Overview
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Sheet Metal is a type of material that is flattened into thin sheets. Sheet metal is made by taking a large cast in and rolling it into a long ribbon of the thickness it wants. This flat metal is rolled into a coil and sent directly or cut the metal into sheets before being sent to a machine shop.
The sheets are made from different kinds of metals such as aluminum, brass, copper, steel, tin, nickel and titanium. The sheet’s thickness depends on the material needed for a project. Thicknesses can vary from 0.15 -6.00 mm significantly; extremely thin sheets are considered foil or leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25 in) are considered plate steel or “structural steel.”
Designing the products with the sheet metal comes with its limitations but has many benefits that can work with this design material that outweighs cons. It is available with numerous coating for corrosion resistance or surface finish.
Sheet Metal can be useful for large and durable parts with few features. They make good RF shields, ground planes and thicker gauge parts for adding strength and weight to the things. Sheet metal is not suitable for minimal parts, complex or precise geometry, cosmetic parts or lightweight parts.
Most of the metal fabrication businesses rely on 2D drawings even though the 3D model is available in the market. At the manufacturing floor, drawings are utilized to develop production plans. The purchasing department uses it for technical packages while other departments like quality and marketing utilize drawings to develop different publications. So this is where Sheet Metal Drafting comes into role.
3D Drawings are still prevalent and affect productivity to a greater level of significance. 2D drafts are challenging to manage and prone to errors that cause miscommunication and production wastage. Though these is known by fabricator but somehow stuck with 2D processes either by losing business while transitioning or due to resistance from experienced internal resources. 3D CAD Model opens up the multiple opportunities for sheet metal fabricating businesses to remain competitive, productive and profitable.
Sheet metal is one of the versatile materials in the manufacturing and construction industry with applications in every industry from mining, construction, farming, catering, hospitality, shipping, manufacturing, aviation, medical and transport.
Sheet Metal Design Services can be used in a domestic application, home appliance or unique punched metal screen used as an interiors design feature. It is available in different forms such as plain flat sheets, perforated, ribbed and engraved. Sheet metal is not just limited to the manufacturing and construction industry but can be applied in other industries such as transportation, aerospace, appliance, consumer electronics and more.
Innovative and creative ideas on sheet metal design come early in the product design phase that will influence the entire project from manufacturing to the product’s end users. Good sheet metal design should reduce, simplify and mistake proof processes the shop floor to ensure greater efficiency and reduces cost.
How is Sheet Metal Being used and Its Fabrication techniques?
Sheet metal process is carried out as cutting, stamped, punched, sheared, bent, welded and machined. Hardware is inserted into sheet metal components. These components are then brushed, plated, anodized, powder-coated, spray painted, silk-screened or marked. The parts are riveted, screwed or welded into complex assemblies.
Sheet metal fabrication is evolving making materials, equipment and tooling more specialized. It becomes necessary to leverage the correct supplier and method of manufacturing parts and their application in the sheet metal process. The core element of sheet metal fabrication are materials, manufacturing processes, design variations and finishing options.
Sheet Metal Fabrication Techniques
Sheet metal designing is a flat shape metal but can be made in other shapes to meet many requirements. We can give any shape to the sheet metal through various technologies by bending it on a single axis or shaping the materials into multi-axis forms that is not made typically of the flat planes or is either bent along a single axis.
It is hot and cold forming techniques of deep drawing, hydro-forming, spinning and stamping. It usually creates the body panels for modern vehicles, a complex formed object like metal sinks and aluminum beverage cans. It is also iterative, shaping the metal by repeating the process to change the shape of the metal.
Sheet Metal has two forming process ways either by hot forming or cold forming processes; it can be made and given shaped. Here will be discussing the cold forming process that is as follows:-
Cutting: – Sheet steel is cut by a shearing method that was used a lot before being replaced by faster and precise methods. A punch press is used to punch and die sets to cut the metal. It is effective for cutting simple parts which is then cut with a laser or a water jet.
It operates at hundreds of strokes per minute; a punch press makes suitable parts quickly. Punching is used to make holes or other cutouts in parts. The creation of a complex flat pattern with size-limited stamped features is done through laser cutting and combining punch.
CNC is a laser cutting method that works with the jets of oxygen, nitrogen, helium or carbon dioxide to burn away the metal to produce a clean and finished edge. The speed of this processing method differs from the thickness of the metal. The cut is complex and at a certain level only tolerated. This tool has no contact with wear out of how a mechanical cutter can be processed.
Two types of lasers is used in sheet metal fabrication. Fiber-optic laser are used for thinner and more reflective materials to deliver precise cuts. For thicker gauges, multi-gas or CO2 laser are more suitable. Photochemical machining is a process of controlled etching that leaves a pattern that is chemically activated to remove the access metal using CAD stencils.
