Sheet Metal Fabrication: Why Material Selection Matters

Sheet metal fabrication has been ruling the manufacturing industries for years and will continue to do so. The reason is the excessive and crucial use of sheet metal across different industries, like manufacturing, construction, automobiles, electrical, and medical, to name a few. It is usually fabricated from metals like copper, brass, aluminum, nickel, titanium, tin, and steel.

But when it comes to ensuring the perfect design of the fabricated products, sheet metal manufacturers & fabricators in Faridabad must choose the suitable metal option to use for their exact needs. 

The importance of selecting the right metal or material for sheet metal fabrication cannot be overlooked. Want to know why? If yes, keep reading!

The Importance Of Selecting The Right Material

The sheet metal is used across multiple industrial verticals differently and in distinct conditions, making them reach differently to various forms of manipulation. This involves actions like heating, melting, cooling, and molding. Therefore, sheet metal manufacturers in Faridabad must choose a material that can withstand their industrial processes. Plus, the end products must be able to deliver the expected functionalities by maintaining their strength and physical properties.

If sheet metal manufacturers do not choose the correct metal, the product will fail to withstand the production process. That’s why choosing the best material in sheet metal fabrication matters. It also gives you a competitive edge by improving several factors, like mechanical properties, performance, endurance, function, mechanical properties, and quality.

Factors Sheet Metal Manufacturers in Faridabad Must Consider Before Choosing a Material

Selecting the right material for sheet metal fabrication is an iterative process. That’s why manufacturers, after selecting the material, test and validate it to ensure that it meets product design requirements.

Different metals can be used for the fabrication process, each having its own advantages and disadvantages. In addition, there are several factors that impact your decision.

Here are the factors that manufacturers must evaluate before picking a material:

• External forces acting on the sheet metal during its entire working life
• Cost constraints
• Weight constraints
• Assembly process
• Availability of the material
• Corrosion resistance requirements
• The material’s mechanical attributes
• Environmental considerations
• The material’s physical and chemical properties

After considering all these factors and how they relate to their product and objectives, manufacturers can better determine which material is the right one to fabricate their sheet metal for their prototype.

Different Materials For Sheet Metal Fabrication

Here are the different materials sheet metal manufacturers & fabricators in Faridabad can choose from:

CRCA (Cold Rolled Close Annealed Steel)

It is a cheap sheet metal fabricating material possessing the least effective corrosion resistance. After annealing, oil is applied to the metal’s surface to improve its corrosion resistance power. The oil applying techniques stay effective for a shorter duration, i.e., 2-3 weeks. 

Pros:

• Good strength
• Excellent surface quality
• Low cost
• Available in diverse grades
• Good weldability and dimensional accuracy

Cons:

• Prone to corrosion
• Heavy
• The oil application technique is high (to improve corrosion resistance)

Aluzinc Steel

Aluzinc steel is aluminum sheets with zinc coating to improve the material’s corrosion resistance. The ratio of aluminum and zinc is 80-20. The material has a longer working life and can withstand impacts with less wear & tear.

Pros:

• High strength
• Better corrosion resistance
• Outstanding surface quality
• Great dimensional accuracy
• Various deep-drawn grades are available

Cons:

• Not suitable for welding
• Heavyweight
• Expensive as compared to other options

Galvanized Iron Steel

They are zinc-coated sheets with excellent corrosion resistance. The GI sheets are available in various grades, like extra deep drawing, deep drawing, drawing, and ordinary. They are also available in different zinc coating thicknesses.

Pros:

• Exceptional surface quality
• High strength
• Good dimensional accuracy
• Better corrosion resistance

Cons:

• Not suitable for welding
• Heavyweight
• High cost

Aluminum

Aluminum ranks #2 when it comes to listing the most used metals around the globe. It is available in various grades, each one offering a commendable feature, like:

5052-H32: Excellent formability

5052-H34: Good corrosion resistance and best suitable for welding

1050-H14: Better weldability

5251-H22: Works good in marine environments

Pros:

• Lightweight
• High strength when compared to weight ratio
• Recyclable
• Excellent thermal & electrical conductivity
• Good corrosion resistance

Cons:

• Welding reduces the working life
• Expensive

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel possesses exceptional corrosion resistance and contains over 10.5% of chromium. Here are a few mostly used stainless steel grades:

SS-304

SS-304- H

SS-304- L

SS-3i6

Pros:

• Excellent corrosion resistance
• Best suitable for welding
• Also available in food grades
• Easy to fabricate

Cons:

• Comes in limited finish options
• Higher cost

These are some of the materials that are widely used in the sheet metal industry. The sheet metal fabrication process serves various purposes in several industries. It is used in car manufacturing, tools, aircraft parts, mining, agriculture, catering, construction, hotels, shipping, medical, electronic parts, etc.

Above mentioned materials’ description will help every automobile sheet metal company in Faridabad choose the right material for manufacturing and deliver excellent quality products to customers.

Choosing the right material will also help fabricators build a reputation in the competitive market. The best materials will withstand product impacts and serve their purpose for a longer time, ensuring greater customer satisfaction. This will lead to customer retention in the long run, improved sales, more profits, and greater return on investment.

The Material Selection Process

Evaluate the key requirements of the fabrication process before selecting the material. Take into account the unique requirements, environmental challenges, and other constraints that the end product may encounter. Don’t forget to consider the materials’ properties like weldability, ductility, tensile strength, corrosion resistance, and machinability. All these will help you ensure that the material you choose goes well with the processes and the end products will meet the desired needs.

Parting Thoughts

The sheet metal fabrication process is dominating all industries across the world. It involves every step to transform a sheet of metal into large structures and products, which further serves uncountable needs. That’s why sheet metal manufacturers & fabricators in Faridabad focus on choosing the right material.

We hope that the article has provided you with a clear understanding of the importance of selecting the right material for sheet metal fabrication and also the factors to consider when choosing the right one. If you have any questions or doubts, do let us know in the comments section below.