Types of Sheet Metal Fabrication Processes

Thermal Cutting

Laser cutting is the preferred option for cutting sheet. A very quick and precise cutting method that guarantees good results.

With thicker materials, plasma cutting may be used because of its quickness. This advantage is only evident with thicknesses upward of 10 mm though.

At the same time, cutting quality favours laser cutting. So we would advise to rather go with laser cutting services.

Mechanical Cutting

Shearing, or die cutting, refers to a process that cuts sheet metal without burning or melting it. Also, it does not produce any chips. In essence, shearing is not too different from cutting with scissors.

In shearing, a punch presses the workpiece against a fixed die or blade. The clearance between is such that the workpiece does not fit through, causing it to shear.

It is a great and cost-effective method to cut sheets into size whenever complex cuts are not necessary.

Punching

Punching is another way for cutting holes into a sheet. A metal punch hits the sheet, perforating it. It is suitable for large-scale production but not cost-effective for smaller jobs. The reason lies with the need for a separate tool for different cuts.

Bending

When it comes to actual engineering, there aren’t many metal components that elude the bending section of a fabrication shop. Press brakes are responsible for the folding of sheet metal parts.

This is probably the most difficult step in metal manufacturing because of the complexity of some bends. An engineer must be well acquainted with the limitations of metal bending to things that are actually producible.

Assembling

Assembling is the ultimate or penultimate step when you want to fabricate a product. If assembling includes welding,the parts have to be clean – powder coating follows it.

Otherwise, parts are already powder coated and adjoined using other methods, like riveting and bolting.

Powder Coating

Powder coating is a process where an electrostatic powder is applied to a charged metal component. It is the preferred surface treatment method when no special requirements, like wear-heavy or acidic environments, apply to the construction.