Sheet Metal

Anco precision uses all the materials that are commonly found in the machining industry. There are many metals that come in just as many forms. Sheet metal is any metal (usually steel) formed into a thin sheet. This is the most typical form you will find in metalworking as it is easily bent, cut and shaped into different pieces and angles. Millions of everyday objects are manufactured using sheet metal. Most sheet metal comes in thin sheets less than a quarter of an inch.

If it is extremely thin it is referred to as leaf or foil and if it is thicker than one quarter of an inch it is called plate. The gauge of sheet metal refers to its thickness and can range from 8 gauge up to 30 gauge (keep in mind that the higher the gauge the thinner the material). The gauge for steel is based on its weight which allows for more accurate calculations as to how much was used. The basic weight of steel is around 41 pounds per square foot for each inch of thickness. Sheet metal is either coiled and wound up (much like a roll of paper towels) or made into sheets of varying dimensions. The process of making sheet metal starts with molten, red hot material.

It is then fed through a roll slitter that presses the metal into thin sheets and cuts them to meet required measurements. The most common metals found in sheet form are aluminum, brass, steel, nickel, copper, titanium and tin (which is used around the word as a cheap and effective roofing material). Anco precision has access to all of these materials for you. If money is not an option and tastes are extravagant silver gold and platinum can be made into sheet metal for decorative additions to house and various products.

Sheet metal is most commonly known for it uses in the auto industry (as car bodies, doors, panels etc.), aerospace field, gurneys and examining tables and roofing among various other things. Iron is actually also produce in sheet metal from but only for use in electric machinery and transformers (due to its high rate of conductivity). The ancients utilized sheet metal for armored plating and horse tackle. Sheet metals are machined and milled in various ways. The fact that it is thin and pliable allow for the use of pressing and dye cutting which reduces time and waste in the manufacturing processes. As new uses for sheet metal arises production will have to be heightened to meet supply and demand.