Key services in sheet metal fabrication explained

Sheet metal remains a popular material of choice for a range of projects and applications. The sheet metal fabrication market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4.7%, reaching $29.63 Bn by 2030.

Do you have a project that will use sheet metal fabrication services? Are you wondering what these are? Here are some of the key services in sheet metal fabrication explained.

What are the key services in sheet metal fabrication?

Sheet metal fabrication is the process of taking a flat piece of sheet metal – most commonly steel or aluminium – and passing it through various stages to make a finished, 3D structure.

Key services in sheet metal fabrication include metal profiling, CNC punch, folding, welding, and powder coating, amongst others. Let’s start from the beginning and look at an overview of the key services covered in sheet metal fabrication.

Fabrication services: what they include

There are different kinds of fabrication services suppliers. Some fabrication companies will specialise in one particular element of the process – for example, they may be experts in CNC machining to cut sheet metal, or treatment for painting. Globally, metal cutting holds the largest proportion of the market and is the area with highest forecast growth. Universal Wolf is a full-service sheet metal fabricator. That means our fabrication services include everything from the beginning to the end of the process. This starts with product design.

Design

When a customer approaches us with a product for fabrication – whether an existing product, or one that is new to market – our Engineering team will review CAD (computer aided design) files to assess the product design. They will look for ways they can optimise the design for smooth and repeatable manufacture. For example, this could include removing unnecessary welding or adjusting metal folding to increase efficiency through the manufacturing process. These kinds of changes help to make sure that manufacturing your product will be as cost-effective as possible. The design review is a collaborative activity alongside our customers’ Design team, to ensure everything is clear, captured, and agreed before we move on to the next stage of the process. All IP remains with the customer during the design and engineering phase.

Fabrication of Prototype

Once we have reviewed the design files and are satisfied that these are optimised for repeatable manufacture, we will progress to fabrication of a prototype. This is known as a ‘black build’ as it will be inspected and signed off in an unpainted state. Following sign-off of this initial prototype, we will follow the same process for production of at least one painted sample. The number of samples produced will very much depend on product size, complexity, and customer need. This will be agreed at the initial stages.

Sign-off of Prototype

Once both parties are happy with the manufactured and assembled samples, and the designs are finalised and locked, the product is ready to move into Production. This is managed seamlessly by our team to ensure the transition goes smoothly and to plan. The manufactured prototypes will be fully useable by the customer once complete. Some customers choose to use them for their own testing purposes, particularly if it is a new product to market. Other customers will use them to fulfil existing production demand.

Scaled Manufacture

Your product has now entered scaled manufacture, with a dedicated team who will become experts in your product. From machining, to folding, welding and fabrication, painting and assembly, our highly skilled team will look after your product from beginning to end. We’ll assign you a team of contacts, so you will always know who to get in touch with going forward.

What materials can you provide?

There are a wide range of raw material options for sheet metal fabrication. The most common options are steel and aluminium. Steel is very easy to work with and holds its shape well through the different sheet metal fabrication processes. Aluminium has the added benefit of being lightweight. It is also more resistant to corrosion, so well-suited to products which will be used in an external environment when paired with the appropriate paint treatment.

Stainless steel is a common choice for pharmaceutical or food preparation environments, as it is very easy to clean. For applications such as electrical busbars where conduction is necessary, copper is often the metal of choice.

Universal Wolf has expertise working with all these different metal types. If needed, our team can advise you on the most appropriate metal type for your project.

How long does it take to get a quote?

Universal Wolf has a dedicated Estimating team which looks after Requests for Quotation (RFQs). The turnaround time for quotes is dependent on the complexity of the product and the information that is available for them to work with. If you would like to discuss a quote for your project, please complete our Contact form.

We hope that’s given you an introduction to the key services in sheet metal fabrication. Complete our Contact form if you’d like to discuss a project in more detail!