Sheet Metal on IndustryNet

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Sheet metal is metal formed by industrial process into thin, flat pieces and is one of the fundamental forms used in metal-working.

Sheet metal is usually formed cold, however, warm or hot working of parts is possible. Sheet manufacturing produces parts that typically have high strength, good surface and accurate tolerances.

Sheet metal is used in the manufacture of:

• Cars

• Trains

• Aircraft

• Farm equipment

• Office equipment

• Furniture

• House appliances

• Computers

Common operations include:

• Stretching

• Drawing

• Deep drawing (combination of drawing and stretching)

• Bending/flanging

• Punching/shearing

• Spinning

• Press formation – sheet metal work carried out on a power press

The Mechanics of Sheet Metal

Mechanical behavior of metal is important to understand when manufacturing sheet metal:

• A desirable property for metals is a large plastic deformation before necking

• A high total elongation of the metal before fracture is also desirable for sheet metal forming

• Arisotrophy is also an important factor that the material has to react differently to applied stress. A complex distribution of forces is created. Material elements experience different amounts and proportion of bi-axles street and strain depending upon their location within the work

The raw material for sheet metal manufacturing processes is the output of the rolling process. Sheets of metals are sold as flat rectangular sheets or standard sizes. If the sheets are thin and very long, they maybe in the form of rolls and therefore, the first step is to cut the correct shape and sized “blank” form larger sheet.Typically, all wrought metals are suitable for sheet metal working.

Some steels have been specifically developed for sheet metal work:

• Low carbon steels – up to about 0.15%C –are most suitable

• Killer steel – producing a fine grain using aluminum additions which produces high n and r values which are suitable for severe drawing operation

• High strength - low alloy steels are becoming widely used

Many sheet metal is formed with pre-applied coatings:

• Tin plate

• Galvanized steel sheet

• Terre plate

• Aluminum

• Paint and polymer

The forming of sheet metal can be performed using mechanical tools with air or liquid , mechanically or with the use of explosion. Special sheet metal process include super-plastic forming and press hardening, as well as hot forming of aluminum and magnesium.

Purchasing Tip:

• Take the time to become knowledgeable about the item in question like the gauge of piece of sheet metal and the project it is needed for

• Consider the needs and then evaluate price by comparison

• Review the details of the metal building agreement- for instance, special specifications discussed during the planning process must be included in the agreement

• When writing up the contract, paying attention to all details is of vital importance as all aspects of the contract should be carefully noted and agreed upon prior to purchase – the contract must also include the agreement with manufacturers, documents with brokers if they are involved and agreements with sub-contractors on labor.

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