Pressing Shapes Into Sheet Metal

Sheet metal is metal formed by an industrial process into thin flat pieces.

Pressing shapes into sheet metal. After testing this setup i found that i was not happy with the squared shape on the edges of the x. Sheet metal is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking and it can be cut and bent into a variety of shapes countless everyday objects are fabricated from sheet metal. The sheet metal takes the form of the design cut into the die. Hydraulic die forming is quicker and lends itself more to duplicating formed art or other production.

The die s cutting and forming sections typically are made from special types of hardenable steel called tool steel. There is a difference between a curled edge and a tear shaped hem. Stamping includes a variety of sheet metal forming manufacturing processes such as punching using a machine press or stamping press blanking embossing bending flanging and coining. Thicknesses can vary significantly.

Place the sheet metal in the correct position on the positive die and slide the negative on top. Find a long metal cylinder that will fit between the two stainless steel rods. Hydraulic die forming is somewhat similar to masonite die forming. This action causes the punch tip to penetrate the metal and results in accurate repeatable bends.

The plasma cutter cut width was about 080 making a perfect gap for the sheet metal to form into. The applied force stresses the metal beyond its yield strength causing the material to plastically deform but not to fail. Sheet metal forming processes are those in which force is applied to a piece of sheet metal to modify its geometry rather than remove any material. I then made a flat plate the same size for the top and bottom to help spread the load of the press.

In curling the initial edge is rolled into the formed circle whereas in the tear shaped hem the initial edge is still exposed. Coining is a bending technique wherein the workpiece is stamped while placed between a die and the punch or press. It s like a little metal sandwich. By doing so the sheet can be bent or stretched into a variety of complex shapes.

Extremely thin sheets are considered foil or leaf and pieces thicker than 6 mm 0 25 in are considered. Dies also can contain cutting and forming sections made from carbide or various other hard wear resistant materials. Embossing is a process for creating either a raised or recessed design in sheet metal by pressing the raw blank against a die that contains the desired shape or by passing the material blank through a roller die. Curling is the process of forming a circular ring at the edge of the metal sheet to make it safer for handling.