When it comes to shaping, cutting, and joining sheets of metal, many different techniques can be used. This article explores the most common, efficient and effective metal sheet fabrication techniques that are employed in industrial and manufacturing processes.

Resistance Welding

An important part of sheet metal fabrications involves joining two sheets of metal. Many techniques are used in this process in an attempt to achieve effective and high quality results, but few can compete with resistance welding.

Resistance welding involves using a welding machine that is programmed with computer-controlled commands to initiate the welding process along multiple lengths of the sheets of metal. The machine allows for welding to proceed rapidly while causing minimal splatter, burns and deformities.

 Metal expansion

Metal expansion is a common technique that is used in metal sheet fabrications in order to punch holes or other open spaces along the length of the metal itself. Traditional methods of achieving this goal often involved punching holes on the metal surface using a laser or other equipment.

A more efficient strategy involves expanding the metal by stretching it out, after which a sharp object that resembles a knife cuts out various holes into the metal as desired. When these holes are cut out from the metal surface, less material is actually lost because the metal sheet has been stretched out in order to assume a different shape along its length.  

The metal expansion technique is so effective because it results in less weight as well as lighter and stronger end products.

Brake Bending

A critical part of metal sheet fabrications involves bending metal panels into an appropriate shape for the desired application. Metal brakes are a useful tool used in many manufacturing processes to achieve this goal.

The brake bending technique therefore involves using a press brake machine to automate the process of metal bending. This results in more precise and accurate bends along the metal panel. Manufacturers also have more freedom to achieve bends of specific angles for their applications.

Laser Cutting

In some cases, metal expansion and brake bending may not be accurate enough to achieve complicated shapes and other designs in the metal sheet. Laser cutting comes in handy as a smooth, efficient and clean technique for achieving these complex shapes during metal sheet fabrications. 

Overall, these four techniques present a more efficient way of welding, shaping and modifying metal sheets to achieve desired results.