Stainless Steel Sheet Metal
Stainless steel is one of the most common sheet metal materials; aluminum, copper, tin, titanium, steel and other metals can be used as well. Sheet metal comes in a range of gauges, or thicknesses, from 8 to 30 (the higher the number, the thinner the metal). Other specifications include the dimensions of the sheet and its tensile and compressive strength. The three most common stainless steel grades are 304, 316 and 410. Grade 304 stainless steel has good corrosion resistance and is readily formed and welded. Grade 316 offers higher corrosion resistance and strength at higher temperatures and is used in harsh environments. Grade 410 is not as resistant to corrosion as 316 but is heat treatable. Sheet metal is used to manufacture an endless list of consumer products, industrial equipment, automotive components and much more. Examples that stainless steel may be used for include car bodies, storage tanks, aircraft panels and ventilation systems. The demand for custom fabricated stainless steel products is very high. Sheet metal remains a staple for many applications including the military, food processing and storage, communications, automotive, computer, medical, electronics, aerospace, pharmaceutical, construction and residential uses.
Stainless steel sheet metal is made from slabs and rods of steel and alloys like nickel and chromium that have been melted and pressed into rectangular shapes. As with most metal working processes, either high temperatures or high pressures are necessary to change the characteristics or form of the metal. The raw materials are melted together to remove impurities and to melt the individual metals into one homogenous mass. It is then is heated and cooled through annealing, a process where the metal is slowly cooled or quenching, where the metal is cooled very quickly. Tempered metals are subjected to extreme heat to increase their strength. Once the metal has been heated, the slabs are worked. For sheet metal they are fed between strong rollers that compress the metal, flattening it into thin sheets. Usually a series of rollers are used, each with decreasing clearances under them to gradually flatten the metal. It may also be clamped and stretched. Stainless steel sheet metal may or may not be given a finish, depending on the final product. The sheets are strong, durable, sanitary, corrosion resistant and have a high strength-to-weight ratio. Once ready, the sheets may undergo bending, where they are bent along a linear axis by a punch and die, cutting, where sharp tools remove the material to create precise patterns, or other forming processes before being finished.
