Designing for sheet metal fabrication
Designing Sheet Metal Components Using Laser Cutting and CNC Sheet Bending – Product designs begin with CAD files and in order to get the parts or products you desire; those CAD files should follow specific design requirements. Discover which ones in this guide.
Design Tips for Stamping Parts with Progressive Dies – Progressive die stamping for sheet metal fabrication is a complex process. We’ve included several design tips in this guide to help you along the process.
Preparing technical drawings for your sheet metal fabricator – Design precision can be critical for many sheet metal fabricated parts. This guide will help you to prevent ending with something that fails, can’t be assembled, or simply doesn’t meet your expectations.
Which CAD software is right for your sheet metal project – Designing for sheet metal fabrication requires specialized CAD tools to create a design that fabricators can successfully turn into your parts. This guide will help you to choose the best fit for your project.
Design your sheet metal parts to accommodate hardware – There are a variety of hardware options for different sheet metal fabricated parts. This guide will help you choose the best ones for your project.
Sheet metal fabrication processes
Choosing the right sheet metal fabrication process – There are many different options when using sheet metal to fabricate a product. In this guide we outline some of the most common sheet metal fabrication processes along with their advantages and disadvantages.
Metal Finishing Choices for Sheet Metal Fabrication – Before fabricating sheet metal you need to choose metal finishing. This guide will explain you how to make your choice.
Differentiating Air Bending and Bottom Bending for Sheet Metal Fabrication – Air bending and bottom bending are two of the most common ways to create a bend during sheet metal fabrication. Discover in this guide the advantages and disadvantages of each bending.
How to avoid powder coating quality issues – Many of the common issues you’ll experience with powder coating can be avoided by making the right decisions about the pre-treatment process and the powder specifications. Learn more in this guide.
How to choose a surface finish for my sheet metal product – In this guide we discuss surfaces preparation and surface finishes which removes material from the part surface to improve the finishing performance and appearance post finishing.
Galvanic Corrosion: Why it happens and how to avoid it – 3 things are required for galvanic corrosion to occur: two electrochemically dissimilar metals, an electrolyte solution and electrical contact between the metals. This guide will tell you more about galvanic corrosion and how to avoid it.
Moving to progressive stamping for high volume sheet metal parts – Discover what is Progressive stamping and how it can help to fabricate high volumes of complex sheet metal parts quickly.
Value add operations for sheet metal components – Some sheet metal fabricators offer additional value add services so they can deliver a complete part that is ready for use. Depending on your design and fabrication plans, you may want to look for a fabricator who can offer some of the additional services listed in this guide.
Material for sheet metal fabrication
Selecting the best material for your sheet metal fabrication – The sheet metal used in fabrication includes a very broad list of possible materials. Making the best choice for your product includes decisions about the type of metal, it’s thickness, and a choice of form.
How Material Properties Impact Air Bending Precision and Tolerances – Bending tolerances are a crucial part of your sheet metal fabrication. For parts requiring precision fabrication, be sure you understand what can impact those tolerance. This is exactly what this guide is about.
Packaging and shipping for sheet metal fabricated parts
Packaging and Shipping Best Practices for Sheet Metal Fabricated Parts – A lot of work goes into partnering with a custom fabricator to manufacture your sheet metal parts. So, you want to be sure that once the parts are finished, they arrive as expected. Read this guide do know the packaging and shipping best practices