The sheet metal fabrication industry relies on several techniques to join two metal parts together than using nuts and bolts. Amongst the popular types, the two most commonly employed metal joining processes are welding and soldering. Although the terms soldering and welding are used interchangeably, one differs with respect to another in terms of performance, temperature requirement, the cost involved, and application area, among others. Many of you still might be confused to make a distinction between the two. This post is for such users who are looking out to know the significant differences between sheet metal welding and sheet metal soldering processes. Understand the Techniques Before going on to… Read More
Continue ReadingAll You Need to Know About Perforated Sheet Metals
Perforated sheet metal, also known as perforated plate or screen, have been used for over a century or more to make a pattern of holes, shapes, or slots. Perforating is the process of pressing or stamping manually on the sheet to form the given pattern of holes and slots. These metals were used across industries including construction, architecture, chemicals, food, and automotive in various areas, which are later elaborated upon in the post. The metals used for this process include stainless steel, brass, aluminum, copper, galvanized steel, and others. These ready-to-use sheets are available in various geometric shapes, sizes, and materials in the market. This post highlights on all important… Read More
Continue ReadingImportant Factors of Consideration for Buying Press Brakes
A press brake is an important type of machine pressing tool that is used for bending sheet metal. This tool is mainly used in automotive and industrial workshops along with traditional or CNC equipment for creating precise bends out of metal sheets. Owing to their increasing use in various industries today, it is easy to find these tools in a variety of specifications. Selection of the wrong tool will not only escalate the costs of manufacturing but also bring huge losses in the form of material rejections and the loss of credibility for your business. How to ensure the right selection of a press brake for your facility? This post… Read More
Continue ReadingDifference between Sheet Metal Fabrication and Ironwork
Sheet metal fabrication and ironwork may sound synonymous or interchangeable terms, but they are not. Each of this requires a unique skill set, materials, and equipment. The similarity is that both of these are metal fabrication techniques and comprise a variety of metals and machinery. Fabricating a metal implies cutting, bending, rolling, deburring, sawing, or more to give it a certain shape and size and use it in assembling a component. So, it is more functional in nature. Ironwork includes making railings, bridges, bank vaults, and other constructions of iron. Hence, this is more structural in nature. Be it sheet metal fabrication or ironwork, right kind of tools and equipment… Read More
Continue ReadingHow Laser Cutting Works?
Laser cutting, which is a thermal based non-contact process, is one of the widely established processes to cut or engrave a wide range of materials such as metals, plastic and wood, among others. The technique is one of the fastest cutting process available that assures a high degree of precision and accuracy without causing deterioration on your material. Laser cutting allows creating complex geometrical shapes, small holes, and beveled parts without generating heat compared to other thermal cutting processes. This non-contact process is highly accurate, yields excellent cut quality, with a reduced chance of material warpage. Although a widely popular technique, most of us are not aware of the working… Read More
Continue Reading4 Beneficial Features of Woodward Fab’s Box and Pan Brakes
What Is a Box and Pan Brake and Its Use? A box and pan brake, also known as a finger brake, is a tool used in sheet metal fabrication to bend sheets of hard metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, and high-tensile alloys into shapes like boxes, pans, and similar parts. It is popular in the metalworking industry because it makes complex bending tasks much easier. However, even though they are widely used, there is a common misconception that box and pan brakes are difficult to operate, especially for beginners. In reality, this isn’t true. Manufacturers like us design this equipment to be user-friendly and easy to maintain. In this… Read More
Continue ReadingComparison between Nibblers and Shear Tools
Metalworking is one of the most complex industries due to the severity of the production processes involved. Those who regularly work with heavy gauge metal sheets perform several processes in order to get the metal to the required specifications for further forming. Amongst such several operations, cutting of sheet metal plays a significant role. There are several tools available for sheet metal cutting that help you do the job at a faster rate, whilst allowing you to produce clean cuts by reducing the workpiece damage and the risk of injury. This post discusses the most commonly used sheet metal cutting tools, i.e., nibblers and shears. Read on to know a… Read More
Continue Reading5 Significant Welding Tools You Need for an Accurate and Safe Welding
Welding is the most common and the critical operations employed in every sheet metal fabrication shop to join metal pieces together as per the specifications. Unlike the past, several tools available simplify the welding process and gives you the expected results quickly. In the last post, we had a discussion on a few such welder tools that are commonly used in the welding sector. This post discusses another 5 useful welding tools. 5 Popular Tools Used in Welding Invest in the right welding tools and equipment that give you faster results. Following are the list of basic welding tools that help augment the quality of your welding processes. MIG Welder… Read More
Continue ReadingTop 4 Sheet Metal Industry Trends
The sheet metal fabrication is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Although considered traditional in its approach, still it has experienced the influx of emerging technologies. Earlier manual tools were mainly used for sheet metal fabrication processes such as cutting, machining, welding, as well as the assembly of the final product. However, today many of these tools are replaced by advanced and effortless versions. The growth of the sheet metal fabrication industry is fueled by two factors – improved supply chain practices, and technology advancements. After reading all these, you might be intrigued to know about the major trends in the sheet metal industry. Isn’t it? If… Read More
Continue ReadingHow to Use Slip Rollers
Sheet metal of varying sizes, shapes, and specifications is used to produce parts/components for applications across several industrial sectors. However, in order to form sheet metal to the required specifications, the support of several equipment and tools is inevitable. One such tool that is a must-have in all the sheet metal fabrication shops is a slip roller. What are these tools? These compact and user-friendly machines are designed to form sheet metal into curved panels or cylinders. They are built to withstand years of rolling at maximum capacity. In this post, we will discuss the working of slip rollers along with listing a few features. How does a Slip Roller… Read More
Continue ReadingPotential Hazards Associated with Sheet Metal Bending Brakes
A press brake is one of the popular machines used for sheet metal bending including bottom bending and air bending. A work-piece is clamped between a punch and a die to create a pre-determined bend. These sheet metal brakes are well-known for their versatility, ease-of-use, minimal maintenance, durability, and dependability. However, the tool must be operated carefully, as negligence leads to unforeseen accidents and injuries to people involved. The post, thus aims to familiarize you with some of the potential hazards associated with press brakes and solutions to protect yourself from those dangers. 6 Common Hazards Caused by Press Bakes The following are the commonly heard hazards caused when operating… Read More
Continue ReadingWorking with Sheet Metal? Know These Safety Guidelines
Sheet metal is a thin sheet of metal, which is widely used in a wide range of metalworking applications. Its property to bend, and being formed into a variety of shapes is one of the reasons for its increasing popularity in many industries. To bend, or cut a sheet metal requires using different machines or equipment, and so the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) advises to take into account many safety and health issues. What are the different safety considerations that one must follow, while working with sheet metals? Are you interested to know? Well, the following post is aimed at giving out some safety tips for those… Read More
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