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Sheet Metal

What is sheet metal?

Sheet Metal refers to thin, flat metal sheets (typically less than 6mm thick) that can be processed into various shapes through fabrication techniques.

Sheet metal is a key material for customization services, which can be processed via technologies like bending, laser cutting, plasma cutting, punching, and welding. Common materials include aluminum, steel, stainless steel, and titanium (including aerospace-grade variants). After processing and surface finishing (e.g., powder coating, anodizing), it is used to make custom parts such as enclosures, structural components, and other products for aerospace, automotive, defense, and industrial sectors.

Core Metal Sheet Manufacturing Techniques

Laser Cutting: High-precision cutting technology that uses laser beams to cut metal sheets (aluminum, steel, stainless steel, titanium) with minimal material waste, tight tolerances, and smooth edges—ideal for complex shapes and aerospace-grade components.

Bending: A forming process that bends metal sheets into specific angles and shapes using hydraulic or mechanical bending machines, ensuring consistent angles and structural integrity for parts like enclosures, brackets, and frames.
Punching & Blanking: Uses punch presses to create holes, slots, or custom shapes in metal sheets quickly and efficiently, suitable for mass production of standard or custom-sized features.
Welding: Joins multiple metal sheet components using techniques like MIG, TIG, or spot welding, forming strong, seamless connections for large or complex assemblies (e.g., aerospace structural parts, industrial enclosures).
Surface Finishing: Post-processing steps including powder coating, anodizing, galvanizing, and polishing, which enhance corrosion resistance, aesthetics, and durability—critical for parts used in harsh environments.

The key advantages of sheet metal manufacturing

High Precision: Advanced equipment and strict process control ensure tolerances as tight as ±0.005mm, which can meet the strict standards of aerospace and industrial fields.

Material Versatility: It is compatible with all common sheet metal materials, including aerospace-grade aluminum, stainless steel, titanium alloys and high-strength steel, which can adapt to different application needs.

Flexibility: It supports both small-batch prototyping and large-scale mass production, and can quickly adapt to design modifications, flexibly responding to diverse customization requirements.

Cost-Efficiency: Optimized production processes can reduce material waste and production time, and deliver high-quality sheet metal components at competitive prices.

sheet metal

Steel / Carbon Steel	Carbon steel is the most widely used and lowest-cost material in sheet metal processing, and it is mainly divided into the following types: SPCC (Cold-rolled carbon steel sheet): Smooth surface, high dimensional accuracy, and extremely easy to stamp and bend. However, it is highly susceptible to rust and must undergo powder coating, painting, or electroplating after processing. Commonly used for indoor chassis, cabinets, and equipment enclosures. SPHC (Hot-rolled carbon steel sheet): Made by hot rolling, the surface often has a layer of black oxide scale (commonly known as black iron sheet). It has high hardness but slightly lower ductility. It is less expensive than cold-rolled sheet and is often used for structural components and supports with relatively low aesthetic requirements and greater thickness. Galvanized sheet (SECC/SGCC): A layer of zinc is plated onto the surface of carbon steel for corrosion protection. SECC (electro-galvanized) has a fine surface and is commonly used for inner panels of electronic products and home appliances; SGCC (hot-dip galvanized) has obvious zinc flowers, providing stronger corrosion resistance and is commonly used for outdoor cabinets and air conditioner outdoor units.
Stainless Steel	Stainless steel incorporates alloying elements such as chromium and nickel, giving it exceptional corrosion resistance and high strength. It exhibits significant work hardening, requiring no additional coating before use: SUS304 (Most Commonly Used): Non-magnetic, with excellent corrosion resistance, machinability, and weldability. Widely used in food processing equipment, medical devices, and high-end chassis. SUS316 (Corrosion Resistant King): Based on 304, molybdenum (Mo) is added, making it extremely resistant to chloride corrosion (such as seawater and acidic chemical liquids). Commonly used in marine engineering, chemical equipment, or coastal outdoor facilities. SUS430 (Ferritic Stainless Steel): Magnetic, with weaker corrosion resistance than the 300 series, but cheaper. Commonly used for exterior panels of indoor appliances.
Aluminum	The most significant advantages of aluminum sheets are their light weight (density only one-third that of steel), corrosion resistance, and excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. Pure aluminum is too soft, so aluminum alloys are typically used for sheet metal fabrication: 5052 aluminum alloy (most commonly used): A magnesium-aluminum alloy, it has moderate strength, excellent corrosion resistance (especially against sea salt), and excellent bending and forming properties, making it less prone to cracking. 6061 aluminum alloy: A magnesium-silicon aluminum alloy, it has even higher strength than 5052 and excellent machinability, but it is prone to cracking when bent at large angles. It is often used for precision parts requiring CNC machining combined with sheet metal processing.
Copper / Brass	Copper plates are expensive and are usually not used as large-area structural components, but rather for their excellent electrical and thermal conductivity or decorative properties: Pure copper: Extremely high electrical and thermal conductivity. Commonly used in busbars, heat sinks, and high-frequency shielding in electrical equipment. Brass (copper-zinc alloy): Higher strength than pure copper, with good machinability and stamping properties. It has a gold-like luster and is often used in high-end decorative parts, instrument panels, or connector springs.

