Manufacturing any product out of metal requires sheet metal fabrication. It is the fundamental process of taking a plain sheet of metal and forming it into the shape required for a part or component part of a larger manufactured good. Companies in the computer, electronics, medical equipment, and appliance industries are common sheet metal fabrication users. They require metal fabricated parts for a wide variety of projects. Some fabricated metal components are large, such as those needed for a household appliance, while other are tiny, such as those often needed by the computer and electronics industry.
There are three methods of sheet metal fabrication: cutting, forming, and finishing. Anything constructed of or containing metal must go through one of these processes. Here is a detailed description of each:
Cutting
Cutting is just what it sounds like, the process of cutting sheet metal into smaller pieces. However, one cut does not fit all. The size and application of the fabricated part indicates which cutting process is employed. Shearing uses a cutting machine to cut large pieces of metal into smaller ones. Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) uses an electrode spark to melt conductive materials. Abrasive cutting uses a saw to cut through the metal. Precision parts require laser cutting.
Forming
Once the metal has been cut using one of the above processes, it must be formed.
Depending on the specifications, one or more forming processes are employed. Metal can be shaped through the rolling process, which uses a roll stand to roll over the metal. Bending and forming are the methods of shaping metal by hand. If the metal requires a design, we employ the metal stamping process. When necessary, metal pieces are joined through welding.
Finishing
No metal product is ready to ship until is has gone through finishing. During this process, all rough spots and edges are made smooth. The parts are cleaned and rinsed so they are ready as soon as they are shipped.
Sheet metal fabrication requires a provider with the equipment and experience to create metal components that fit the often tight specifications of many manufacturing projects. The components must also be durable, so they support the finished product’s quality. We have provided this level of service and quality in our manufacturing division for decades. Many Silicon Valley companies have come to rely on us for fast and high-quality sheet metal parts. If you need a sheet metal fabricator, call us today (408) 295-2182