Sheet metal is a thin and formable material that offers varying levels of corrosion resistance, durability, weight, and tensile strength. Due to their material properties, some types of sheet metal are better than others for fabrication. Here we will explore the types of sheet metal ideal for fabrication, including their respective benefits and applications.
Galvanized Steel
Galvanized steel comes in two types: hot-dipped metallic-coated sheets and electro-galvanized sheets. Hot-dipped metallic-coated sheet metal is made by coating cold-rolled steel plates with an iron-zinc alloy and pure zinc mixture. Electro-galvanized sheets are made by applying a pure zinc spangle-free coating to cold-rolled annealed steel. Generally, hot-dipped metallic coated sheets are more economical and corrosion-resistant than electro-galvanized sheets.
Various applications rely on galvanized steel sheets. They offer an excellent base material for fabricating furniture, bolts, nuts, handrails, and fences. They can also act as insulation, improving the heat resistance of metallic piping systems.
Cold-Rolled Steel
Cold-rolled steel, or CRS, is hot-rolled steel that has undergone another rolling process at room temperature. This extra cold-rolling process helps the sheet achieve tighter tolerances and more finishing options. Compared to hot-rolled steel, cold-rolled steel has 20% more strength and a smoother finish. The Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) classifies commercial cold-rolled carbon steel as SPCC. Automotive parts, containers, appliances, construction, and other galvanized steel products rely on SPCC.
The following are two prevalent cold-rolled steel alloys:
1008: A steel grade that is preferred for its formability. It can be used in cold forming and drawing operations.
1018: A carbon steel alloy with easy machining for high-strength structural parts, bolts, gears, and other components.
Aluminum
Aluminum is extensively used in sheet metal fabrication and manufacturing applications. Thin aluminum sheets deliver excellent corrosion resistance in a lightweight package. The material is also easy to work with due to its low melting point, density, and exceptional ductility. Aluminum can be formed into different shapes when melted, as it is receptive to machining, welding, and laser cutting. The metal is preferred for weight-sensitive applications, such as aerospace, automotive, and electronic components.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is preferred for applications where frequent moisture exposure is expected. The chromium content in stainless steel provides corrosion resistance in damp and harsh conditions. Structures like office buildings and products like kitchen sinks rely on stainless steel fabrication to provide product longevity. Stainless steel is a common material in everyday items as well as industrial processes. For example, stainless steel is often used in heavy industrial equipment, where it can resist various harsh liquids and chemicals.
Brass
Brass provides excellent acoustic properties, making it a preferred material for musical instruments such as trumpets, trombones, and French horns. The material has an aesthetically appealing gold color and is used in decorative products like fittings and architectural accents. Brass is also highly functional due to its material properties:
High tensile strength
Corrosion resistance
Lightweight
Low melting point for weldability and sheet metal forming
Low friction
High malleability
Copper
Copper is a corrosion- and heat-resistant material with an exceptional electrical conductivity that similar metals do not offer. Because it can easily transfer heat and electricity, copper is ideal for producing electrical wire. Copper’s heat conductivity makes it a good material for automobile radiators, pipes, tubes, pots, pans, and electronic heatsinks. Copper is the preferred metal for wiring and other conduction-related applications. It also has a unique and aesthetically pleasing finish and color, making it a favored material for residential gutters and other decorative applications.
Sheet Metal Forming and Fabrication From Pyramid Fab and Finish
Sheet metal offers a variety of different properties to suit diverse applications and industries. At Pyramid Fab and Finish, we offer sheet metal fabrication, forming, and finishing services for various metallic materials. Our material options include galvanized steel, cold-rolled steel, hot-rolled steel, galvannealed steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and copper.
Did you know that custom sheet metal fabrication is a process that can be used to create anything from large electronic enclosures to medical control boxes and anything in between? It’s a versatile technology with many applications, and there are some interesting facts about it that you may not know. This blog post will share some of the most interesting things about custom sheet metal fabrication, its uses, and more!
What is Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication?
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Custom sheet metal fabrication refers to the process of forming metal materials to create an end component. This can be done through various methods, including welding, machining, punching, shearing, bending, and forming. The result is a product specifically designed to meet the customer’s needs. Custom sheet metal fabrication is used in various industries, including automotive, aerospace, electronics, medical, and lighting. In many cases, it is the only way to create a part or product that meets the specific requirements of the application. As a result, custom sheet metal fabrication is one of the critical processes in manufacturing today.
