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Sheet Metal Fabrication processing is an industry term, which is simply understood as processing different Sheet Metal Materials (carbon steel sheet/ copper sheet / galvanized sheet metal/ cold rolled plate / hot rolled plate /spcc/ stainless steel (201, 304, 316) sheet / aluminum steel sheet) into required finished Custom Sheet Metal Parts according to their different needs, such as (chassis shell, machine tool shell, distribution box, control cabinet, network chassis cabinet, automotive precision parts, etc.).
According to the survey: sheet metal parts account for 60% to 70% of automotive industrial parts; airport sheet metal parts account for more than 40% of the total number of accessories; electromechanical engineering, instruments and equipment, and instrument panels account for the number of manufactured accessories 60%~70%; sheet metal parts in electronic equipment account for more than 85% of the number of accessories; sheet metal parts for daily utensils on the market account for more than 90% of the total metal manufacturing.
The Processing Flow of Sheet Metal Fabrication technology is roughly divided into: 1. Blanking 2. Bending 3. Stretching 4. Welding 5. Plastic spraying 6. Inspection 7. Warehousing.
1. Fast processing speed
The significant advantage of sheet metal processing technology is its fast cutting speed, which is not limited by the number of processes. This means that significant amounts of time can be saved in regards to processing a special shaped workpiece, since it does not require tool changes.
This ability to swiftly position and cut significantly increases the processing speed compared to wire cutting machines.
2. Obvious effect
Laser cutting in sheet metal processing belongs to non-contact cutting, which has little influence on the cutting edge by heating, and can avoid the adverse effect of thermal deformation of the workpiece.
Moreover, it can completely avoid the edge collapse formed during material punching and shearing, and generally, there is no need for secondary processing for seam cutting, which improves the work efficiency to a certain extent
At the meantime, its cutting head will not contact with the material surface, so as to effectively ensure that the workpiece is not scratched.
3. Not limited by material properties
Sheet metal processing can be used for rapid processing of aluminum alloy plates and cemented carbides. No matter how high the hardness is, it can be cut without deformation. And its processing flexibility is very good. It can not only process any kind of graphics, but also cut pipes and other strange materials.
And for most non-metallic materials, it can also be cut quickly and efficiently, so it will not be limited by any material properties.
1. Blanking: mainly digital punching and laser cutting. Digital punching refers to the processing with numerical control punching machine. The thickness range of plates is: cold rolled and hot rolled plates ≤ 3mm, aluminum plates ≤ 4mm, stainless steel ≤ 2mm.
Punching has significant size requirements which relate to the shape of the hole and the material's thickness and performance. Laser cutting utilizes laser flight cutting, with processing range for cold rolled and hot rolled plates at a maximum of 20mm in thickness, while stainless steel is limited to 10mm max.
This method has advantages that include significant plate thickness capability, fast formation of workpieces, and flexible processing, but cannot process mesh parts or form them. Additionally, the cost associated with laser cutting is significant in comparison to other manufacturing processes.
2. Bending: the bending part has the minimum bending radius. When the material is bent, the outer layer is stretched and the inner layer is compressed on the fillet area. When the thickness of the material is constant, the smaller the inner bending radius is, the more serious the tension and compression of the material are; When the tensile force of the outer layer exceeds the limit of the material, fracture and fracture will occur.
3. Stretching is a significant factor in manufacturing parts. During the stretching process, the fillet radius between the bottom of the stretched part and the straight wall should be greater than the plate thickness. Moreover, it is important to note that the material thickness will change after stretching.
Generally, the center of the bottom will maintain its original thickness while both the material at the bottom fillet and fillet around the rectangular stretched part will become thicker. On the other hand, near the flange, at top of part, you will find that the material becomes thinner on account of stretching.
4. Welding: mainly electric arc welding and gas welding.
① Arc welding is flexible, mobile, widely applicable, and can be used for all position welding; The equipment used has the advantages of simple, good durability and low maintenance cost. However, the labor intensity is high and the quality is not stable enough, which depends on the level of the operator. It is suitable for welding carbon steel, low alloy steel, copper, aluminum and other non-ferrous alloys above 3mm.
② The temperature and properties of gas welding flame can be adjusted. Compared with electric arc welding, the heat source is wider than the heat affected zone, the heat is not as concentrated as the arc, and the productivity is low. It is applied to the welding of thin-walled structures and small pieces, and can weld steel, cast iron, aluminum, copper and its alloys, cemented carbide, etc.
