The overall process of sheet metal fabrication often involves several techniques that begin with joining, cutting, and forming metal components for a wide range of applications. Whether you’re going to be building advanced machinery or complex structures to produce finished products, proper sheet metal fabrication processes can be essential to receiving a quality finished product. Here is a closer look at each aspect of the fabrication process:
Cutting
Metal cutting is often divided into sheer and non-sheer fabrication techniques. Shear cutting is common in nonindustrial components in end products and it involves the process of shearing off what is needed with blanking or a single blade.
Non-Shear is a process that’s designed for integral parts and it often involves laser cutting, plasma cutting, or shearing down the sheet metal with drillbits or lathes in machining.
Forming
The forming process involves bending and deforming the material into the desired shape. Bending can be accomplished through a press brake system for custom V bends and U bends. Stretching involves lengthening the metal with a mechanically operated tool like a stretcher, hammer, and dolly or choosing an English wheel for extending and compounding curves.
Joining
Joining is the process of sheet metal fabrication that joins together various steel materials by riveting, brazing, welding, or set adhesives. Welding is a process that fuses together sheets of metals adding a filler. Blazing joins the metals melting a filler between them rather than melting the sheets and adding material. There are also structural adhesives that can be used to bond materials together.
Finishing
After all, materials have been bonded together there’s a finishing process that enhances the strength of the end product. Fishing techniques often involve sandblasting, deburring, coating, annealing, and other solutions to improve corrosion resistance and to maximize strength. Fishing can also increase conductivity for electronic components.
The entire sheet-metal manufacturing process can combine a series of raw materials into the designs that are required for flexible and versatile product manufacturing. If you’re interested in working with an experienced metal fabrication company, contact us today for more information.
This article was written by Tyler Duoos, Tyler is the owner of General Saw Company. General Saw Company takes pride in being a leader in sheet metal fabrication services to Central Florida and its surrounding areas. If you are looking for Metal Fabrication Companies to get the job done right the first time we got you covered!
