A Study on Sheet Metal Fabrication and Product realization

Siddharth.S 1MS07IM051

Introduction to Sheet Metal.

Sheet metal is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metal working, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes. Countless everyday objects are constructed of the material. Thicknesses can vary significantly, although extremely thin thicknesses are considered foil or leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25 in) are considered plate. Sheet metal is available as flat pieces or as a coiled strip. The coils are formed by running a continuous sheet of metal through a roll slitter. The thickness of the sheet metal is called its gauge. The gauge of sheet metal ranges from 30 gauge to about 8 gauge. The higher the gauge, the thinner the metal. There are many different metals that can be made into sheet metal, such as aluminum, brass, copper, steel, tin, nickel and titanium. For decorative uses, important sheet metals include silver, gold, and platinum (platinum sheet metal is also utilized as a catalyst.) Sheet metal has applications in car bodies, airplane wings, medical tables, roofs for building and many other things. Sheet metal of iron and other materiales with high magnetic permeability, also known as laminated steel cores, has applications in transformers and electric machines. Historically, an important use of sheet metal was in plate armor worn by cavalry, and sheet metal continues to have many decorative uses, including in horse tack.

Materials used in Sheet Metal Stainless steel Fabrication.

The three most common stainless steel grades available in sheet metal are 304, 316, and 410.[1] Grade 304 is the most common of the three grades. It offers good corrosion resistance while maintaining formability and weldability. Available finishes are #2B, #3, and #4. Note that grade 303 is not available in sheet form.

Grade 316 offers more corrosion resistance and strength at elevated temperatures than 304. It is commonly used for pumps, valves, chemical equipment, and marine applications. Available finishes are #2B, #3, and #4.

Grade 410 is a heat treatable stainless steel, but does not offer as good corrosion resistance. It is

Materials used in Sheet Metal Fabrication.

Aluminum Pure aluminum is soft and ductile and most commercial uses require greater strength than pure aluminum affords. So, strength is achieved by the addition of other elements to produce alloys. Further strengthening is possible by means which classify the alloys into roughly two categories, nonheat-treatable (alloyed with manganese, silicon, iron, and magnesium) and heat-treatable (alloyed with copper, magnesium, zinc, and silicon). Aluminum is available in a wide variety of alloys to meet specific applications. The four most common aluminum grades available as sheet metal are 1100-H14, 3003-H14, 5052H32, and 6061-T6.Based on the requirement of the job, the various grades are used.

Applications Of Sheet Metal.

Sheet metal has applications in car bodies, airplane wings, medical tables, roofs for building and many other things. Sheet metal of iron and other materials with high magnetic permeability, also known as laminated steel cores, has applications in transformers and electric machines. Historically, an important use of sheet metal was in plate armor worn by cavalry, and sheet metal continues to have many decorative uses, including in horse tack.

Processes Carried out on Sheet Metal.

Drawing is a forming process in which the metal is stretched over a form. In deep drawing the depth of the part being made is more than half its diameter. Deep drawing is used for making automotive fuel tanks, kitchen sinks, 2 piece aluminum cans, etc.

Deep Drawing

Cutting Process

Cutting processes are those in which a piece of sheet metal is separated by applying a great enough force to caused the material to fail. The most common cutting processes are performed by applying a shearing force, and are therefore sometimes referred to as shearing processes. When a great enough shearing force is applied, the shear stress in the material will exceed the ultimate shear strength and the material will fail and separate at the cut location. This shearing force is applied by two tools, one above and one below the sheet. Whether these tools are a punch and die or upper and lower blades, the tool above the sheet delivers a quick downward blow to the sheet metal that rests over the lower tool. A small clearance is present between the edges of the upper and lower tools, which facilitates the fracture of the material.