5. Plastic spraying: automatically spray oil and powder on the surface of hardware parts through ovens and other machines, so as to make the appearance of products bright and beautiful, and meet the needs of packaging and shipping.
6. Inspection: the product production process is controlled by the quality inspection department in real time to reduce production losses and defective rate and ensure production quality.
7. Warehousing: products that have gone through the above processes can be packaged and warehoused after they have met the requirements of warehousing and ready for shipment.
MIC-ZG offers sheet metal fabrication for the production of different products, structures and parts. We can provide different manufacturing processes including stamping, welding, bending, assembly, laser cutting, etc. Engineers can bend, fold or cut different sheet metal materials to form any shape customers need.
We are equipped with advanced fabrication equipment such as special tools. MIC-ZG has high-quality chop saws, band saws, and other tools that are essential for sheet metal fabrication.
MIC-ZG is also integrated with world-class press brakes. It allows us to create a very sharp angle and bend to the sheet metal. Different industries such as aerospace, automotive, and construction can benefit from our sheet metal fabrication.
If you need Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication Services, choose MIC-ZG as your manufacturer!
MIC-ZG has 23 years In China Custom Sheet Metal Parts Manufacturing.At the same time, we are quite familiar with various technologies and processes of sheet metal manufacturing process.
The main processes of sheet metal processing include cutting and blanking, CNC bending, punching and shearing, stamping, rounding, riveting, welding and other methods. It can also be said to be the working principle and operation method of various equipment.
All sheet metal processing processes are based on careful design and specification of product drawings by sheet metal engineers before operation. The main process terms are: blanking, riveting, bending, cutting, blanking, punching, riveting, pulling mother, pulling riveting, riveting, chamfering, forming, punching convex hull, punching and tearing, punching, expanding Hole, punching, chamfering, back thread, drawing hole, tapping, leveling, drilling, countersinking, leveling, welding, spraying, assembling, etc.
MIC-ZG has been an industry leader in sheet metal fabrication for 23 years and has developed solid partnerships with over 3,000 enterprises.
With a large team of professional engineers and the use of state-of-the-art equipment, MIC-ZG is able to complete orders quickly whether you have standard or fine tolerance requirements and grades 6, 7, or 8.
MIC-ZG can even customize orders to match your individual ideas and provide you with all of the necessary advice along the way.
Quality assurance, professional experience, rapid deliveries, and customization make MIC-ZG stand out from the competition.
Advantageous Material Choosing: We have the most comprehensive production facilities, which can process almost all available materials.
Our company does sheet metal processing, and we will definitely encounter the processing of various materials, that is, a lot of materials are used.
Sheet metal processing materials commonly used in sheet metal processing are galvanized steel, copper (copper) brass and copper, beryllium copper, aluminum plate (6061, 6063 and duralumin), Aluminum profiles, stainless steel (mirror, drawn and frosted) as well as cold rolled sheet (SPCC) and hot rolled sheet (SHCC) as well as, depending on the function of the product, usually need to choose the material from the product, usage and consumption costs.
Commonly used material in Sheet Metal
1. Galvanized steel sheet SECC
The base material of SECCO is ordinary cold-rolled steel coil, which becomes electro-galvanized product after degreasing, pickling, electroplating and various post-treatment processes on the continuous electro-galvanizing production line.
SECC not only has the mechanical properties and similar workability of ordinary cold-rolled steel sheets, but also has excellent corrosion resistance and decorative appearance. It is highly competitive and fungible in the electronics, home appliances and furniture markets. For example, SECC is often used in computer cases.
2. Ordinary cold rolled steel plate SPCC
SPCC refers to the continuous rolling of steel ingots into coils or sheets of desired thickness through a cold rolling mill. The surface of SPCC is not protected, and it is easily oxidized when exposed to the air.
Especially in a humid environment, the oxidation speed is accelerated, and dark red rust appears. When in use, the surface should be painted, plated or otherwise protected.
3. SGCC hot-dip galvanized steel sheet
Hot-dip galvanized steel coil refers to the semi-finished product after hot-rolling, pickling or cold-rolling. After cleaning and annealing, it is immersed in a molten zinc bath at about 460 ° C to make the steel plate coated with a zinc layer, and then quenched and tempered, leveled and chemically treated.