Bending: – Some metals can be bent along a straight axis using a variety of presses. Bends shape can be varied from gentle curves to vertical axis of steel used to sharp the corners at an angle above, below or right at 90 degrees. Press brakes are used to create these sharp bends. Open or closed single-axis curves can be produced by rolling and forming method in a bending operation.
Hemming: – It is the rolling edge of a metal shape that provides a smoother, stronger edge that are open, leaving an air space with a bend or closed the folded metal that is pressed tightly against itself.
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Barrel hem is the curling that produces a rounded edge to a piece of metal. It is used to eliminate the sharp edges or serve an operational function in the case of a door hinge that holds the pin around the hinge rotates.
Benefits of Sheet Metal Design
Versatility: – Sheet metal is used in every industry at some level as it is versatile; users might not even recognize a product as being made of sheet metal like aluminum foil. Sheet metal is the material used for the construction of industrial machines and equipment but there are other uses of sheet metal too.
The things made out of sheet metal include dumpsters, road signs, artwork, lockers, etc. Some of the industries where sheet metal is being used are medical, automotive, tools, furniture design, etc.
The sheet metal is made in a different way that not only adds the number of ways the material is used but also states the other kind of metal that makes the sheet metal. The different types of metal in sheet metal is higher than steel and aluminum.
The thickness of the material creates a huge impact on how and where it can be used. Sheet metal can be formed to any thickness where the possibilities are endless. Sheet metal is of low weight and has a thin gauge that makes the transport and delivery of the product cost-effective.
Durability: – Sheet metal is strong and durable; its material endure near-endless wear and tear without becoming weakened or damaged. This can be an ideal material to be used in high-traffic areas. Sheet metal endures the strain of everyday use and also be resilient against harsh conditions. The sheets are formed by using chemicals that make it resistant to the UV rays, heat and corrosion from water and other resources.
Sheet metal are stronger to withstand high pressures though they are malleable. They can be made in any shape which means they can be an ideal material for innovative architects and designers to work.
The final stage of the sheet metal fabrication process involves finishing the metal in a way to create a durable surface whether it is sandblasting, priming, painting or powder-coating.
Flexibility: – The sheet of aluminum are thin that the foil can be bent over itself endless times and is easily ripped into smaller pieces. Sheet metal is not flexible on its own but has higher flexibility in terms of what you can do with it.
Sheet metal due to its characteristics of being durable and strong can be folded, bent, cut, stretched, punched and abused without losing its toughness.
Sheet metal can be whipped into any shape you want with the help of the right tools and equipment. This malleability would come from how thin the material is when it gets combined with low density.
Weight: – Sheet metal is lighter on the side as compared to the other heavier materials. The ratio of weight to a thickness in sheet metal is low, which makes it easier to transport and work with other heavier materials. Sheet metal can be perfect for stacking as large amounts of it can be shipped at the same time. It helps in reducing costs.
Cost: – Sheet metal helps to reduce the shipping costs and the production costs as compared to other heavy metal materials as its own cost is lower. It provides many advantages in one-time use situations and when you need a larger quantity for large and durable projects.
The cost of material is low which keeps it cheaper to replace it than trying to repair it that can be costlier. If ever the sheet metal gets damaged, the stress of replacing the parts is lower than the other materials. Due to the strength and durability, sheet metal is cheaper than other materials. The design tools that run on the computers can cut, shape and bent sheet to exact measurements.
Why sheet Metal design?
Sheet metal offers advantages over non-metal alternatives and other types of metal fabrication. It has lower material costs as compared to machining. The shavings removed in machining must be recycled. Sheet metal manufacturing is amongst one of the modern fabrication techniques that can be automated and parts can be produced directly from the CAD Models.
This technology uses a variety of materials and a range of processes for shaping finished components and products. Sheet metal fabrication is highly scalable. If we keep the setup for the first piece, it can be costly, the price per piece drops quickly due to the volume increased.
Conclusion
Sheet metal is great for large, durable parts with relatively few features. They make good RF shields and ground planes, and thicker gauge parts are great for adding strength and weight to things.
We assist you with a complete design solution for sheet metal components and assemblies from drafting and modeling to Stress analysis of an element. Our designing process complies with sheet metal DFM guidelines.
The number one benefit of sheet metal fabrication is its cost-to-strength relationship. It provides all the strength of a machined enclosure or part, at a fraction of the cost. Fabrication produces little to no waste, unlike machining processes where the material is milled from an initial block. Car manufacturers rely on it to provide weight reduction while not compromising integrity. The range of gauge and material choices allows for greater versatility during product design. Additionally, it is much faster to scale mass production due to the flexibility of fabrication options. Since it is thin and has a lightweight form factor, any additional stock needed for manufacturing can be stored and transported easily.
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