Punching
Punching is a cutting process in which material is removed from a piece of sheet metal by applying a great enough shearing force. Punching can be used to produce holes and cutouts of various shapes and sizes. The most common punched holes are simple geometric shapes (circle, square, rectangle, etc.) or combinations thereof. The edges of these punched features will have some burrs from being sheared but are of fairly good quality. Secondary finishing operations are typically performed to attain smoother edges. The punching process requires a punch press, sheet metal stock, punch, and die

Press Brake Forming.

This, is a form of bending, used for long and thin sheet metal parts. The machine that bends the metal is called a press brake. The lower part of the press contains a V shaped groove.This is the Die. The upper part of the press contains a punch that will press the sheet metal down into the v shaped die, causing it to bend.

Visual Representation of Press Brake Forming.

Rolling.
In metalworking, rolling is a metal forming process in which metal stock is passed through a pair of rolls. Rolling is classified according to the temperature of the metal rolled. If the temperature of the metal is above its recrystallization temperature, then the process is termed as hot rolling. If the temperature of the metal is below its recrystallization temperature, the process is termed as cold rolling.

Roll bending produces a cylindrical shaped product from plate or steel metal.

Figure Showing Rolling process.

Powder Coating Process

Powder coating is a type of coating that is applied as a free-flowing, dry powder. The main difference between a conventional liquid paint and a powder coating is that the powder coating does not require a solvent to keep the binder and filler parts in a liquid suspension form. The coating is typically applied electrostatically and is then cured under heat to allow it to flow and form a "skin." The powder may be a thermoplastic or a thermoset polymer. It is usually used to create a hard finish that is tougher than conventional paint. Powder coating is mainly used for coating of metals, such as "whiteware", aluminium extrusions, and automobile and bicycle parts.

CNC MACHINES.

AUTOMATED PUNCHING MACHINE The programing for the CNC machines was done using AUTOCAD and also FANUC series of software.

SHEARING MACHINE

A few Examples of CNC Machines used in Tulsi Engg Works.

Material Handling.

Tulasi Engg. Works, primary are manufactures of sheet metal, which are made of aluminum and

steel, which are comparatively light in weight.

They use, Pallet Jack. Overhead hoists. Trolleys.

I.E Techniques
Tulsi Engg Works, is a ISO certified Company. I.E Techniques where already Implemented, acting as one of the primary reasons for the certification. 100% inspection of the outgoing lots. Sampling inspection of the incoming materials. Optimized layout was designed, to obtain ISO Certification. The machines where ergonomically placed to benefit the workers. All the machines had there maintenance schedules,and Operating instruction stuck on them.

Root Cause Analysis

Root cause analysis (RCA) is a class of problem solving methods aimed at identifying the root causes of problems or incidents. The practice of RCA is predicated on the belief that problems are best solved by attempting to correct or eliminate root causes, as opposed to merely addressing the immediately obvious symptoms. By directing corrective measures at root causes, it is hoped that the likelihood of problem recurrence will be minimized. However, it is recognized that complete prevention of recurrence by a single intervention is not always possible. Thus, RCA is often considered to be an iterative process, and is frequently viewed as a tool of continuous improvement.

Fishbone Diagram RCA.

Man
Is he able to check for burrs Is he trained

method
Is tooling design OK

measurement
Is there a method to check the burrs

Is process method proper

Burrs in the parts

Is hardness OK
Is m/c capable Is m/c maintained properly Is the environment ok Is suitable mt used Any change in the structure after process

machine

material

environment

Conclusions.
Studied in detail the various processes of Sheet metal Fabrications and the various machines used and
the work in progress

Observed Root Cause analysis for Burrs in Punching and Shearing.

Studied in brief about the sampling of incoming material. Observed various inspection techniques followed in the inspection of finished product.

Also suggested the powder coating unit to be moved to the 1

can be used to lift the products to be powder coated.

st

floor of the facility and overhead hoist

Studied in brief the sheet metal maintenance and storage and also the stacking of sheet metal.

Studied in brief the CNC softwares used and also the translation of the CNC program by the CNC
machine to achieve the desired product.

Observed supplier/Customer Relationships.

Thank You