Fabrication at its most basic is the alteration of metal or plastic into a functional and/or aesthetically pleasing product. This can involve the employment of various tools including the box and pan brake and the sheet metal punch press. The base material of many projects fabricated for our daily use is sheet metal.
What is Sheet Metal?
Steel sheet metal acts as the base material for creating a diverse range of products. Together with aluminum, it is in high demand by fabricators. Sheet metal arrives at the fabricators typically in the form of thin flat pieces. The thickness or gauge of the metal will vary. It can be as small as a gauge 7 or as large as a gauge 39. The thickness depends upon the specifications for the workpiece. It will vary according to the specific metal and between ferrous and non-ferrous materials.
In the shop, the material arrives as flat pieces or in coiled strips. The metalworker then modifies the metal, fabricating it into the specified shape or size. In many instances, fabricators will rely on the capabilities of a sheet metal punch press.
What Is a Sheet Metal Punch Press?
Punch presses, as the name clearly indicates, punch. A sheet metal punch press performs this action on metal. It cuts precise holes in designated spots in steel or aluminum. It may be large or small and comes in several types with the two most common frame styles being C-Frame and Portal Frame. You can classify them according to their power source mechanism as being:
- Mechanical
- Pneumatic
- Hydraulic
- Servo-electric
Sheet metal punch presses operate using different technologies. You can purchase them as manual or automatic. They also come in CNC versions. The manual and mechanical presses usually feature a C-frame while the CNC powered ones have a portal frame. Overall, a sheet metal punch provides your shop with the capability to perforate sheets of metal quickly, easily and efficiently. SAMS Fabrications Ltd offers a wide range of options to meet your needs.
For more information on Sheetmetal, Contact SAMS Fabrications Ltd at https://www.samsfabrications.co.uk/, You can also follow them on Facebook.
