If you've ever held a product in your hands and wondered how it was made, there's a good chance sheet metal fabrication played a role. From the enclosure of your laptop to the body panels of your car, sheet metal is everywhere. Yet for many engineers and product designers — especially those early in their careers — the fabrication process can feel like a black box.
What Is Sheet Metal Fabrication?
Sheet metal fabrication is the process of transforming flat sheets of metal into finished parts or structures through a series of manufacturing operations. These sheets, typically ranging from 0.5mm to 6mm in thickness, are cut, bent, punched, and joined to create components that are strong, lightweight, and precise.
At Project Nation, we work with a wide range of materials including mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, and galvanised steel — selecting the right one based on your application's strength, weight, corrosion resistance, and cost requirements.
Key Processes in Sheet Metal Fabrication
Laser Cutting is the most common method for cutting sheet metal. A high-powered laser beam melts or vaporises the material along a programmed path, delivering exceptional accuracy — often within ±0.1mm. It's fast, clean, and leaves minimal material waste.
Bending uses a press brake to apply force along a straight line, forming precise angles and curves in the metal sheet. The bend radius, material thickness, and grain direction all affect the final result. Getting bends right requires both good machine setup and skilled operators.
Punching uses a punch and die set to remove material from the sheet, creating holes, slots, or custom cut-outs. It's ideal for high-volume production runs where the same pattern is repeated across many parts.
Welding joins multiple sheet metal components into a single assembly. Common techniques include MIG (Metal Inert Gas), TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas), and spot welding — each suited to different material thicknesses and joint requirements.
Surface Finishing is often the final step. Powder coating, anodising, galvanising, or simple deburring improves the part's appearance, corrosion resistance, and longevity.
Designing for Manufacturability (DFM) — Why It Matters
The best engineers don't just design parts that work — they design parts that can be manufactured efficiently and cost-effectively. Here are some DFM principles specific to sheet metal:
Keep bend radii consistent. Using the same bend radius throughout your design simplifies tool selection and reduces setup time. A good rule of thumb: use a minimum bend radius equal to the material thickness.
Avoid placing holes too close to bends. Holes that are too close to a bend edge can deform during forming. Keep holes at least 1.5x the material thickness away from any bend.
Minimise part count. Where possible, design a single formed part instead of multiple welded components. Fewer parts means fewer welds, less assembly time, and lower cost.
Consider material grain direction. Rolling direction affects how sheet metal bends. Bending perpendicular to the grain is generally stronger, while bending parallel may cause cracking in harder materials.
Common Materials and When to Use Them
Mild Steel (MS) is the most economical choice for structural applications. It welds and forms easily but will rust if not coated or painted. Ideal for frames, enclosures, and general fabrication.
Stainless Steel offers excellent corrosion resistance and a premium appearance. It's harder to cut and weld than mild steel, but essential for food processing, pharmaceutical, and marine environments.
Aluminium is lightweight and naturally corrosion-resistant. It's ideal for aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics where weight savings are critical. However, it requires different welding techniques.
Galvanised Steel is mild steel coated with a layer of zinc, providing built-in rust protection. It's a cost-effective option for outdoor applications where corrosion is a concern.
Why Partner With Project Nation for Sheet Metal Fabrication?
At Project Nation, we've manufactured over 60,000 parts across 1,250+ projects in the last eight years. Our sheet metal fabrication capabilities combine modern laser cutting technology, precision press brakes, and experienced welders to deliver parts that meet your exact specifications — on time, every time.
Whether you need a one-off prototype to validate your design or a high-volume production run to fulfil customer orders, we scale with your needs. Our team reviews every drawing before production begins, flagging potential DFM issues early to save you time and money.
Ready to start your next sheet metal project? Contact Project Nation for a free quote and let's build something great together.