel：Stainless steel is tough, doesn’t rust, and doesn’t melt easily. People use it for food machines, medical tools, decorations, and other things. For instance, people use it for medical tools to make sure they don’t rust or get dirty.
• Cold Rolled Steel (SPCC)：Cold rolled steel is cheap and easy to work with. People use it for things they paint or plate. People use it for furniture, toasters, and computer boxes because it’s strong and smooth.
• Galvanized Sheet (SECC, SGCC)：Galvanized sheet metal is coated with zinc so it doesn’t rust. People use it for buildings, appliances, and car parts. The zinc keeps the steel from rusting, even outside.
• Beryllium Copper：Beryllium copper conducts electricity, doesn’t wear out, and lasts a long time. People use it for car parts, machine parts, and switches that need to not make sparks.
• Titanium：Titanium is strong, light, and doesn’t rust. People use it for airplane parts, medical parts, and boat parts.
• Nickel Alloys：Nickel alloys are strong when they’re hot and don’t rust. People use them for airplane blades, machines that make heat, and machines that use strong chemicals.
• Carbon Steel：Carbon steel is strong, cheap, and easy to weld and cut. People use it for beams, pipes, and car bodies because it’s easy to work with and lasts a long time.

What Are the Key Processes in Sheet Metal Fabrication?

1.Cutting

There are a few ways to cut sheet metal. Laser cutting is fast and accurate. Waterjet cutting uses a high-pressure stream of water to cut materials without causing heat distortion. Punching is where a punch makes holes or shapes, including:
• Blank punching, which cuts out circles or other shapes.
• Die punching, which cuts different shapes using a die.
• Progressive die punching, which cuts several shapes with one die.

2.Forming

Forming is shaping the metal into the shapes you want. This includes:
• Bending, which is folding flat pieces into 3D parts using a bending machine. This includes positioning, adjusting, bending, checking, and done.
• Deep drawing, which pulls the metal into a die to make complex shapes.
• Roll forming, which continuously bends a long strip of sheet metal into the shape you want.

3.Joining

There are ways to attach parts together, including:
• Welding, with techniques like seam welding, tack welding, and stitch welding.
• Riveting, using standard PEM hardware to attach parts together.
• Hardware insertion, which puts components into place and secures them with rivets.
• Adhesive bonding, using industrial adhesives to attach parts together without heat.
• Clinching, which is joining metal together by smashing one or both pieces together without any extra hardware.
• Fastening, which uses screws, bolts, and nuts to attach parts together so you can take them apart.

4.Polishing

After welding, you need to clean up the welds. This gets rid of the slag and sharp edges. This makes the parts look better and makes them safer.

What Are the Finishing Options Available?

• Powder Coating:Powder coating is a tough finish that doesn’t chip or fade. People use it on car parts, patio furniture, and appliances. It protects stuff and looks good.
• Anodizing:Anodizing puts a hard coat on aluminum that stops it from rusting and looks good. People use it for airplane parts, phones, and stuff that looks cool.
• Sand Blasting:Sand blasting makes the surface rough and dull. People use it to get stuff ready for paint, take off rust, and make stuff look good.
• Brushing:Brushing makes the surface look textured. People use it on stainless steel and aluminum for ovens, signs, and fancy walls.
• Electroplating:Electroplating puts a thin layer of metal on the surface to make it look good and stop it from rusting. People use it on jewelry, computer parts, and car parts.
• Passivation:Passivation cleans the surface to stop rust on stainless steel. People use it on medical tools, food machines, and stuff that has to last a long time.
• Painting:Painting puts a layer of paint on the surface to make it look good and stop rust. People use it on cars, machines, and stuff that sits outside.
• Hot-Dip Galvanizing:Hot-dip galvanizing puts steel in melted zinc to stop it from rusting. People use it on beams, stuff outside, and poles that hold up wires.
• Chemical Conversion Coating:Chemical conversion coating gets stuff ready for paint or glue and stops rust. People use it on airplane parts, tanks, and boxes that hold electronics.
• Chromate Conversion Coating:Chromate conversion coating puts a coat on aluminum and other metals to stop them from rusting. People use it on airplane parts, wires, and screws.

