Types Of Sheet Metal
2 min read
Metal is the most common raw materials used in the industry of aerospace, automobile, and construction. Besides, they serve as the base material for the manufacturing of consumer good and electronics. However, these metals are not directly used in production. Instead, they are converted into a sheet form. And it has become the base of engineering in the present. Thus, the sheet metal industry has been flourishing.
What are the types of sheet metals?
There are several types of raw metal turned into a sheet. Metal products industries further use these metal sheets for the production process. The most common sheet metals are:
- Stainless steel- The stainless steel itself comes in the different form of grades. These graded steels need to be converted into the sheet metal. The top three of those metals are austenitic, ferritic and martensitic. The most widely used are austenitic stainless. These are the no-magnetic steels that have a high concentration of nickel and chromium. It also has a low concentration of carbon. These stainless steels are known for their resistance to corrosion and formability. On the other hand, ferritic and martensitic contains less or no nickel.
- Cold rolled steel- The cold-rolled steel comes in 1008 as well as 1018 alloys. It is processed from the hot rolled steel, which is further smoothened to hold more fixed tolerances.
- Pre-plated steel- These are the sheet metal materials which can be formed in two ways. First, their formation can occur by hot-dipped galvanized steel. Second, it can also happen with ordinary galvanised steels that are galvanized and then annealed. The process of galvanization involves applying the protective coating of zinc to steel. It is done to prevent the steel from corrosion and rust. Later, the heat treatment is annealing. It is the process that modifies the microstructure of the material bu changing its electrical or mechanical properties. It usually reduces hardness and enhances the elasticity, that helps in easy fabrication.
- Aluminium- These are a popular choice because of their natural corrosion resistance quality. These metals have an exceptional weigh to strength ratio. Like stainless steel, aluminium also has different grades. Each grade has its function and rate of compatibility with heat. These sheet metals is a requirement in the production of cooking utensils.
- Copper or brass- Brass has less zinc concentration. Thus, it can perfectly work with brazing, welding and cold-working. When a metal has a high copper concentration, it helps in forming the protective oxide layer on the metal’s surface. The name of this protective layer is patina. This patina also has an extra benefit. It adds to the aesthetic look of the metal. Hence, making it desirable for the production of many architectural products.
The production of industrial goods mainly involves the rate of heat tolerance, rust and corrosion level. Thus, knowing the types of metal sheet help in the production of these consumer goods. Using the wrong metal sheet can interfere with the production process or mess up the good in production.
