A wide range of manufacturing processes is covered by the term “Sheet Metal Processing”. It’s the process of creating components, assemblies, products, and structural parts out of sheet metal by using a wide range of tools and techniques.
Sheet metal processing starts on the initial production stage, for both hard and soft sheets; for example, various elements can be added to steel in the liquid state. These elements determine the physical and mechanical properties of steel. Different characteristics of different alloys enable us to make sheets suitable for different applications.
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Is there a difference between sheet metalwork and sheet metal fabrication?
These are very close terms, but while both mean shaping the metal into the desired shape, metalwork includes actual sheet production, and fabrication describes working on the prefabricated metal sheet.
Metal sheet fab involves techniques such as cuttings, bending, welding, and/or assembly operations. It’s primarily considered a value-adding process that starts from processing semi-finished products and includes design and layout, cutting, bending, welding, and shaping.
What are the most common materials (alloys) used for sheet metalwork?
A wide range of alloys and metals, in sheet form, is used in manufacturing and fabrication. The engineer has to consider a wide range of critical factors, including conductivity, weldability, formability, hardness, weight, cost, and corrosion resistance of the material.
Some of the most common materials used in metal sheet fabrication are:
-Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel is the most common and comparatively expensive metal used in metalworking, which includes a variety of sheet metals that contain at least 10.5% chromium. There are a variety of grades available to offer corrosion resistance and commercially they have a common appearance. Austenitic or standard stainless steel (300 series steel plates) is universal and does not involve heat treatment during the manufacturing process. In addition to good corrosion resistance, these steels offer formability, and weldability as well.
Furthermore, Stainless steel can be used in many applications, including appliances, surgical instruments, and cabinet fittings. This steel is made of carbon steel and aluminum with a high content which makes high chromium-resistant metal. Stainless Steel is known for its distinctive polished silver mirror coating.
-Hot-rolled Steel (HRS)
Hot-rolled Steel is produced when steel is processed by a series of roll presses at extreme temperatures reaching or exceeding 1700°F. The only difference between hot-rolled steel and cold-rolled steel is the process, although both may be produced from the same alloy. This process produces a steel sheet that can be easily shaped or formed into large pieces. Hot-rolled steel is commonly used in Railroad tracks, Constructions, Pipes and tubes, Doors and shelving, Railway tracks, Vehicle frames, agricultural equipment, etc., and it has a lower cost than cold-rolled steel.
-Cold-rolled Steel (CRS)
Like hot-rolled steel, cold-rolled steel is exposed to high temperature as well and pressed with the same technique, but after that, it undergoes additional processing called “compression”, cold reduction mills, where hot-rolled steel is cooled to room temperature and re-rolled again. Hence it proved that cold-rolled steel has about 20% more strength and ductility compared to hot-rolled steel. Cold-rolled steel has better and smoother surfaces and high strength.
Cold-rolled steel is more rigid and stronger than hot-rolled steel, with high formability and better tolerances. Cold-rolled steel is widely used in aerospace parts, metal furniture structures, metal containers, computer cabinets, water heaters, and other home appliances.
-Aluminum
Aluminum is a lightweight metal. It is not combustible or magnetic and is a good conductor of heat and electricity. Aluminum offers high recyclability, good corrosion resistance and is generally easy to form and process. It comes in several different grades and weighs about one-third of other materials like copper, iron, brass, and steel. As it conducts heat well and is non-toxic metal, making it a good choice for cooking utensils. Aluminum can undergo welding, laser cutting, and machining. Aluminum sheets are typically used for automotive parts, electrical devices, air conditioning, refrigeration, cooking vessels, lithographic printing, and aerospace applications.
-Copper
Copper is not as common as steel or aluminum and is comparatively expensive but is still one of the more commonly used materials in sheet metal fabrication. It’s not as strong as steel or aluminum and can be challenging to work with during machining or welding. Copper is popular due to its impeccable electrical and thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, ductility, malleability, and natural antimicrobial properties, making it useful in marine and other industries.
-Brass
Like copper, brass is used rarely, much less than steel or aluminum. It is highly malleable and has good corrosion resistance. It’s a combination of zinc and copper and is often used for nuts, bolts, pipe fitting, doorknobs, nuts, bolts, furniture trim, musical instruments, etc.
Metal sheet fabrication industry trends
The global manufacturing market has many stable businesses, one of them being metal fabrication. Metalwork (metal fabrication) is one of the steadiest industries since the beginning of the industrial revolution, but it is also changing by the day at an extreme pace. It has to adjust to the new technologies and machinery all the time, to be able to keep up with the market demand. As always, the market will continue to change in the coming years, the metal fabrication industry will get an advantage by maintaining a lot of versatility, expansion, and flexibility.
Some of the near future trends for sheet metal fabrication:
-ROBOTICS
Although other industries fret about introducing robots to do the work due to issues and fears of robots replacing human labor. Although this threat still remains, in the metal fabrication industry, robots are assigned to do tasks that are normally repetitive in nature, heavy, challenging, and at risk for human health and wellbeing. Above all, robots don’t make demands, don’t go on strike, and don’t need time off. So thus, businesses can work efficiently.
-AUTOMATION
Automation of any type of process is a huge time and power saver as it increases productivity, overall efficiency, and all sorts of outputs with an endless horizon. Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machines are a preferred choice at the beginning of automation in companies that have metal fabrication as the primary source of income.
-3D PRINTING
3D Printing is gaining space at a rapid pace in the modern industry and global markets for a wide range of applications. Moreover, the art of 3D printing may become a more famous mainstay for a massive diversity of industries in the near future. This type of metal fabrication is extremely effective and is very versatile. It will become an enormous kickstart for companies in the future as at present, it is in the development stage and needs to develop optimum solutions for 3D printing with commercial metals and alloys. Still, it is a valuable technology that will certainly earn its stripes in the foreseeable future and will be useful in the metal fabrication industry.
-RESHORING
In the market of metal fabrication, “reshoring” is when any company from any country moves back to the place it originated from. Except for the American industries which have grown overseas, in the present years, metal fabrication has participated in the latest reshoring actions.
Because of common emerging, robotics, automation, and other innovative technologies, many skilled workers and traders have managed to bring the metal fabrication industry to heights like never before.