Protolabs Sheet Metal Design

Because sheet metal parts are manufactured from a single sheet of metal the part must maintain uniform wall thickness.

Protolabs sheet metal design.

In this webinar we ll show you which part features increase production risks and how to reduce that risk through design iteration. Depending on the part geometry a sheet metal punch 2 can form additional features. Sheet metal finishing. With our online quoting platform and.

Sheet metal tolerances are far more generous than machining or 3d printing tolerances. Determining material compatibility of sheet metal and hardware. Sheet metal thickness ranges from 0 024 in. 0 609mm to 0 138 in.

During the sheet metal fabrication process thin sheet metal stock is placed on a flat bed where a laser cutter 1 draws programmed part patterns. Our digital approach to manufacturing lets us ship sheet metal prototypes and production components to you within days. Get an interactive quote with free design analysis within hours. A key early step in integrating nuts pins studs and other connectors into your part design is to consider sheet metal and hardware compatibility selecting the connector material to make sure it works with the type of sheet metal being used.

Once the parts are deburred they move to the press brake 3 where they are formed into the final geometries. Factors affecting tolerances include material thickness machines used and number of steps in part production. How to reduce sheet metal design risks and production costs. Avoid elaborate design elements for sheet metal fabrication.

Protolabs is the world s fastest source for custom prototypes and low volume production parts. This is probably the easiest and most obvious of the tips to help you cut costs on sheet metal parts. Specialized design elements might look great and sometimes there are good reasons for them but taking them out of your models and aiming for simplicity is good practice. Erapid is a solidworks add in developed by protolabs that provides instant pricing and design for manufacturability dfm feedback for sheet metal parts.

This guide will help you improve manufacturability of your design by providing best practices for hems countersink holes slots bends and more.