What are the main industries served by sheet metal fabrication?

Thanks to its strength and versatility, there are many industries served by sheet metal fabrication – from security and defence to industrial machinery, commercial vehicles and clean energy systems.

Understanding the scope and potential of sheet metal fabrication is key for manufacturers, product owners and OEMs who are looking to optimise and scale for production. As a complex metal fabrication company, we have experience working with companies operating across a wide range of sectors and product types.

Let’s remind ourselves of what sheet metal fabrication is, then we’ll look at some of the industries and products that are served by it.

What is sheet metal fabrication?

Sheet metal fabrication is the manufacturing process of taking a flat sheet of metal – for example, steel or aluminium – and passing it through a range of stages to create a fabricated, finished product.

Fabrication techniques include:

• Metal cutting – for example, laser cutting or waterjet
• Metal forming – bending and shaping using press brakes
• Welding and fabrication – MIG and TIG welding
• Finishing – this includes surface treatments such as powder coating and wet painting

Sheet metal is both highly durable and easy to work with, making it an attractive option for product owners and manufacturers.

Most industries are served in some way by sheet metal fabrication services – let’s take a look at some of the main ones below.

What are the main industries served by sheet metal fabrication?

Sheet metal fabrication for industrial and manufacturing applications

The manufacturing industry accounted for just over 9% of the UK’s economic output in 2023, with £38.8bn of investment in the sector in that same year.

Sheet metal fabrication is commonly used for applications such as CNC machining enclosures, guards and control panels. It is an ideal solution for product which is going into a high-traffic, heavy-use environment.

Sheet metal fabrication for transport

As you might expect, sheet metal fabrication is widely used in the transport industry, particularly lightweight materials such as aluminium.

You’ll find fabricated sheet metal components in chassis and vehicle bodies, but also in areas such as interior panels and handrails on buses and coaches. Sheet metal fabrication is also widely used for vehicle conversions, e.g. WAVs (wheelchair accessible vehicles).

Commercial vehicles, such as refuse collection vehicles, also use sheet metal for their canopies.

Use of sheet metal fabrication for these applications allows for precise, repeatable production that is quality assured.

Sheet metal fabrication for clean tech

The UK government has committed to reaching net zero by 2050. Their net zero strategy document sets out policies and proposals for decarbonisation across all sectors – from the power sector to homes and buildings, hydrogen, transport and industry.

Clean tech solutions such as battery energy storage systems and air source heat pumps are a key part of the road to net zero, and more and more companies are being founded to address these challenges.

Sheet metal fabrication is used for enclosures for battery energy storage systems and air source heat pumps, as well as within solar infrastructure and wind turbine components. The availability of corrosion-resistant metals make it an ideal choice for products which will often be placed in an external environment, such as large-scale installations.

Sheet metal fabrication for defence

Sheet metal fabrication is widely used for elements in the Defence sector.  Metals including aluminium, iron and steel are listed as ‘Strategic Raw Materials for Defence’ for Europe by the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies.

Thanks to its strength and integrity sheet metal is used in many mission-critical fabrications. Components can be found in applications such as armoured enclosures and land systems vehicle components, HVAC (Heating, ventilation and air conditioning) units, weapons handling systems and weapons mountings.

Which metals are commonly used for sheet metal fabrication?

The most commonly used metals for complex fabrication include:

• Aluminium: strong but lightweight; aluminium is ideal for applications such as vehicle chassis and subframes. It is also corrosion-resistant, which makes it an excellent choice for products which will be either partially or permanently in an external environment, such as enclosures for battery storage systems.
• Stainless steel: durable and naturally corrosion-resistant, but significantly heavier than aluminium. Stainless steel is a popular choice for applications such as food preparation or pharmaceutical, thanks to ease of cleaning.
• Mild steel: easy to fabricate and malleable, mild steel is well-used in general industrial applications such as construction industries
• Copper: used for specialised applications, either for aesthetics or for its conductive properties.

Talk to us about your sheet metal requirements

There’s your overview of which industries are served by sheet metal fabrication. As you’ve read, sheet metal is incredibly versatile and can be found in most industries.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss an upcoming project, please complete our Contact Form and a member of the team will get in touch with you. We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service from first conversation through to delivery.