5 common sheet metal forming processes

Sheet metal (usually steel or aluminum) plays an important role in construction and manufacturing. In the construction industry, it is used as a building and shell or roof; in the manufacturing industry, sheet metal is used for auto parts, heavy machinery, etc. When manufacturing sheet metal parts, manufacturers often use the following forming processes.

crimping
Hemming is a sheet metal forming process. Sheet metal usually has sharp edges with "burrs" after the initial production. The purpose of curling is to smooth the sharp and rough sheet metal edges to meet the needs of the project.

Bend
Bending is another common sheet metal forming process. Manufacturers usually use brake presses or similar mechanical presses for metal bending. The sheet metal is placed on the mold, and the punch is pressed down on the sheet metal. The huge pressure makes the sheet metal bend. .

Ironing
Sheet metal can also be ironed to obtain a uniform thickness. For example, many beverage cans are made of aluminum, and the aluminum metal plate is too thick for the beverage can in its original state, so ironing is required to make it thinner and more uniform.

laser cutting
Laser cutting has become an increasingly common sheet metal forming process. The sheet metal is exposed to a high-power and high-density laser, and the heat of the laser melts or vaporizes the sheet metal in contact with it, forming a cutting process. This is a faster and more precise cutting method, which is performed automatically using a computer numerical control (CNC) laser cutting machine.

stamping
Stamping is a common sheet metal forming process in which punching machines and die sets are used to punch holes in the sheet metal. During processing, the sheet metal is placed between the punch and the die, and then the punch is pressed down and through the metal plate, thus completing the punching process.