Sheet metal forming is the most common manufacturing technique around the nation. It is involved with almost every consumer or commercial product that contains metal. These products are very diverse, so different techniques for sheet metal forming are required in order to secure the results we desire. Here are six helpful techniques for sheet metal forming in Phoenix, AZ that may prove useful in your efforts:
- Roll forming: In this process, sheet metal is passed through several rollers repeatedly. Each time it makes a pass, the shape changes, which is the intention of forming in the first place. This is common in mass production efforts and products that require a good surface. It works great for constant cross section work and long pieces of sheet metal. Many manufacturers also like it for its lower production cost.
- Deep drawing: Rather than put sheet metal through rollers, this subjects it to a series of dies. It will punch the sheet metal, which is called drawing. If the depth of these punches is deeper than the diameter of the component, that is deep drawing. You will see this used for making metal caps and cups, since this will force the desired shapes for these products. It is also common with mass production.
- Stamping: There are many types of projects that fall under the stamping category. They include embossing, coining, flanging and punching. This adds surface embellishment that may be decorative or serve a specific purpose, like marking where parts connect. Like roll forming and deep drawing, stamping can occur on a product line and offers a low production cost. There is a heavy tooling cost, however, since precision is key with this technique.
- Stretch forming: Just as the name suggests, this involves stretching sheet metal. The material is placed between two tight clamps and forced against a stretching die to create the needed properties. This is most often employed with large product manufacturing. You will see it occur in automotive plants for making car door panels. At an aircraft manufacturing plant like Boeing, stretch forming creates the material used for wing panels and fuselages. Labor costs are often high, since this is not a good process to automate. Production is also slow, although this is meant more for quality rather than fast output.
- Spinning: You will see this technique used where symmetry is important. Using a CNC lathe, the material is spun around to assure equal proportions at all angles. It also produces high quality surface finishes. Since precision is very important in spinning, the production cost is high, but the end result is high-quality products.
- Peen forming: Used for large projects, peen forming involves round steel shots being blasted over sheet metal. It is used because these products cannot be accommodated by a die system. The equipment cost is high, but that is a frequent issue when building larger objects.
For full service metal fabrication, including sheet metal forming in Phoenix, AZ, contact Metal Pro, Inc. today. We look forward to offering you nothing short of perfection!