What Are Important Design Considerations in Sheet Metal Fabrication?

• Wall Thickness:The thickness of the walls has to be right. It has to be thick enough to hold the part up but not so thick that the part is heavy or hard to make.
• Holes:Holes for screws, hinges, or other things have to be in the right place and the right size so you can make the part and it works.
• Edges:The edges have to be strong enough to hold the part up and look good in the finished part.
• Bend Radius:The bend radius is how tight the part can bend without breaking and how easy it is to make. The minimum bend radius is important to keep the part strong when you bend it.
• Tolerance:Tolerance is how much the part can change in size and still fit together right. Tight tolerances can cost more money but are needed for parts that have to be the right size.
• Material Selection:Choose the material based on what the part does, how much it costs, how long you need it to last, and what you need it to do. For example, you use stainless steel because it doesn’t rust, and you use aluminum because it’s light.
• Surface Finish:Pick the finish based on how good you want it to look, how long you need it to last, and where you’re going to put it. For example, you anodize things to make them last a long time, and you powder coat them to make them look good and last a long time.

What Are the Advantages of Sheet Metal Fabrication?

• Cheap: You can make a lot of parts without wasting a lot of material.
• Strong: You can make parts that last a long time.
• Light: You can carry a lot of parts because they don’t weigh very much.
• Fast: You can make parts quickly from when you draw them to when you have them.
• Versatile: You can use it in cars, medical stuff, computers, airplanes, and other things.

What Are the Common Applications of Sheet Metal Fabrication?

• Cars:People use sheet metal to make the body, brackets, exhaust, gas tanks, motors, and gears.
• Medical:People use sheet metal to make boxes, brackets, tools for cutting, beds, machines for checking you out, and fake arms and legs.
• Computers:People use sheet metal to make boxes, brackets, stuff to hold other stuff, boxes for your phone, and speakers.
• Airplanes:People use sheet metal to make parts of the plane that hold it together, boxes for satellites, parts that hold the plane up, and parts that make the wings work.
• Factories:People use sheet metal to make parts for machines, things that hold up machines, boxes, things that move other things, and boxes that hold stuff.
• Buildings:People use sheet metal to make beams, roofs, walls, bridges, tunnels, and things that hold the building together.
• Boats:People use sheet metal to make the outside of the boat, the decks, things that hold the boat together, the things that move the boat, and the pipes that go under the water.

How to Ensure Quality Control in Sheet Metal Fabrication?

Cleaning Up

Get rid of sharp edges and burrs so people don’t cut themselves when they touch the part. Make sure the part looks and feels good to the touch.

Making It Look Right

Make sure the part looks the same everywhere and has the same protection all over. This makes the part look good and do what it’s supposed to do.

Checking It

Look at the part to make sure it’s perfect. Check the part by pulling on it, pushing on it, and hitting it to make sure it’s strong. Look at the part with special machines to make sure it’s perfect. Check the part with ultrasonic, X-ray, and magnetic machines to make sure it’s perfect.

How to Choose the Right Supplier?

What to Look For

Look for a company that knows how to make sheet metal parts. Make sure the company can do everything you need, like cutting, bending, welding, and cleaning. Make sure the company has a piece of paper that says they are good at making parts and that they do what they’re supposed to do. Make sure the company sends you the parts when they say they will and answers the phone when you call them.

Example: Premium Rapid & Mold

Premium Rapid & Mold makes lots of parts with smart people who know how to make stuff. They can make a few parts so you can see what they look like, or they can make a lot of parts that look the same. They help you make your parts right and send them to you when you need them. They are good at making parts, and you can trust them to send you the parts you need.

Conclusion

You use sheet metal to make a lot of stuff that you need every day. You need to know what you’re using, how you’re making it, and who’s making it to make sure your stuff looks good and works right. Make sure you pick the right stuff, make it the right way, and work with the right people to make stuff that lasts a long time, doesn’t cost too much, and works right.