Various Kinds of Sheet Metal You Could Utilise for Your Fabrication Needs

As metal fabrication has steadily advanced in technology resulting in the fast turnaround in the production of materials, it has consistently become a choice technique in processing, manufacturing, construction and an array of other industries. Typically, fabrication will utilise sheet metal to produce materials for a variety of applications. Nonetheless, you need to be aware of what type of sheet metal suits your requirements so that you can get the best quality of your final product. If you are unfamiliar with the metal fabrication process, read on to learn the various kinds of sheet metal that you could use. 

Hot-rolled sheet metal

This method of sheet metal fabrication is best suited for applications that only require a flat sheet of steel rather than a flawless finish on the product. Thus, it is one of the more affordable options that you could consider for your application. To create hot-rolled sheet metal, steel is passed through rollers that have been heated to extreme temperatures. The heat and the rollers work in tandem to flatten out the steel to just a few millimetres of thickness. Take note that, while hot-rolled sheet metal is one of the simplest forms to produce, it is characterised by having some imperfections on the surface of the steel.

Cold-rolled sheet metal

For applications that require a premium surface finish, cold-rolled sheet metal will be an ideal choice for your needs. Just like its hot-rolled counterpart, the steel is passed through rollers to create the sheet metal. The main difference is that the rollers are not heated during the process. In addition to this, the flattened steel is then rinsed out with some heated acid to make the surface of the steel as smooth as possible. If you are looking for steel for welding applications, the cold-rolled sheet metal is recommended. However, the steel used has to have a lower carbon content than the regular steel used during sheet metal fabrication.

Aluminium sheet metal

If you are looking to use metal fabrication for a wide assortment of applications, it is advisable to gravitate toward aluminium sheet metal. Aluminium sheet metal is the preferred choice because of the favourable characteristics that it has including being incredibly malleable without limiting the durability of the metal. Hence, it can be passed through most fabrication processes without risk of damage. Furthermore, aluminium sheet metal is advantageous for the fabrication process, as it is one of the least corrosive metals that you could use.