Sheet metal fabrication is the process of crafting a piece of metal in any desired way. Before getting a perfect shape, raw metal undergoes a series of steps. It includes cutting, bending, stretching, and some surface treatment. And it is another rapid prototyping service offered by PCBWay. An advantage of using this service is that irrespective of the quantity of order, it reaches your home at the mentioned time. So whether it be a single part or a bulk order, you will receive an on-time delivery every time you order from PCBWay. Read more about PCBWay‘s rapid prototyping services here.
Metal Fabrication Types
The process to obtain a perfect part starts with uploading a CAD file. The further steps require the conversion of the three-dimensional CAD file to a machine-readable format. Now, the common ways to begin the fabrication includes:
Cutting
Depending on the metal property, PCBWay uses different cutting methods. As for thin and medium gauges of metal, laser cutting is economical. Water jet cutting is usually employed for metals with a low melting point as it does not generate excess heat. Plasma cutting is favorable for thick gauge metal. It is fast and economical as compared to laser and water jet cutting.
Punching
It is a process to create precise holes in the metal sheet. It is sometimes called piercing and is opted for large-scale production.
Bending
Press brakes make it possible to bend metal into a V shape, U shape, or any other. The quality of the product alters widely in this process. Due to the complexity of some bends, it becomes difficult to fabricate the metal properly. PCBWay has some of the finest engineers that can do the required job easily.
Assembling
It is the final step of the fabrication process. The sheet metal assembly is either joint via welding. Or the components may be combined using bolts and screws. A gloss or a matte finish to the metal requires surface treatment. It not only improves the product’s outlook but also provides resistance to corrosion.
Advantages
Fast Production
With the aid of rapid prototyping, it is easier to fabricate the complete product within hours. It improves the producer’s efficiency, and the product reaches a bit faster to the consumer.
Flexibility
Rapid prototyping gives you the freedom to fabricate your tricky designs hassle-free. With a wide variety of sheet metals, PCBWay allows you to select a material based on weight, strength, conductivity, or other properties.
Scalable Volume
Depending on the user requirement, PCBWay has the capability of producing up to 10,000 parts. And that is a big deal. Now, whether you pick up the first or the last piece, the product quality will not let you down.
Economical
As compared to the traditional manufacturing process fabricating a part via rapid prototyping reduces the production cost significantly. With low manufacturing cost, it becomes easy for the engineers to meet various standard tests for optimum product quality.
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