Common Materials for Sheet Metal Fabrication

Sheet Metal Surface Treatment Options

Sheet metal surface treatment is mainly used for corrosion prevention, wear resistance, and decorative enhancement. Depending on the material of the sheet metal (carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel, etc.) and the application scenario, it can generally be summarized into the following main categories of solutions:

Coating protection

Surface Plating

Chemical and Electrochemical Conversion

Powder coating (powder coating): Plastic powder is sprayed onto sheet metal using electrostatic adsorption, followed by high-temperature baking and curing. The coating is thick, scratch-resistant, and has good corrosion resistance; it is most commonly used for chassis, cabinets, and equipment enclosures.
Spray painting (baking paint): Liquid paint is atomized and sprayed onto the metal surface. A wide variety of colors are available, and the surface is smoother and finer than powder coating, but its scratch resistance and environmental friendliness are slightly inferior.
Electrophoretic coating: Sheet metal is immersed in water-soluble paint and an electric current is applied, causing the paint to adhere evenly. The coating is extremely thin and uniform (suitable for complex structures or internal cavities); this process is often used for automotive body primer.

Electrogalvanizing (White Zinc/Colored Zinc/Black Zinc): Applying a layer of zinc to the surface of iron sheet metal. This method is cost-effective and provides excellent rust protection, making it the most common rust-preventive primer solution for carbon steel sheet metal (such as SPCC grade).

Electroplated Nickel / Chrome: A layer of nickel or chrome is applied to the surface. This process offers strong corrosion resistance and a high-gloss metallic finish, making it commonly used for hardware components that require high wear resistance or a premium appearance.

Anodizing: Primarily used for aluminum alloy sheet metal. This process involves electrochemical oxidation to form a hard oxide layer on the surface. Not only is it wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant, but it can also be dyed to produce a variety of high-quality finishes, such as red, blue, black, and gold.

Conductive Anodizing (Chemical Anodizing): Also used for aluminum alloys. The resulting oxide film is extremely thin, and its most notable feature is its ability to maintain excellent electrical conductivity. It is commonly used for internal sheet metal components in electronic devices that require electromagnetic shielding (EMC).

Mechanical and Physical Treatment (Texture and Priming)

Logos and Graphics

Brushing: A process that uses a brushing cloth or grinding wheel to create continuous, uniform lines on the surface of metal (typically stainless steel or aluminum). It effectively conceals minor scratches and imparts a premium metallic finish, making it commonly used for high-end home appliances and digital device casings.
Sandblasting: A process that uses a high-speed stream of abrasive particles to impact the sheet metal surface, removing scale and burrs. The result is a uniform matte or frosted finish, making it an excellent preparatory step before painting or anodizing.
Polishing (Mechanical/Electrochemical): A process that grinds the sheet metal surface to an extremely low roughness level. Stainless steel can achieve a mirror finish after high-precision polishing.

Screen printing: Applying company logos, button text, or warning labels to pre-treated sheet metal surfaces (such as those that have been powder-coated).

Laser marking: Using a laser to etch permanent graphics and text directly onto metal or coated surfaces. This process offers extremely high precision, and the text will not fade due to wear and tear.