Sheet Metal Fabrication Machines

Introduction to Sheet Metal Fabrication Machines

Sheet metal is a form of metal that is widely used in modern industries and sheet metal fabrication machines are used in order to make the process of manufacturing sheet metal more accurate and much easier for the workers. Metal has been used for many different purposes for a very long time, and during this long period of time many different types of machines were used. At first, hand tools were used for fabricating sheet metal. Later, more complex sheet metal fabrication machines were introduced and today, these machines have evolved to become very efficient, safe and highly productive. Besides this, some types of modern metal fabrication machines are so advanced that the workers who work on these machines can operate them solely by using a computer, unlike the older types of machines.

Different Types of Sheet Metal Fabrication Machines

Today, there are dozens of different types of sheet metal fabrication machines. All of these types of machines can be divided into several groups, according to the process of sheet metal fabrication. This process is very complicated and there are different machines used for every part of the process, in order to make the process complete and in order for the sheet metal to be a finished product.

Here are some of the sheet metal fabrication processes and machines used for each of them:

• Bending or straining – in this part of the process, the metal is bended into specific shapes, and plate bending machines are used to perform this task. These machines can be used for bending any type of metal and are used in the manufacturing of different kinds of pipes and tubes for instance.
• Punching – punching refers to the part of the process where the sheet metal is put into the punching machine or a punching press and this machine puts holes in the sheet.
• Rolling – to put it in simple words, rolling is the part of the sheet metal fabrication process where the material is reduced to the required width- special hydraulic rolls are used for this.
• Cutting – as the name suggests, this means that the sheer metal is cut into the required pieces, and hydraulic shears are used for this part of the process.
• Forging – also referred to as hammering or pressing, this is where the sheet metal is pressed and its width is yet again reduced and its surface straightened. Hydraulic press brakes are used for completing this task.

Regardless of what the sheet metal will be used for after fabrication it is very important that the whole process of its fabrication is done perfectly. This means that the finished product must be manufactured according to strict regulations and measurements, which leaves the process of fabrication of sheet metal with no room for error. Knowing this, it is easy to see why there are so many different types of machines included in the process and why this whole manufacturing process is as complicated as it is.