Sheet metal fabrication is a manufacturing process that produces thin broad sheets of metal that are formed, cut and finished into a final product or part. Common fabrication processes include stretching, drawing, bending, flanging, punching, shearing and spinning, amongst others.
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Because of the variety of products made from sheet metal, there are many fabrication processes used to create them. Sheet metal itself is rarely the final product; its fabrication is very important to many industries because of the diverse products it creates. Specifications such as part size, required strength, number of parts needed and additional materials are important factors for sheet metal fabrication. Whether done by hand or by a computer operated machine, sheet metal fabrication is a precise operation that seeks to reduce both the cost of materials and labor while creating a high quality part or product that will perform well for a long time. Practically every aspect of modern life whether residential, commercial or industrial, benefits from sheet metal fabrication. Sheet metal fabrication is a staple for many applications including the military, food processing and storage, communication, automotive, computer, medical, electronics, aerospace, pharmaceutical and construction industries.
Sheet metal is the metal formed into large, thin planes that are usually rectangular-shaped. Sheet metal is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, as it can be cut and turned into a variety of shapes and structures. Metal is made into sheet form by being heated into a malleable form and fed through a pair of rolls that compress the metal into thin sheets. Sheet metal suppliers are the first step in the transformation from raw material to finished part or product. They melt the metal into long slabs that are then compressed between large powerful rollers, resulting in large broad planes of metal. The sheet metal is usually shipped out to another plant for design and fabrication. Sheet metal design usually refers to a comprehensive plan regarding the part that includes the smallest details. The design helps ensure that the final product will be effective and safe by anticipating any potential problems, weak areas or stress points in the finished metal part. Sheet metal fabricators then use the design to manufacture the actual part. Sheet metal fabricating is the process of stretching and compressing metal materials into thin sheets; once compressed, the metal can be drawn, cut, punched or stretched. These processes are responsible for giving sheet metal a different shape, surface or size. Aluminum is one of the most common sheet metal materials because of its lightweight, tensile and compressive strength. Stainless steel sheet metal is one of the most important components to the manufacturing industry because the metal offers good corrosion resistance, strength and durability. It is also easy to clean and is therefore used frequently in harsh environments or around food.
Sheet metal forming is the process of stretching, compressing and shaping metal sheets. Sheet metal can be formed in many different ways. Stretching, for instance, is the process by which sheet metal is clamped around the edges and stretched to make various products. In contrast, drawing and deep drawing are stamping processes that makes flat sheet metal into various three dimensional forms. Cutting changes the size of the sheet and can also be used to cut the metal into shapes, whereas punches perforate the sheet and cut specific shapes out of the metal. Sheet metal work includes the various processes involved in heating and shaping metal sheets. Most metal working processes require heating the metal. Heating processes are used to harden or soften sheet metal by heating or cooling it until it reaches the desired level of hardness. Several important techniques may be used in the heat treating process, including annealing, quenching and tempering. Sheet metal bending typically produces a V-shape, C-shape or channel shape in the metal along a straight axis. Standard die sets are capable of bending the sheet metal into a wide variety of forms. All these processes result in sheet metal products. They are produced by sheet metal fabricators who weld, cut, perforate, spin, roll, stamp, bend, iron, draw, shear, saw, drill, blank, punch, deburr, sand and otherwise cut, form and finish sheet metal into the final product. Metal cabinets, pieces of industrial furniture used for storage purposes, are one example. Metal cabinets can be made out of a variety of different metal materials, including steel, aluminum and stainless steel.
Today's sheet metal fabrication processes may appear basic and in theory, they actually are. Using a punch and die system to bend a piece of material does not seem to be a complex action but when performed automatically by a machine hundreds of times a day is slightly more complicated, especially if the workpiece requires multiple bends along varying axes. Drilling a hole through metal is not a new practice; however, using a laser to cut through steel at precise depths and angles is a modern development. Large plants have automated lines that use robotics to move and turn sheet metal workpieces as they are formed, cut and finished. CNC (computer numeric controlled) machining is able to produce very accurate parts through use of software. The tools involved in sheet metal fabrication have also improved; saw blades are sharper, drills are faster and press brakes are stronger. Better tools provide better results because the operator is able to produce precise actions that can be repeated. A stronger press brake, for example, can bend the sheet metal into shape faster and with more force which decreases the stress from stretching. Less stress and stretching allow the metal to retain a uniform thickness without weak areas that would wear out faster.
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Sheet Metal
Fabrication and Sheet Metal Fabricators Images Provided by Johnson
Bros. Metal Forming Co.
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A substance that bonds the inner and outer panels of metal.
- Heating a metal
to a uniform heat and then rapidly cooling it with air or oil to harden
it.
- A metallic
element that is added to another metal to produce an alloy in order to
increase properties, such as hardness, strength and corrosion resistance.
- A test that is used
to determine the ductility and malleability of various metals.
- A piece of sheet metal
that has been cut for further press operation.
- A semi-finished piece
of metal that needs further processing.
- The process of joining
solid metals together by using a fusible filler metal with a melting point
below that of the base metal.
- A leftover ridge on the
edge of metal caused by cutting operations, such as trimming, slitting
and shearing.
- The rapid formation
and depletion of air bubbles within a metal during the solid/liquid interface.
Cavitation can cause permanent damage to the material.
- The application of
a thin coat of stainless steel to another metal in order to increase corrosion
resistance.
- The gradual deterioration of metals caused by
harsh chemical and environmental conditions.
- The speed at
which corrosion occurs on a particular substance.
- The slow strain on metals,
caused by stress, that occurs over time.
- A sheet metal part that
is cylindrical or shell-shaped with one end closed.
- The process of smoothing
the rough-cut edges of metal.
- A process that involves
removing the oxide layer, which forms on metal after hot forming processes.
- The amount of deformation
a metal can withstand before failure.
- The loss of
malleability in a metal after a physical change or due to chemical treatment.
- The state of a metal
after repeated stress, leading to an eventual fracture.
- Forming a panel
metal shape into a completed product.
- A projection from the
edge or rim of a metal part, typically narrow and of uniform width for
fastening.
- Removing parts of
the metal by using abrasives.
- Corrosion of a metal
due to oxygen.
- Localized corrosion
on a metal surface.
- The application
of stresses, which strain a metal material past its elastic boundary,
resulting in a permanent distortion.
- The capability
of metal to undergo permanent deformation without breakage.
- A very thin, flat-rolled
metal product.
- Stress point
beyond which a metal undergoes important permanent flow.