Sheet metal, with its myriad applications, is a versatile material that permeates many aspects of our daily lives. From enclosures to cars, buildings, and household goods, the possibilities are endless. Sheet metal workers can unleash their creativity, using this material to craft both simple and intricate designs.
A sheet metal is a piece of metal whose thickness is significantly smaller than its width, making it a practical and efficient choice for a wide range of applications.
In this post, we will delve into the details of sheet metal, exploring the various types and thickness of this versatile material, and how you can leverage its unique properties for your projects. By the end, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of sheet metal and its potential applications.
What is Sheet Metal: An Overview
Regarding the question “What is sheet metal?” it is essential to point out that it is one of the many metal forms. Others are metal plate, metal foil, metal shot, metal rod, and metal bar.
The thin sheets are produced through specific steel processing techniques like cold rolling, which is essential for maintaining consistent thickness for practical applications.
You encounter sheet metal in various industries such as automotive, transport, aviation, construction, and electrical appliances, highlighting its ubiquity in a wide range of applications.
It is a widely popular metal form due to several advantages. Regular users and professionals regard sheet metal highly owing to advantages such as:
- Low weight-to-thickness ratio, an element that makes handling and transportation easy
- Easy to fabricate because it can be cut or formed into various desired shapes and sizes
- Easy to repair, thus an easy choice in many applications
- Often durable and affordable
Types of Sheet Metal
Several metals and alloys can be used to manufacture sheet metal. The key to a successful project lies in choosing the right type of sheet metal that aligns with the specific properties you desire for your project.
Aluminum
Aluminum is among the popular sheet metals for its high strength-to-weight ratio, thermal conductivity, affordability, and corrosion resistance. It is also affordable. For this blend of characteristics, aluminum sheet metal is prominent in household goods, automotive components, and electronics.
Steel
This metal can be found in different forms and is common in sheet metal forms. We are talking about galvanized steel, stainless steel, high-strength steel, aluminized steel, and several other varieties. Each presents unique properties and is applicable in different areas. For instance, stainless steel is highly valued for its corrosion resistance and is often used in kitchen appliances and medical instruments. Sheet metal fabrication is crucial in creating various steel products through techniques like bending, cutting, and punching.
Titanium
Titanium sheet has a variety of applications, especially in the industrial environment. The metal has high corrosion resistance and strength-to-weight ratio. Examples of applications of this sheet metal are construction and medical items.
Sheet Metal Thickness
Different Units for Sheet Metal Thickness
Typically, thickness is measured in millimeters or inches. One inch is equivalent to 25.4 millimeters.
Gauges are numerical values representing the thickness of the sheet metal; a higher gauge number indicates a thinner metal. Typical sheet metal thicknesses range between 7 and 26 gauge. It’s important to note that the same gauge number can represent different thicknesses for different materials. For instance, a 16-gauge steel sheet is not the same thickness as a 16-gauge aluminum sheet. Using gauge conversion charts can help clarify these differences.
Measuring Sheet Metals
A sheet metal gauge tool measures thickness. You can use a gauge wheel to determine the thickness of sheet metal. The gauge wheel has gaps of varying sizes along its rim to fit the sheet metal and find the right size. Once you find the best fit, you can read the gauge number from the wheel. Be cautious because some gauge wheels are designed for stainless steel, while others are for iron. You’ll need to choose the right tool once you identify the material.
The video below illustrates the correct way to use the gauge wheel.
In addition to gauge number measurements, linear measurements in inches or millimeters are also used. Unlike gauge measurements, inch/mm measurements are straightforward and linear. Common tools for measuring thickness are calipers and micrometers. The picture shows a micrometer being used to measure the thickness of a sheet metal product.
Manufacturing Sheet Metal
Rolling Processes
Sheet metal manufacture is a systematic process based on cold-rolling and hot-rolling. In rolling, the metal stock undergoes a thickness-reducing sheet metal forming process that involves powerful rolls. The rolling processes –hot rolling and cold rolling – are named depending on the temperature of the metal in the rolling processes.
