The sheet metal fabrication forming process is instrumental in the fabrication and manufacturing of parts and components. A sheet metal forming process involves reshaping a metal while it is still in its solid state. The plasticity of certain metals makes it possible to deform them from a solid piece into a desired form without losing the structural integrity of the metal. The 3 more common forming processes are bending, laser cutting, and punching. Each process is accomplished through cold forming without heating or melting the material first to reshape it. Here's a closer look at each technique:

Bending

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Bending is a method used by manufacturers to form metal parts and components to a desired shape. It is a common fabrication process where force is applied to deform metal on one of its axes. In other words, bending changes the shape of the metal piece without cutting or subtracting from any of the material. In most instances it does not change the thickness of the sheet metal. Bending is applied to impart strength and stiffness to the piece for functional or cosmetic appearance and.

Laser Cutting

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Laser cutting is an increasingly common fabrication method that employs a high-powered, focused laser beam to cut and subtract material from a piece into a desired shape or design. Its used to produce complex parts and components without the need for custom-designed tooling. A high-powered laser burns through metal with ease-faster, with precision, accuracy and leaving smooth edged finishes. Compared to other conventional cutting methods, parts cut with laser precision have less material contamination, waste or physical damage.

Punching

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Metal punching is a subtractive fabrication process that forms and cuts metal as it passes through or under a punch press. The metal punching tool and accompanying die set shapes and forms custom designs into metal pieces. Simply put, the process cuts a hole through metal by shearing the piece. A die set consists of male punches and female dies, and once the piece is clamped in place, the punch passes through the sheet metal into a die that forms the desired shape. Punching is a cost effective method for forming metals in medium to high production volumes.