Sheet Metal Fabrication

Sheet metal fabrication converts flat metal sheet into enclosures, brackets, and structures using cutting, forming, punching, fastening, and welding for efficient, repeatable production.

Overview

Sheet metal fabrication turns flat sheet stock into functional 3D parts by combining cutting, forming, punching, fastening, and welding. CAD flat patterns are cut by laser, waterjet, or turret punch, then bent on press brakes, joined with hardware or welds, and finished as needed. Hydroforming supports deeper, more complex shapes without extensive tooling.

This process excels for brackets, chassis, panels, and housings where wall thickness is uniform and geometry is mainly bends, flanges, tabs, and simple formed features. It supports rapid prototypes through high-volume production using the same general workflow, with relatively low tooling cost compared to dedicated hard tooling. Tradeoffs include limits on very tight tolerances across multiple bends, minimum bend radii, and challenges with very small details or heavy section changes. Cutting, forming, punching, and welding steps each add cost and variation, so smart design and clear documentation are critical for consistent, economical parts.

Common Materials

  • Cold rolled steel
  • Stainless steel 304
  • Stainless steel 316
  • Aluminum 5052
  • Aluminum 6061
  • Galvanized steel

Tolerances

±0.005" on flat-cut features; ±0.010–0.020" on formed features and across multiple bends, depending on part size and stack-up

Applications

  • Electronics enclosures and chassis
  • Mounting brackets and brackets with flanges
  • Machine guards and access panels
  • HVAC ducts and plenums
  • Racks, cabinets, and server frames
  • Appliance and equipment housings

When to Choose Sheet Metal Fabrication

Choose sheet metal fabrication for parts with uniform thickness, mainly 2D profiles and bends, such as brackets, panels, and enclosures. It suits low to high volumes where you want moderate tooling costs, quick iterations, and scalable production. It works best when tolerances are tight locally but not ultra-critical across large formed assemblies.

vs CNC machining

Pick sheet metal fabrication when your part is mostly thin-wall geometry that can be made from bends instead of hogging out from solid stock. You’ll reduce material waste, cycle time, and part weight, especially for enclosures, covers, and light structural components.

vs Metal 3D printing

Choose sheet metal when your design can be expressed as flat patterns and bends rather than thick, organic, or lattice structures. You’ll get far lower part cost, faster throughput, and better surface finish on large, simple geometries and repeat production.

vs Metal stamping

Use sheet metal fabrication for lower to medium volumes or when your design is likely to change and you want to avoid expensive progressive dies. It gives flexibility with laser or turret cutting and press brake forming while still achieving strong, repeatable parts.

vs Die casting

Select sheet metal fabrication when you need relatively thin, uniform sections without complex 3D features or thick bosses. You avoid casting tooling cost and lead time and can iterate designs quickly using standard sheet stock and forming operations.

vs Extrusion

Go with sheet metal fabrication when the part has multiple bends, flanges, or panels rather than a constant cross-section over length. You can integrate features like tabs, louvers, and mounting patterns in one process instead of machining or assembling multiple extrusions.

Design Considerations

  • Keep sheet thickness consistent across the part and avoid mixing gauges in a single design where possible
  • Use standard bend radii (often 1x material thickness) and specify a single default inside bend radius unless a feature truly requires otherwise
  • Dimension to formed datums and functional interfaces, not to flat patterns; avoid tight overall length/width tolerances across multiple bends
  • Align bends in common directions and minimize the number of setups by grouping features on the same face where practical
  • Use standard hardware (e.g., PEM self-clinching fasteners) and call out exact part numbers to simplify quoting and assembly
  • Avoid tiny cutouts, sharp internal corners, and very small features; size features for common laser or punch tooling and allow for kerf and tool diameter