Sheet Metal Processing: 2 Methods and 5 Processes

Sheet metal processing involves cold working of metal sheets typically less than 6 millimeters thick, encompassing cutting, punching, folding, bending, welding, riveting, die forming, and surface treatment. Its hallmark is uniform thickness across components.

2 Methods of Sheet Metal Processing:

1. Tool-less Processing: Utilizing equipment such as CNC punch presses, laser cutters, shears, press brakes, and riveters to process sheet metal, generally employed for sample or small-batch production.

2. Die Processing: Employing a fixed die to process sheet metal. Typically involves blanking dies and forming dies, used for large-scale production.

5 Processes of Sheet Metal Processing:

1. Cutting: Methods include CNC punching, laser cutting, and shearing. Cutting techniques primarily involve CNC punching, laser cutting, shearing, and die blanking. Shearing is mainly used for prototyping, while die blanking is for batch processing.

2. Forming: Bending, stretching, and punching utilizing equipment like press brakes and punch presses. The basic principle for bending sequence is: bend from the inside out, bend from small to large, bend special shapes first, then general shapes. Completion of the previous process does not affect or interfere with subsequent processes.

3. Additional Processing: Riveting, tapping, etc. Riveting attachments on sheet metal, such as rivet nuts, rivet screws, rivet pins, etc. Tapping threaded holes on metal sheets.

4. Welding: Design of welded structures should feature "symmetrical arrangement of welds and weld points, avoiding convergence, aggregation, and overlap. Welds and weld points may be interrupted, with main welds and weld points connected. Common welding methods for sheet metal include arc welding and resistance welding.

5. Sheet Metal Joining Methods: The number of layers and material thickness of resistance-welded plates are generally 2 layers more than resistance spot-welded plates, with the thickness ratio of each welded joint between 1/3 and 3. If it's necessary to weld 3-layer plates, first check the material thickness ratio. If reasonable, welding is possible. If unreasonable, consider creating process holes or gaps, 2-layer welding, or staggered weld points.

4 Characteristics of Sheet Metal Processing Technology:

1. Compared to forging and casting production processes, sheet metal parts feature lightweight, metal-saving, simple processing, reduced production costs, and saved production expenses.

2. Precision of welded metal parts is often low, with significant welding deformation and post-welding correction.

3. As welded parts are non-detachable, repair is challenging, necessitating rational assembly methods and procedures to minimize or avoid waste. Large or oversized products often require on-site assembly, thus preliminary testing in the factory is advisable. During trial assembly, consider temporarily replacing non-detachable connections with detachable ones.

4. Assembly processes typically involve selection, adjustment, multiple measurements, and quality checks.

Sheet metal processing can be used to manufacture products of various shapes, sizes, and performance characteristics. The steel structure products manufactured have high strength and stiffness, fully utilizing their load-bearing capacity. Components forming the structure in sheet metal manufacturing can be assembled through welding, riveting, snapping, or expansion joints based on specific positions, dimensional relationships, and precision requirements. Thus, offering significant design flexibility.