Sheet Metal Fabrication

The technology behind sheet metal fabrication has grown by leaps and bounds over the last couple of decades. The process is the commonly used to manufacture enclosures, covers, brackets, shims and a myriad of other components. Sheet metal fabrication can be thought of as a combination of two different disciplines, cutting and forming.

In most shops the CNC turret press is the workhorse of the cutting department. Modular tools are mounted in a turret located above the work surface. The tools all perform a different function, some cut a straight line, and others punch radii, while some punch holes of a certain size. For some smaller stampings, special punches can be built to blank the part in one stroke. This approach can be very competitive when compared with short run stamping. The turret press uses a nibbling action to blank the desired configuration. Parts are laid out in such a manner as to make optimum use of the sheet of material. For parts with very complex curves or are too thick to use a turret press, laser cutting is used. Water jet cutting is used for parts where edge condition is a concern.