Basics of Sheet Metal Technology

Sheet metal process in general, the basic equipment includes a shearing machine (Shear Machine), a CNC punching machine (CNC Punching Machine)/laser, plasma, a water jet cutting machine (Cutting Machine), a bending machine (Bending Machine), and a variety of auxiliary equipment such as uncoiler, leveling machine, deburring machine, the Spot welding machine, etc.

Usually, the four most important steps of the sheet metal process are cutting, punching/cutting, folding welding, and surface treatment.

Sheet metal, sometimes also known as wrenching, is a term derived from the English plate metal, which is generally a thin sheet of metal that has been plastically deformed by hand or die stamping to form the desired shape and size and can be further processed by welding or a small amount of machining to form more complex parts, such as chimneys, tin stoves, and car shells that are commonly used in homes.

Sheet metal processing is called sheet metal processing. The main processes are shearing, bending and snapping, bending and forming, welding, riveting, etc., which require certain geometric knowledge.

Sheet metal parts are thin sheet metal parts, that is, parts that can be processed using stamping, bending, stretching, etc. A general definition is - parts whose thickness remains unchanged during processing. The corresponding parts are casting parts, forging parts, machining parts, etc. For example, the outside iron shell of a car is a sheet metal part, and some cabinetry made of stainless steel is also a sheet metal part.

Modern sheet metal process includes filament power winding, laser cutting, heavy processing, metal bonding, metal drawing, plasma cutting, precision welding, roll forming, sheet metal bending forming, die forging, water jet cutting, precision welding, etc.

Surface treatment of sheet metal parts is also a very important part of the sheet metal processing process because it has the function of preventing the parts from rusting, beautifying the appearance of the products, etc. The surface treatment of sheet metal parts is mainly to remove oil, oxide, rust, etc. It prepares the surface for post-treatment, which is mainly spraying (baking) paint, spraying plastic, and rust-proof layer.

Among the 3D software, SolidWorks, UG, Pro/E, SolidEdge, TopSolid, CATIA, etc. all have sheet metal parts, mainly through the editing of 3D graphics to get the data required for sheet metal parts processing (such as expansion diagrams, bending lines, etc.) and for CNC punching machine (CNC Punching Machine)/laser, plasma, water jet cutting machine (LMC). Laser, Plasma, Waterjet Cutting Machine/Combination Machine, and CNC Bending Machine.

Sheet metal processing technology includes mold design, material selection, cutting, forming, assembly and other steps. Commonly used processing equipment includes punching machines, bending machines, shearing machines, welding equipment, etc. Through precise process control and operating techniques, parts and products with complex shapes, high precision and consistency can be manufactured.

Sheet metal processing is used in a wide range of applications, such as automotive body parts, electronic equipment casings, home appliances, communication equipment, building structures, etc. It can meet the needs of different industries for strength, rigidity, lightweight, corrosion resistance and appearance requirements.

Through sheet metal processing, mass production and customized production can be realized, and production efficiency and product quality can be improved. The flexibility and plasticity of sheet metal processing make it one of the indispensable technologies in modern manufacturing.