6 Commonly Used Sheet Metal Processing Technologies
- Curling
Sheet metal often contains sharp edges with "burrs" after initial production. Curling is a forming process that involves deburring the sheet metal to produce a smooth edge.
- Bending
Another common sheet metal forming process is bending. Companies often use a brake press or a similar machine press to create bends in sheet metal.
- Ironing
Ironing is the process of ironing sheet metal to achieve a uniform thickness. For example, most aluminum cans are made from ironed aluminum. In its raw state, aluminum sheet is too thick for beverage cans, so it is ironed to achieve a thinner, more uniform composition.
- Laser cutting
In recent years, laser cutting has become an increasingly common sheet metal forming process. With laser cutting, a metal sheet is exposed to a high-energy laser, which burns holes into the metal.
- Hydroforming
A lesser-known sheet metal forming process is hydroforming. Like deep drawing, hydroforming involves stretching a blank over a die. So, what is the difference between hydroforming and deep drawing? The main difference between the two processes is that deep drawing requires multiple reductions in the depth of the draw, while hydroforming is done in a single step.
Finally, stamping is a sheet metal forming process that involves using a punch and die to create a hole in sheet metal. The sheet metal is placed between the punch and die. Next, the punch is pressed down and through the sheet metal to create a hole.
