As indicated above, the best metal to use in a sheet metal fabrication operation depends on the project and application requirements. While a consultation with one of our experts can help customers identify and select the most appropriate material for their part, product, or structure, the following descriptions of common sheet metals may help narrow the selection of suitable options.

 

 

Aluminum: Aluminum is a lightweight and corrosion resistant material. While it is decently strong, it is often alloyed with other metals and compounds to add or enhance certain properties to improve its performance in industrial environments. It is used for a variety of industrial compounds, ranging from consumer electronics (e.g., laptops, smartphones, tablets, and telephones) to buildings (both residential and industrial) to transportation equipment (e.g., airplane parts and motors).

 

Brass: Brass is an alloy consisting of copper and zinc. It is known for its strength and low weight (compared to copper and other copper alloys), as well as its corrosion resistance and attractive coloring. It is used for both functional and decorative components.

 

Copper: Copper is a highly conductive, corrosion resistant, and workable material. For these reasons, it is often used in the manufacture of electrical and electronic parts. Its distinct color also makes it popular for decorative components such as jewelry.

 

Stainless steel: Stainless steel is an alloy of iron, chromium, nickel, and varying levels of other metals (depending on the grade). The presence of chromium gives the material its characteristic corrosion resistance, which makes it highly suitable for environments exposed to the elements and corrosive compounds. Its strength, workability, and low maintenance requirements also suit it for use in a variety of industrial applications, ranging from kitchen appliances to automobile parts to surgical and dental instruments.

 

Steel: In addition to stainless steel, steel is available in many other formulations and grades. All of which generally demonstrate high strength and durability, as well as other distinct properties depending on the exact composition. Processing the raw material—such as by hot rolling, cold rolling, or galvanizing it—can alter certain properties to improve the physical performance or finish. Applications range from art and appliances to industrial assemblies, equipment, and structures.

 

Titanium: Titanium is renowned for its strength-to-weight ratio, which makes it highly suitable for even the most demanding industrial environments. Combined with its corrosion resistance and durability, this quality makes it a popular construction material for products used in the aerospace, marine, and military industries.

 

 

OUR SHEET METAL FABRICATION CAPABILITIES
Our team offers a broad selection of sheet metal fabrication services: forming, laser cutting, punching, rolling, shearing, and stamping. We maintain an extensive in-house fleet of state-of-the-art metalworking equipment to fulfill customer requests for these processes, including:

 

Metalli's metal fabrication capabilities includes below:
1.Sheet metal fabrication including stamping, deep drawing,bending, metal spinning;
2.Welding
3.Aluminum Extrusion
4.Aluminum Die Casting
5.CNC Machining
6.Other custom metal fabrication solutions

 

In addition to our sheet metal fabrication capabilities, we offer precision machine work, welding (including MIG, TIG, and spot welding), and finishing services (e.g., painting, assembly, silkscreen, laser etching, and hardware installation).

 

SHEET METAL FORMING
Sheet metal forming is an effective method for producing sheet metal parts in complex three-dimensional shapes using minimal material. The desired shape is achieved through plastic deformation, without the need for machining. There are two major categories of sheet metal forming: hot and cold forming. Hot forming is when the raw material is manipulated into shape while in a partially liquefied state, this can be achieved through localized heat from a torch, heated tooling, or specialized ovens. This becomes more necessary with thicker materials and more complex shapes. Cold forming is when metal is formed at/near room temperature through use of high tonnage presses and standardized tooling. This is more applicable to thinner materials and less organic shapes.As is the case in many industries, robotics have been applied to sheet metal forming as a way to increase overall productivity but also to cut down on some of the upfront tooling costs seen in other fabrication methods such as stamping.

 

WHAT IS SHEET METAL STAMPING?
Sheet metal stamping is a forming process that creates three-dimensional shapes through permanent deformation. It employs a mechanical or hydraulic press and a custom designed punch and die set to create stamped parts and is suitable for producing large quantities of high precision metal parts at low costs. However, initial set up costs are often very high and tooling life and maintenance can often lead to hidden costs. Sheet metal stamping is often used to create metal parts used in the automotive, household appliances, and medical industries.

 

WHAT IS SHEET METAL PUNCHING?
Similar to stamping, sheet metal punching uses heavy machinery and a punch and die assembly to put holes or indents into pieces of sheet metal. As the machine forces the punch component through the metal, it causes the metal underneath the punch to be separated from the rest of the sheet. The cut metal is then collected in a container and saved for future use or recycling. Punching was the primary method for CNC sheet metal cutting for many years before the development of water and laser cutting tools and still specializes in high speed hole application and low-consumable production costs. It can be used to create specific shapes and designs in finished parts and components, such as vent openings.

 

SHEET METAL ROLLING
Sheet metal rolling passes the metal through three rollers to shorten one face of the material and elongate the opposite face causing a progressive curvature in the sheet. This can be done to create complete tubes or to roll to a specific profile. More advanced rolling machines are able to form extremely complex tangential profiles with precision and repeatability. Some products that can be made using this process include lock-seam pipes, welded pipes, and open-butt-joint pipes.

 

SHEET METAL LASER CUTTING
Laser cutting directs a high-powered laser through optical components to cut sheet metal into custom shapes and designs for industrial and commercial applications. Compared to similar processes, such as plasma cutting, it is more precise and uses less energy, and is suitable for cutting and engraving a variety of metals, including aluminum, copper, and steel. For thicker material you may need to utilize water jet cutting as most laser cutters are not suitable above 1” thick material.

 

SHEET METAL SHEARING
Shearing employs a set of upper and lower straight-edge blades to cut flat metal stock—such as aluminum, brass, bronze, and stainless steel—into separate pieces. The blades are typically offset from each other with the upper blade angled to facilitate the cutting operation. This process is usually used to cut sheet metal into smaller sizes to prepare it for further processing, rapid prototyping of very simple parts, or commonly in A/C duct manufacturing.

 

CONCLUSION
There are many different techniques used in sheet metal fabrication, including stamping, punching, rolling, and shearing. Each technique has a distinct purpose and is used to create different shapes and components, which often require additional finishing and treatment processes following fabrication.