Hot Rolling
Hot rolling is a process where the metal is heated above its recrystallization temperature before being rolled. This elevated temperature makes the metal more malleable, allowing it to be easily shaped and formed. During hot rolling, the metal undergoes deformation, which helps in reducing its thickness and refining its grain structure.
Once the metal cools down after the rolling process, it recrystallizes. This recrystallization prevents the metal from hardening, which means it retains a certain level of ductility and toughness. One of the key benefits of hot rolling is that the resulting metal sheets often have minimal internal stresses, provided they cool uniformly. However, if the sheet metal has a non-uniform cross-section, residual stresses might develop.
Hot rolling is typically used for producing metal sheets that are intended for applications requiring thinner and more pliable materials, such as in construction projects. This process is efficient and cost-effective for large-scale production but may result in a rougher surface finish compared to cold rolling.
Cold Rolling
This process is done at temperatures below the metal’s recrystallization temperature, which is room temperature. Rolling at cooler temperatures is renowned for producing metals with smoother surfaces and higher strength. It is the more popular method for sheet metal manufacture and other metal forms of uniform wall thickness.
The major drawback of cold rolling is that the resulting sheet metal usually needs further processing steps, which could lengthen the manufacturing timeline. Before a sheet can be usable in most projects, it has to undergo further processes. Examples of these processes are ironing, curling, and sheet metal bending.
Sheet Metal Processing Options
As we have said, sheet metal may need further processing to be usable. Let us define some of these sheet metal processing methods.
Cutting
It is the process of dividing the sheet metal. Various metal cutting technologies are available, including plasma cutting, laser cutting, and oxyacetylene cutting.
Bending
Sheet metal is formed by a special tool that presses it against a die. Various bending angles are achievable based on the tool and die angle.
Punching
An automatic or manual press helps create a cavity or hole in the sheet metal. The removed piece of metal matches the shape of the die.
Deep drawing
Deep drawing uses a special tool to press the sheet metal into the desired shape.
Joining
It involves combining two or more sheet metals through special techniques such as soldering, riveting, and hemming.
These manufacturing processes turn metal sheets into sheet metal parts and assemblies useful for various industries.
Common Applications of Sheet Metal
Sheet metal is widely used across industries, from construction to automotive manufacturing. Sheet metal is central to the manufacture of numerous products.
Construction
Making structural components is one of the most notable applications of sheet metal. Most people are familiar with the use of sheet metal on the exterior of buildings. However, there are numerous applications of sheet metal on the interiors of buildings, too.
Automotive
The car engine, doors, and frames are just some areas where sheet metal suits. Designers and manufacturers in this field use sheet metal from particular metals to take advantage of the sheet metal forming process and other properties that help make parts such as the ones mentioned. Sheet metal in the automotive industry undergoes sheet metal forming process and shaping severally for practical application. Despite these processes, sheet metal retains crucial strength and heat resistance properties.
Transport
From the bodies of the tram trains to the street signs, the uses of sheet metal in this space are countless. The types of metals and variations in designs and thickness used can be said to be the same.
Aerospace
Aerospace manufacturers construct essential components such as fuselages and wings using metal sheets. A specific aluminum alloy is often the material for the wings because it offers a high strength-to-weight ratio, vital for flight efficiency and safety. The selected alloys must possess additional properties such as durability and resistance to extreme conditions to ensure the reliability and longevity of aerospace structures.
Consumer Goods
Items like household appliances, kitchenware, and electronic devices often incorporate sheet metal components. These components benefit from the material’s durability, lightweight properties, and ability to be formed into intricate shapes. Sheet metal’s adaptability allows for producing high-quality, reliable products that meet the demands of everyday consumer use.
Conclusion
We have defined sheet metal at length, outlined the types of metals involved, described its manufacturing process, and highlighted various manufacturing processes. When choosing the best sheet metal for a specific project, it is essential to consider the properties required for the application.
