Sheet Metal Fabrication

Overview: Our Sheet Metal Fabrication Process?

CNP offers a variety of metals and alloys, including stainless steel, copper, and aluminum.

The Basics Of Sheet Metal Fabrication

Unlike traditional sheet metal shops, we have infinite capacity and an easy-to-use online quoting system ensuring on-time shipment every time—whether you need a single part or 500 parts. Sheet metal fabrication is the process of forming a piece of metal into a desired shape through bending, stretching, and removal of material. At Rapid, we use press brake punches and die tooling to bend and stretch flat stock into its final geometry. The sheet metal prototyping process is most often used when form, fit, and function are all a priority. Typical sheet metal parts we manufacture include enclosures, brackets, assemblies, weldments, cabinets, and other components.

Sheet Metal Cutting Types

Sheet metal fabrication is the process of forming parts from a metal sheet. Your 3D CAD files are converted into machine code, which controls a machine that precisely cuts and forms the sheets into the final part. Typical forming tools are brakes, punches, and dies which can form angular bends and features. Installing inserts, such as PEM inserts, is standard practice along with welding and finishing services. Sheet metal parts are known for their durability, which makes them great for end-use applications (e.g. chassis). Parts used for low volume prototypes and high volume production runs are most cost-effective due to large initial setup and material costs.

Features of Sheet Metal Fabrication

Advantages

Fast Turnaround

Combining the latest cutting, bending and punching with automated technologies, PCBWay provides quick quotes and completed parts in as fast as 5 business days.

Scalable Volume

All sheet metal parts are built on-demand and with lower setup costs compared to CNC Machining. Depending on your needs, order as little as a single prototype up to 10,000 production parts.

Durability

Sheet metal processes produce highly durable parts well-suited for both functional prototypes and end-use production.

Custom Surface Finishes

Select from a variety of finishes, including anodizing, plating, powder coating, and painting.

Wide Range of Materials

Choose from a variety of sheet metals across a wide range of strength, conductivity, weight, and corrosion-resistance.

Cost Saving

Low investment in tooling and preparation costs, economical for metal sheet parts like bracket, chasis.

Drawbacks

Structure Limits

Interlocking and hollowed structure is difficult to be achieved

Available sheet metal fabrication processes

Our network of Manufacturing Partners gives you easy access to sheet metal fabrication capabilities to serve all your manufacturing needs.

Name	Description	Allowable sheet thickness
Laser cutting	This manufacturing process uses a high-power laser beam to cut a material sheet.	0.5-10mm
Bending	This manufacturing process uses a dies to produce a U-shape	0.5-6mm

Tolerances for sheet metal fabrication

Feature	Tolerance
Cutting feature	±.0078"(0.2mm)
Bend angle	±1.0°
Bend to edge	+/-0.010"(0.254mm)

Available Materials for sheet metal fabrication

Our thermoplastic-like SLA materials include grades of ABS, polycarbonate and polypropylene, along with a durable nickel-coating option.

Aluminum	Copper	Steel
Aluminum 5052	Copper 101	Stainless Steel 301
Aluminum 6061	Copper 260 (Brass)	Stainless Steel 304
	Copper C110	Stainless Steel 316/316L
		Steel, Low Carbon

Our standard surface finishes

Here is a list of standard surface finishes. For custom surface finishes such as electroplating or polishing, please contact Info.us@cnprototype.com

Standard

Minimal post-processing or treatment on parts is done.

Bead Blast

Abrasive blasting, more commonly known as sandblasting, is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against a surface under high pressure to smooth a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface or remove surface contaminants.

Requirement	Specification
Grit	#120
Color	Uniform matte of raw material color
Part masking	Indicate masking requirements in technical drawing

Anodized (Type II Or Type III)

Type II creates a corrosion-resistant finish. Parts can be anodized in different colors—clear, black, red, and gold are most common—and is usually associated with aluminum. Type III is thicker and creates a wear-resistant layer in addition to the corrosion resistance seen with Type II.

Requirement	Specification
Grit	#120
Color	Uniform matte of raw material color
Part masking	Indicate masking requirements in technical drawing

Bead Blasting + Anodizing color or clear (type II)

Type II anodizing is mainly used to produce parts with a uniform, aesthetically pleasing surface and provides good corrosion and limited wear resistance. Parts are bead blasted to #120 grit prior to anodizing.

Requirement	Specification
Thickness	8 - 12 μm (clear), 4 - 8 μm (color)
Color	Black, clear or any RAL code or Pantone number
Part masking	Indicate masking requirements in technical drawing

Bead Blasting + Anodizing color or clear (type II)

Powder Coat

This is a process where powdered paint is sprayed onto a part which is then baked in an oven. This creates a strong, wear- and corrosion-resistant layer that is more durable than standard painting methods. A wide variety of colors are available to create the desired aesthetic.

Requirement	Specification
Thickness	18 - 72μm
Color	Black or any RAL code or Pantone number.
Part masking	Indicate masking requirements in technical drawing.

Chem Film (Chromate Conversion Coating)

Provides corrosion resistance and good conductivity properties. Can be used as a base for paint. Can leave surface yellow/gold. Adds very little thickness, about 0.00001”-0.00004”. Chem film will conform to MIL-DTL-5541, TYPE I/II.