Show off your sheet metal fab projects

[kemarubae]

My welding experience has really been a good one. It's a pity I don't have a good camera to take pictures and post here. The metal fabricator machine I use has the ability to be able to cut up to twelve inches (300mm) of steel. This benefit gives me more design freedom when quoting projects and speeds up my production line, making my workshops more efficient when completing a project.

 

[Slednut]

I don't think I've ever seen this thread. I don't really have any sheet metal working tools, don't even have a brake but I enjoy doing sheet metal projects.

 

[4 FN 27]

I don't think I've ever seen this thread. I don't really have any sheet metal working tools, don't even have a brake but I enjoy doing sheet metal projects.

Me too...subscribed even thou it is an old thread. I have a love for Sheet Metal!!!!

 

[4 FN 27]

I've just completed a couple of projects with mostly box section construction with a few bits of sheet welded on here and there. There was a bit of handheld plasma cutting involved and a fair bit of measuring and drilling involved. Since it's mostly repetitive parts, I'm thinking of getting future parts laser cut and then CNC folded.

Has anyone had that done before and have companies to recommend? Also, any pitfalls to watch out for? I've been eying up fractory.com but the shipping costs are quite severe and seem to increase disproportionately the more parts I add, as though they're sending every part to a separate manufacturer. The shipping cost is currently sitting at £200 but I thought I would get a pallet sent from anywhere in the UK for half that!

I do all my design in CAD but my usual laser cutting company is asking for .pdf drawings because they don't use the same CAD package. Pretty disappointed in that as it's a heck of a lot of work to produce drawings when I really ought to be able to hand over a .step file.

I do this type of thing for a living...processing about 9 million pounds of Sheet Metal a year.

There are a number of places online you can have your parts made but shipping is always going to be an issue. Find a local shop that can take your Solid Model direct, import it, program it and ship it or you can pick up if local. We ship all across the US and some international.

Shops still working in the pdf world are way behind the times but I guess if it works for them so be it. Part of our vetting criteria now is you must have a Solid Model. In most cases but not all it saves time on the font end. The problem is from my experience 99% of people do not know how to design Sheet Metal. It is not their fault. Nobody teaches the proper methods to make a part directly from a Model.

Looking at fractory.com's website they have some very good basic design tips for Sheet Metal. These tips cover 90% of the issues we see with Models everyday.

Where are you located?