Metal loves to be bent, punched, cut and joined. But, like any material, metal has its breaking point.
Trying to do too many laser cuts too fast on the same sheet of metal can overheat the material and cause warping. Trying to do too small of a bend on metal (depending on thickness and type) can blow up dies on press brakes.
Unfortunately, with all the options of metals, thicknesses, type of bend, length of bend, cut type, etc… There are no hard and fast rules. If you’re doing something you haven’t seen done before (or simply switching up the metal type or thickness on something you HAVE seen done before) it pays to have an early discussion with a metal fabrication partner (like us) to ensure you aren’t promising more than the metal can handle.
Got a question? Send it to us here.
Follow California Sheet Metal on Facebook or LinkedIn for an update when Tip #2 is posted!