Sheet metal has many uses in manufacturing across a wide variety of industries, from cars to household appliances. If you work in any industry that uses sheet metal, it can be useful to know a bit more about this vital and useful material.
What It Is
There is no fixed definition for what sheet metal is, but generally it is metal whose width is greater than its thickness. There are categories within sheet metal. If it is less than 3 mm thick, it is known as thin sheet metal, while if it is thicker, it’s called heavy sheet metal.
Sheet Metal Materials
Most metals can be made into sheet metal, and different metals have different uses, with some more common than others. Gold or silver sheet metals will primarily be found in jewellery manufacturing, while steel, stainless steel, copper and aluminium are commonly found in a range of industries. Various elements can be added during sheet metal fabrication, with the composite known as an alloy. This can give them properties such as greater strength or help in avoiding corrosion.
How It’s Made
The sheet metal fabrication process has come a long way since the pre-Industrial Revolution days, when it had to be hammered by hand. For example, today steel sheet metal is rolled from blocks in a process called hot rolling to achieve thicknesses of at least 0.8 mm. Cold rolling requires more force, resulting in thin sheets. This means that steel can be rolled to a thickness of 0.1 mm and aluminium to 0.0065 mm.
Some Special Types
Sheet metal fabrication can result in a number of forms, some with special features. Blue sheets are cold-rolled thin sheets with an iron oxide layer. Formed at 800 to 900°C in an oxygen atmosphere, it gains a blue hue and is protected against corrosion. Black plate is unalloyed steel with a dark appearance, used in design elements. Tin plate is a thin cold-rolled steel with a tin coating, mostly used in food packaging, while corrugated sheets have a wavy profile ideal for load bearing, such as for roofing.