SGCC materials are hard materials, poor ductility (avoid deep drawing design), thick zinc layer, and poor welding performance.
4. Stainless steel SUS304
One of the most widely used stainless steels, containing Ni (nickel), has better corrosion and heat resistance than steels containing Cr (chromium), and has very good mechanical properties, no heat treatment hardening, and no elasticity.
5. Stainless steel SUS301
Compared with SUS304, the Cr (chromium) content is lower and the corrosion resistance is poor. But after cold working, good tensile force, hardness and elasticity can be obtained in the stamping process, and it is mostly used for spring sheets and anti-electromagnetic interference.
Sheet Steel Gauge Conversion Chart
How Thin And Thick about sheet metals, is specified by gauge. The table below shows the actual thickness of sheet steel in millimetres and inches compared to gauge size. These dimensions vary slightly between different materials such as stainless steel and aluminium - but should be accurate enough for most everyday purposes.
| Gauge No | Inch | Metric |
| 0 | 0.324" | 8.2mm |
| 1 | 0.300" | 7.6mm |
| 2 | 0.276" | 7.0mm |
| 3 | 0.252" | 6.4mm |
| 4 | 0.232" | 5.9mm |
| 5 | 0.212" | 5.4mm |
| 6 | 0.192" | 4.9mm |
| 7 | 0.176" | 4.5mm |
| 8 | 0.160" | 4.1mm |
| 9 | 0.144" | 3.7mm |
| 10 | 0.128" | 3.2mm |
| 11 | 0.116" | 2.9mm |
| 12 | 0.104" | 2.6mm |
| 13 | 0.092" | 2.3mm |
| 14 | 0.080" | 2.0mm |
| 15 | 0.072" | 1.8mm |
| 16 | 0.064" | 1.6mm |
| 17 | 0.056" | 1.4mm |
| 18 | 0.048" | 1.2mm |
| 19 | 0.040" | 1.0mm |
| 20 | 0.036" | 0.9mm |
| 21 | 0.032" | 0.8mm |
| 22 | 0.028" | 0.7mm |
| 23 | 0.024" | 0.6mm |
| 25 | 0.020" | 0.5mm |
| 26 | 0.018" | 0.45mm |
| 27 | 0.0164" | 0.42mm |
| 28 | 0.0148" | 0.37mm |
| 29 | 0.0136" | 0.34mm |
| 30 | 0.0124" | 0.31mm |
| 31 | 0.0116" | 0.29mm |
| 32 | 0.0108" | 0.27mm |
| 33 | 0.0100" | 0.25mm |
| 34 | 0.0092" | 0.23mm |
| 35 | 0.0084" | 0.21mm |
| 36 | 0.0076" | 0.19mm |
| 37 | 0.0068" | 0.17mm |
| 38 | 0.0060" | 0.15mm |
| 39 | 0.0052" | 0.13mm |
| 40 | 0.0048" | 0.12mm |
You can leave the message to learn more detail about thickness and other Specifications of sheet metals that we can provide.
Generally speaking, sheet metal processing price is composed of the above parts, including packaging cost, sheet metal price management cost, raw material cost, hardware accessories cost, sheet metal processing cost, etc. Sheet metal processing is a complex process, so the cost of sheet metal processing also includes many aspects, which is also natural.
1. Packaging cost
The purchase cost of packaging materials required according to the product transportation mode and packaging requirements. Transportation cost: the transportation cost required for each delivery batch is amortized to the cost of each product.
2. Sheet metal price management expenses
Organize and manage various expenses incurred in production and operation activities.
3. Raw material cost (also the largest cost)
Usually refers to the net material cost of the metal plate required by the sheet metal part, and the maximum length width dimension expanded according to the part drawing × thickness × Density, material cost = material weight × Unit price of materials.
4. Cost of hardware accessories
It refers to the purchase cost of complete sets of accessories such as locks, hinges, handles, nameplates, rivets or fastening standard parts according to the requirements of product drawings.
5. Sheet metal processing cost
It refers to the cost required by the product processing process. Processing cost usually consists of depreciation and amortization, labor time cost and auxiliary materials required for processing.
You can directly click Price of Our Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication Service to know the actual quotation.
