How to Fabricate Sheet Metal - A Beginner Guide

Want to learn How to Fabricate Sheet Metal? Visit this article and read the beginner's guide to Sheet Metal Fabrication in detail.

Published On:14-02-2022

It is wise to learn and gather information about a new process before choosing to work with it. As the technology advances, new techniques and developments are launched in the market. Today, we will shed light on the various ways for sheet metal fabrication and its uses across several industries.

What is Sheet Metal Fabrication?

Metal fabrication is the technique of forming metal parts or structures out of raw metal materials. However, a variety of fabrication processes are used in the manufacturing of metal products.

Sheet metal fabrication includes a wide range of processes that are widely misunderstood. To simplify, we've put together a beginner's guide to sheet metal fabrication, also known as metal cutting, and the techniques involved.

Sheet metal fabrication is the production of metal structures through a range of methods. Sheets of steel or other metals are processed and assembled to form a bigger final product. 

Different processes such as welding, cutting, etc. are used to connect the smaller sections or parts of metal sheets. To form a larger metal product, all components are firmly connected with one another.

What are Sheet Metal Fabricators?

Metal fabricators deal in many techniques used in the sheet metal fabrication procedure. The job of a metal fabricator starts from the design phase stage to the final product assembly and preparation. For more details on sheet metal fabrication, look over the techniques in this blog.

Methods for Sheet Metal Fabrication

It is critical to understand the various techniques used in sheet metal fabrication in order to comprehend the formation of various parts. These sheet metal processing methods aid in the transformation of flat metal sheets into the three-dimensional, functional entity. The most popular sheet metal processing techniques are listed below.

How to Fabricate Sheet Metal?


1. Cutting

The very first stage in sheet metal fabrication is usually cutting. It consists, as the name implies of cutting the metal sheet. Manufacturers begin with a rectangle metal sheet and cut the material to size based on the customer's part design. There are multiple options to cut sheet metal.

Cutting metal sheets is viable using shear. It uses shear forces to split through the metal. This type of cutting involves three options: shearing, punching, and blanking. Fabricators perform the shear-free cutting. This is the best method for industrial projects that require precise cutting and shorter lead times.

Laser cutting is a popular method for cutting sheet metal. A laser cutter makes use of a powerful laser that has been magnified by a lens or mirror. It is a precise and energy-efficient machine for thin or medium gauge sheet metal, but it may be difficult to pierce through the hard materials.

Water jet cutting is another method of sheet metal cutting. Water jet cutting is a method of sheet metal fabrication that employs a high-pressure water jet (combined with an abrasive compound) to cut through the material. 

Water jet cutters are especially suitable for cutting metal sheets with low melting points because they generate no heat that could deform the metal.

Plasma cutting is a third option for sheet metal cutting. A plasma cutter generates an electrical stream of ionized gas that produces a jet of hot plasma that can easily penetrate even thick sheet metals. Plasma cutters are fast and powerful, with low setup costs, despite being less precise than laser or water jet cutters.

2. Stamping

Stamping is a cold-forming technique that shapes flat metal blanks into a variety of shapes. The process employs a tool and die that change the shape of the metal via shear pressure.

The term "stamping" refers to a broader category of sheet metal manufacturing. It includes punching, bending, and embossing. It also involves flanging, which means swiping the metal sheet in order to form flanges.

3. Bending

Another important phase in sheet metal fabrication is bending. It entails bending metal sheets, as the name implies. Sheet metal bending is performed by metal fabricators using brake pedals, rolling devices, and other equipment. The equipment sets produce standard forms such as U-bends and V-bends.

Despite how simple bending may appear to a casual onlooker, it is a rather a complicated task that necessitates the assistance of a highly skilled manufacturer. This is primarily due to the occurrence of "spring back," which occurs when metal inevitably attempts to restore its original version of the flat structure after curving. To solve this sheet metal fabrication issue, technicians must over-bend the part to achieve the desired spring-back angle.

4. Punching

Punching is a method of making openings and holes in a metal sheet. The method is based on a punching die (usually made from a hard metal). Shear force is used by the materials to pop open holes in the metal sheet. The residual material created by the hole is then collected by the die. Punching also aids in the formation of compression in the metal sheet.

5. Welding

Welding is one of the final step in the fabrication of sheet metal. It is a fundamental sheet metal process for attaching metal parts together to form a single part. Stick welding, MIG, and TIG are among the many welding techniques available.

Despite their differences in approach, all three serve the purpose of connecting metal together by melting the rim of the part and adding filler. This forms a good adhesion between the pieces, fusing them together strongly. Of course, welding is only required if a product has two or more separate parts.

6. Assembly

The assembly stage can range from simple welding to complicated electrical connections including wiring looms, PAT testing, and hardware installation. It depends on the particular final product. Insertion is the process of pressing a stud, nuts, or other components into a product to fasten it together.

7. Powder Coating

The powder coating process involves applying an electrically charged powder to a pre-charged metal part before curing it at high temperatures to create a long-lasting coating. Alpha employs an automated powder coating plant that employs an Oxsilan pre-treatment, drying, powder application, and stoving process.

Conclusion

Fabrication of sheet metal is both, an art and science. Its wide range of complexities and techniques necessitates a skilled metal fabricator for each project. Now that you have gotten a hang of the basics, let an expert help you further!