Sheet metal work

About sheet metal

»Sheet metal« as term suggest, is metal that has been rolled into a sheet. Today when we speak of sheet metal, we are not only making specific reference to the material used, but also to its shape and application. Different types of metal can be used in sheet metal.
Sheet metal is a semi-finished product, that is, a material from which a wide variety of other products can be fabricated – from the second hand of a wristwach to the hull of a supertanker. Sheet metal can take many forms. Sheet metal can be anywhere from 0,05 millimeters to 150 millimeters thick.

Why sheet metal?

As a material sheet metal offers numerous advantages, making it particularly well suited to industrial processing. It is ideal for a wide range of applications.

• It can be used to make products that have small or large surface areas.
• It is very easy to work with – from cutting and punching to forming and press brakebending all the way to welding and other joining processes.
• It is elastic and easy to shape.
• It is easy to mount and recycle

Thickness of sheet metal

Sheets can have a thickness ranging from 0,05 millimeters to 150 millimeters. Within this range many thicknesses are available, making it easy to find the right sheet for almost any application. The DIN EN 10079 standard distinguishes between:

• Foil: thickness of less than 0,5 millimeters
• Thin sheet: thickness between 0,5 and 3 millimeters
• Plate thickness of 3 millimeters and over

SAX Konstrukcije is providing sheet metal services with sheet metal, up to 3 mm thick, exceptionally more.

Shape and format of sheet metal

Sheet metal can be purchased in sheets or as strips that have been wound into coils. The maximum width and length of a sheet are determined by the size of the rolling equipment. You can find sheets up to 4 meters wide and 10 meters long.
Some sheet formats are more popular than others:

• Small format: 1000 x 2000 mm
• Medium format: 1250 x 2500 mm
• Large format: 1500 x 3000 mm

Surface of sheet metal

The surface of the sheet is an important factor to consider whenever the sheet is painted or coated or if the sheet will be used to create a part that will be highly visible in the final product. Cold-rolled thin sheets are especially well suited to achieving a smooth surface.

The quality of the sheet surface is specified according to grade. The surface can be very smooth, smooth, matte or rough. The smoother the surface, the shinier the sheet and the easier it is to apply foils or finishes more uniformly.