Sheet metals are one of the versatile and most predominantly used raw material in engineering and fabrication. These are available in standard sizes and materials which can be cut, combined and formed to customized shapes and forms.

Sheet metal components are widely used in Automotive, aerospace, machinery, constructions, consumer goods, Food processing and the list go longer than it is been expected.

Advantages of using sheet metal in product design: 

1. Sheet metals are versatile. Nearly every industry in the market has its utilization with sheet metals. Its ability to adapt, form and manufacturability provide its status quo.

• Sheet metals are strong and sturdy. They are effective to wear and tear, strengthened with shape, section, material and thickness, they are resilient to harsh conditions, corrosion, chemical and discrete erosion, efficient to handle the high magnitude of force and pressure, etc.,

• Sheet metal can be made both flexible and rigid. Sheet metals can be cut, bent, formed, welded and can be worked with various machining processes. Sheet metal components can be made into flexible or rigid by playing the section modulus. By the efficient play of section modulus, material and manufacturing process paves the way to value engineering and to achieve higher strength to weight ratio.

• Sheet metal is lighter and has a low weight to thickness ratio. Its utilization in the field like automotive and aerospace where weight has its toll. 

• Sheet metals are mostly preferred for mass production components due to its fast manufacturability and integration ease. This increases the productivity of the assembly line and reduces the market time lesser

• Low weight to thickness ratio, higher strength to weight ratio paves the way for Value Analysis and Value Engineering (VA/VE). This increases the worthiness of the product and better engineering

These are just the tip of the iceberg. Development of materials, manufacturing processes and complexity of problems us enables to explore the ever-growing applications of sheet metals.

Sheet metal Components – Design and Development

Sheet metal components are similar to origami. Sheet metals are similar to a sheet of paper. These can be cut, bent, glued and even formed to shapes. Good engineering can be done by understanding and utilizing the characters and parameters of the sheet metal. Some of the key terms and parameters to be understood before designing and development of sheet metal components are

Material:Sheet metals come in a variety of material like – mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, galvalume, copper and many more. Materials have their characteristics of functionality to various parameters. Material properties like density, young’s modulus, bulk modulus, malleability varies from one another. They play a vital role in the selection of the raw material and grade

Thickness:The thickness of the sheet metal plays a vital role in the manufacturing process, bending allowances, formability, spring back etc.,

K- Factor:K-Factor represents the position of the neutral axis from the thickness. This varies with the physical properties of the material and thickness of the sheet metal. Generally, the K Factor value varies from 0.3 to 0.6

Bending Allowance/Deduction:As we bend the sheet metal, the material at the bending region ends to get tension or compression relative to the neutral axis. This may change the dimension of the final component compared to the Flattened length. Bending allowance corrects the strain and develops the correct flat pattern. Bend Allowance is a function of Material Thickness, the Bend Angle, the Inside Radius, and the K Factor

Limitations to use sheet metal:

1. Design parameter to be considered are large
2. Forming limitations varies with the thickness and material of the sheet metal
3. Formation of Internal stress whilst bending and welding may lead to crack formation if not properly heat treated
4. Spring back in the press-formed component may lead to geometrical change and increased tolerance range
5. Special tooling cost for mass production

Graphler Technology, one of the leading Product design companies in India, we are also into many sectors like Heavy Engineering design services, FEA Consulting services, CFD Analysis services and  3D CAD design service In India.

Sheet metal designs are one of the excellences of Graphler Technology Solutions. We have the finest engineers, well-seasoned in designing and manufacturing process could add value to your products with world-class engineering.