Fundamentals of Sheet Metal Fabrication
Blog | November 6th, 2017
Sometimes, when complex manufacturing techniques are being explored in great detail, the basics are skipped. Sure, the intricate methods, all the machine bells and whistles, they show off high-end machine shop capabilities, but where’s the heart and soul of the operation? Rather than dive straight into another impressive machining system, let’s return to the basics, a time ruled by the fundamentals of sheet metal fabrication.
Tried and Trusted Fabrication Methods
Sheet metal fabrication begins with the sourcing of the alloy panels. Is that metal corrosion resistant? What about chemicals and weathering? The spec sheet takes care of these design factors by consolidating the core requirements of the customer. Remember, all the workmanship in the world will prove next to useless if the steel sheets are improperly heat treated or simply sourced from a subpar steel manufacturing plant. From here, the blanks are stamped from the bulk material. The blanking process instantly cuts a section from the stock material. Alternatively, die cutting machinery can be substituted here, with the gear cutting a series of predetermined shapes out of the stock panels. Picture a floor filled with hydraulic presses and other state-of-the-art compression tools.
Adding Detail to Product Form
It’s worth taking a breath before launching into this next block of text. All things considered, this is where the bulk of the work takes place. Holes are punched and drilled. The metal is sheared by mechanical edges and plasma-based torches. Saws cut, chisels snap down with great force, and fastener apertures are marked. Over at a separate sheet metal fabrication station, brake presses and hammers are shaping the sheet and giving it a dimensional profile. CNC machines are now addressing this segment of the process. However, purpose-built fabrication tools possess plenty of functional modes, so they can easily stamp and bend the metal panels, as determined by the highest engineering tolerances.
The Additive Processing Phase
Up to this point, the tools have stamped blanks out of larger steel plates, holes have been cut through the sheets, and shears have sliced the sections to size. These are all subtractive sheet metal processing methods. Additive technology presses fasteners into the holes and welds supplementary components to lonesome workpieces. Welding equipment, just as one example, is used to apply seams to heat exchanger vessels so that the curved sheets properly form a sealed whole.
Even when the fundamentals have assured a perfectly fabricated product, we’re not done just yet. Sand and fluid blasting stations treat the thin metal sheets. They imbue the surfaces with special finishes and remove oxide coatings. In the end, a refined object rolls off the line. It’s heading to the packaging room, but only after it’s been inspected, commissioned, and classed as ready for shipping.
Stecor Engineering & Fabrication
1/13 Crawford St, Braeside VIC 3195
Mobile: 0419 562 284
Phone: (03) 9028 4130
Fax: (03) 8669 4400
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