What is sheet metal?
Sheet metal is a metal that is shaped into thin, flat pieces by hot and cold rolling industrial process. Sheet metal is one of the basic forms of metalworking and can be cut and bent into various shapes.
How is sheet metal made?
Sheet metal is made by running hot slabs of metal through a series of roughing rolling stands that makes them thinner and longer. To make them even thinner, these sheets go through finishing rolling stands and are then cooled and rolled into coils.
What are metal pickling and pickled and oiled steel?
Pickling is a surface treatment method used to remove impurities such as stains, inorganic contaminants, rust or scale from the surface of the metal after manufacturing by using an acid bath.
Aluminium forms a protective layer of oxide when exposed to atmospheric air that protects the aluminium from further rusting and oxidisation. However, steel can rust after going through pickling. To protect steel from rusting, a thin film of oil is usually used to protect the steel, and hence the term ‘pickled and oiled steel’.
What are the different types of sheet metal finish?
Sheet metal coils after hot rolling and pickling can be used as what is known as a hot band. If special finishing is needed, further processing is done starting with cold rolling to make the sheets even thinner. After that, the sheet metal coils can go through other finishing processes.
- Galvanising is the process of zinc coating the steel sheets for corrosion resistance
- Tinning is the process of tin coating the steel sheets for food cans
- Anodising is used for aluminium to create a thicker protective oxide layer
- Annealing is used to make the metal sheets easier to bend and form
- Tempering is used to add hardness and create surface textures in the metal sheets using special rollers
Westberg Sheetmetal offers sheet metal parts in a wide array of materials including:
- Aluminum
- Stainless steel
- Bronze/Brass
- Copper
- Steel
To further customize parts, Westberg Sheetmetal offers post-processing options to add to sheet metal parts such as:
- Plating
- Welding
- Inserts
- Powder Coating
- Other custom finishes upon request