Standard Sheet Metal Fabrication Process
To begin the custom sheet metal fabrication process, draftspersons create preliminary drawings of the desired product. These drawings are then analyzed and revised to account for things like weight, stress points, and potential failure points.
Once the blueprints are finalized, the fabrication of the project can begin. The process can involve many steps, including shearing, punching, forming, hardware insertion, and welding according to the specifications of the drawings. The last step is to finish the product, which may involve sandblasting, painting, powder coating, anodizing, or other finishing treatments.
Projects can vary greatly in scope, from small metal components to large custom enclosures. Custom sheet metal fabrication is often used when a project requires parts that are not standard or readily available. Additionally, one-stop-shop metal fabricators can simplify complicated projects that normally would have to be sourced from multiple vendors.
Project Examples
Metal fabrication projects are categorized into the two following classifications:
Commercial Sheet Metal Fabrication
Commercial metal fabrication refers to the process of creating consumer goods. This may include appliances, custom pizza ovens, fireplaces, shelving, and any other metal goods designed for use by the general public.
Industrial Sheet Metal Fabrication
Industrial metal fabrication includes creating metal components that become a part of other industrial equipment. This could include metal components for lighting fixtures, enclosures for electronics, barcode label printer catchers, battery storage cabinets, or any other type of sheet metal housings.
Many everyday objects are the result of metal fabrication processes, including:
Electronic equipment such as computers, circuit breaker panels, and control boxes that contain numerous small components that must be housed and protected to function properly.
Brackets and Busbars are examples of small-but-essential metal parts that have consistent requirements that metal fabrication is capable of achieving.
Enclosures and Cabinets are products that require various fabrication technologies to achieve high quality and repeatable results for OEM applications.
Industrial lighting requires custom metal fabrication to produce lighting fixtures, components, and housings for a wide range of industrial applications
Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication from Pyramid Fab & Finish
As a one-stop-shop for custom sheet metal material fabrication, we can accommodate the fabrication of both small and large components. Our team has the experience and expertise to complete the job efficiently and on time. We work with a range of sheet metal materials including:
Galvanized sheet metal
Galvannealed sheet metal
Aluminum sheet metal
Copper sheet metal
Cold rolled sheet metal
Check out our sheet metal fabrication page for more information on our services, or contact us today to get started!
Oftentimes manufacturers will look for a custom metal fabricator based on capabilities, production, or process. In many cases, they end up with multiple vendors to accomplish the necessary steps required to create the desired end component to their specifications. Unfortunately, this can lead to some challenges in quality, cost control, and communication that could negatively impact the efficiency of the production process.
Instead of sourcing multiple vendors, manufacturers should look for a full-service sheet metal fabrication company to achieve more control over cost and quality and ensure the delivery of high-quality products that exceed expectations. Here are some things you should know when looking for a full-service partner.
What Does It Mean to Be a Full-Service Sheet Metal Fabrication Company?
A full-service sheet metal fabrication company has different departments specializing in different duties and responsibilities all under one roof. For a metal fabrication scompany to be considered full-service, it must have multiple in-house capabilities.
Some of these capabilities could include the following:
Cutting
Shearing
Deburring
Hardware insertion
Spot Welding
Machining
Punching
Inspection and Quality Control
Powder Coating
Forming
Benefits of Working With a Full-Service Sheet Metal Fabrication Company
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Some of the benefits of working with a full-service metal fabrication service like Pyramid Fab and Finish include:
In-house manufacturing: One of the biggest benefits of our precision sheet metal fabrication techniques is that all manufacturing, with the exception of some welding services, is done in-house. Meaning your parts will not be moved to different vendors throughout the manufacturing process. As a result, we can carefully monitor your project from the first stage to the last.
Customer service: A full-service fabricator is more likely to be more familiar with their clients, the needs, and their projects. When dealing with many vendors, you may not know where your part is or the status of your project at any given time. If your partner with a full-service company, you’ll know who to contact to learn about the status of your project.
