When a part needs forming, turning, welding, tapping or multiple fabrication processes, multiple considerations will help guide your design and material choices. These ultimately determine the success of your sheet metal fabrication project.
We can offer engineering and design advice as well as help guide material selection if necessary. Taking these factors into consideration can also ensure a timely production scheduled for small- to mid-sized runs and even prototypes. We’ve assembled seven aspects to consider when looking for sheet metal fabrication services:
Material
Availability
When designing a new part, consider which material will best suit that particular project. Selecting from among the most common material types will help ensure availability and facilitate your production timeline. Steel, stainless steel and aluminum are the most common, but thicknesses and finishes vary, and choices can narrow depending on project specifications.
Thickness
The formability of materials is affected by the material thickness. If quoting a new project or unsure about the best thickness to produce the desired results, consult with our engineering staff.
Finishes
There are a variety of different finishes in stainless steel such as 2B, brushed, mirror and plate finish. These finishes do have a range of availability depending on material thickness. For example, when stainless steel reaches 3/16-inch thick 2B finish becomes less available. Plate with mill finish is the common finish which is a much rougher finish. Both material thickness and finish will impact availability, timing and price with sheet metal fabrication and other services
Formability
When a material needs to be bent or shaped, the minimum bend radius is critical. As the material thickness or hardness increases, so does the minimum bend radius. The harder and thicker the material, the greater this factor increases. Sheet metal for example, runs in gauges from 26ga to 7ga in thickness, while steel plate starts at 3/16” and goes much higher. This will impact its formability, and depending on the forming that the piece needs, it might dictate a different material choice.
Ductility
High-strength materials and thicker materials are less ductile than thinner steel or 3003 soft aluminum. The latter can be bent to a sharper radius. The ductility of a metal is its ability to withstand tensile stress without becoming brittle or breaking. A good question to consider is: “When forming, will the part be formed across or with the grain?” This is usually a factor on Aluminum .063 and thicker especially alloys such as 6061T6.
Locations of holes or slots
This is a common engineered design factor. The design needs to consider where holes or slots, including tapped or threaded holes, will be located relative to any bend. Too close to the bend and the stress of forming will pull the hole out of shape. This design factor applies to putting a hole too near the material’s edge as well.
Hemming
If a project requires the material to include a hem. The material also needs to be soft enough—or have the right ductility—to be able to fold and bend without cracking. The width of the hem should be at least four times the material thickness.
Scaling
Looking to have a project powder coated? Laser cut parts brought in from an outside source have edge scale most of the time. Any laser scale must be removed; material cannot have scale or the powder coating will flake off because the laser scale is not adhered well enough to the base metal. Steel needs to be cold rolled or hot rolled, pickled and oiled (HRPO). Alloy doesn’t stock hot-rolled material but carries cold rolled and HRPO. In general, 24 to 16 gauge cold rolled steel, HRPO, stainless and aluminum are not affected by any finishing issues. Hot rolled steel that is not pickled can have moisture trapped under the scale and can cause bubbles in the powder coated finish.
Welding
If your part requires welding there are two processes from which to choose—MIG or TIG. Will the part be visible where the weld appearance matters or not? TIG welding produces a smoother, more visually attractive seam, but it also costs more than MIG welding because it takes longer. The different weld processes lend a different look to the finished part and cost and time considerations will help dictate the proper welding process for the project.
We are ready at Alloy Fabricators to help guide you through the design process and material selection for new or existing projects or parts. Going for a new look or trying to eliminate flaws? Contact us a call to discuss our sheet metal fabrication services. Find a full list of our capabilities and equipment, a recent expansion added considerably to our CNC service. Or just give us a call at 330-948-3535.