Reduced costs: Generally speaking, full-service fabricators will be cheaper than using multiple vendors. Also, keep in mind full-service companies don’t need to worry about the costs of transporting parts from one facility to another, and therefore transfer these cost savings to the client.
Continuity in technology and processes: Another advantage of working with a full-service metal fabrication company is that the prototypes and the production parts are produced on the same machinery. Meaning, you get a final part that functions exactly as the prototype used for testing.
Communication: When you work with a full-service metal fabricator, miscommunication is less likely to occur, and when it does, it can be corrected quickly. All production is done in-house, and if there is any confusion, it is easy for one department to communicate with the other department to clear things up.
Time: A full-service fabrication company is ideal if time is of the essence. A full-service metal fabricator doesn’t need to send the parts to other vendors or wait for design information or materials. Therefore, they can get the parts to you quickly.
Pyramid Fab and Finish: Your One-Stop Full-Service Metal Fabrication Company
From simple to complex parts, Pyramid Fab and Finish delivers superior products and exceptional customer service. At Pyramid Fab and Finish, we leverage sheet metal fabrication techniques to create high-quality precision components for customers in various industries. We provide accurate one-stop-shop solutions for our clients owing to a fully stocked, highly advanced production facility. In most cases your project will ship complete with no outsourcing required. Regardless of your sheet metal fabrication requirements, we have the skills and tools to meet them.
Sheet metal fabrication involves a variety of procedures, such as cutting, forming, assembly, and finish, that transform sheet metal into working components for numerous applications. This highly valuable production process is compatible with a wide range of materials and can accommodate production runs. To gain a better understanding of sheet metal fabrication, this page will provide an overview of each step of the process.
What Is Sheet Metal Fabrication?
Sheet metal fabrication describes a series of procedures that create parts, machines, and structures from sheet metal. It is a low-cost option for manufacturing flat or hollow parts. Fabrication shops use sheet metal manufacturing processes to serve a variety of industrial and consumer applications across industries such as aerospace, energy, robotics, and automotive.
Sheet metal fabrication transforms the metal to meet the specific project requirements. Common material options include:
Steel is known for its strength and durability.
Lightweight, strong, and formable at lower temperatures, aluminum is used in aerospace, refrigeration, and many other industries.
Copper is a decorative metal, but it also has useful properties for forming, including malleability, electrical conductivity, and corrosion resistance.
Cutting is a subtractive process that removes sections of the metal with or without shear. Methods include cutting, blanking, and shearing. Shear cutting is best for parts that don’t require a high level of precision, such as nonindustrial products. Non-shear cutting is the preferred method for industrial products and utilizes techniques such as machining, laser cutting, waterjet cutting, and plasma.
Forming changes the shape of metal without cutting. Forming can easily transform the metal by stamping, bending, stretching, or rolling. Stamping uses a tool and die to imprint a shape into the metal. Techniques include drawing, curling, flagging, embossing, and hemming. It may take one or more progressive dies to form the metal to the right dimensions.
Bending creates v-shaped, u-shaped, and channel-shaped geometries by applying pressure to part of the metal. It is accomplished either by hand or using press brakes. Stretching extends the metal by pulling, and rolling reduces the thickness by compressing the full sheet of metal between two rollers.
Assembly
During this procedure, parts are assembled using clamps, fasteners, bolts, screws. Typical assembly processes involve brazing, welding, riveting, or bonding with adhesives to connect components. Punching may be necessary to create holes for rivets, screws, bolts, and other fasteners. This part of sheet metal fabrication is crucial, as it joins components together to make a usable part or machine.
Finish
Finishing refers to processes that occur after fabrication to enhance the function or aesthetics of the metal. It includes sandblasting, deburring, annealing, and coating. Finishing techniques are used to polish metal to a high shine or clean up welds or rough edges. The objective of finishing is to provide additional protective qualities like corrosion resistance along with providing a more attractive appearance.
Partner with Pyramid Fab and Finish
The quality of your sheet metal products depends upon experience, training, and expertise. Pyramid Fab and Finish has over 40 years of experience in custom sheet metal fabrication. Our customers return to us time and again for our attention to detail, commitment to quality, and world-class customer service. Our team will work with you to determine the ideal forming procedures depending upon your chosen material, industry, and application. Contact us today to learn more.
