Important Tips for Reducing Sheet Metal Processing Costs
Sheet metal processing allows you to apply various processes on the sheet metal materials, which include sheet metal bending, shaping, welding, punching, and many others. The process itself can get very complicated depending on the design blueprint that you have for each sheet metal material. You will need to continue the production process after you are done with the sheet metal processing, so this is not the only process you will need to do to produce hardware parts in your rapid manufacturing production. Sheet metal processing can also be very expensive to perform. However, you can cut the costs of sheet metal processing by optimizing various aspects of it. How can you reduce your sheet metal processing costs?
Here are some important tips for reducing your sheet metal processing costs:
1.Choose the Right Raw Sheet Materials to Reduce Sheet Metal Processing Costs
The way you choose the raw sheet materials to use for your sheet metal processing will affect the costs you will need to pay for it. In sheet metal fabrication, sheet metal materials you are working on will affect the overall quality of the products you are building. Different sheet metal types will also have different prices depending on their quality, size, and other aspects.
The best thing to do is to choose the right raw sheet materials for your sheet metal processing depending on the purpose of the project. For instance, it’s better to use cheaper sheet metal materials if you are using them to build rapid prototypes, rather than using the same sheet metal materials you would use to build the final products.
2.Use the Same Orientation for the Bends
The bends you apply to the sheet metal materials will also affect the costs you will need to pay for the sheet metal processing. For instance, applying bends in different orientations will make your sheet metal materials take shape in a confusing direction. It means you will need to fix the direction of the bends later, which can cost a lot of time and money to do.
So, it’s best for you to use the same orientation for the bends on the sheet metal materials. This way, your sheet metal processing will be both cost-effective and efficient.
3.Consider Using Non-Plated Sheet Metals
Non-plated sheet metals are usually cheaper than the plated sheet metals. Often, you don’t need to use plated sheet metals for some sheet metal works. For instance, with the plated sheet metals, you cannot apply any welding to it, because it won’t be safe for you to do so. It will be hazardous for the environment and for the workers doing the job. So, non-plated sheet metals will be best and cheapest to use if welding is required.
Take a closer look at the sheet metal materials you are using and the blueprint you have for them. By minimizing the use of plated sheet metals, you can save quite a lot of money in your sheet metal prototyping processing.
4.Simplify Your Sheet Metal Design to Reduce Sheet Metal Processing Costs
It’s best for you to simplify your sheet metal design, as it can also help you reduce the costs of your sheet metal processing. The more complex your design, the more sheet metal works you will need to perform to follow the design blueprint. It means you will need to spend a lot more money on one sheet metal process when it has a complex design.
In most cases, it will always be possible for you to simplify your design. By simplifying your design, you don’t need to apply unnecessary processes for the sheet metal materials. You also don’t need to use unnecessary hand or power tools for the sheet metal process. This can help reduce the costs of your sheet metal processing significantly.
5.Use Cheaper Fasteners to Reduce Sheet Metal Processing Costs
Do you need to combine two sheet metal pieces together? There are various types of fasteners for sheet metals that you can get on the market today. Some fasteners even have unique and complex designs that make these fasteners more expensive. Rather than spending too much money on fasteners, you can save more money on your sheet metal processing costs by using simple and plain fasteners.
Simple and plain fasteners are cheaper to buy in bulk, and they work the same way as the fasteners with fancy or intricate designs. This can help save a lot of production time and money, as you can just use these fasteners without much hassle.
6.Use Fewer Sheet Metal Materials when Possible
Another way to help reduce your sheet metal processing is to use fewer sheet metal materials when possible. Be sure to calculate the sheet metal materials you need to use for the production operation and don’t buy too many sheet metal materials that you would end up not using. Yes, you might need to buy some spares just in case you need them later, but don’t buy sheet metal materials that are too many for you to use for the current project.
It’s always best to buy sheet metal materials little by little as you need them, if you want to save some processing costs in your production. Just be sure to refill your sheet metal inventory before you run out of them.
7.Consider the Tight Tolerances You Use
Tight tolerances are one of the most important aspects of sheet metal processing, and you need to understand that the more tight tolerances you use, the more costly the process will be. So, it’s best for you to consider the tight tolerances you use for the sheet metal processing. It’s best for you to use standard tolerances if you want to cut down on the metal processing costs.
You can still use tighter tolerances for various important parts of the sheet metals, such as around specific surfaces where you need to highlight certain features. For the rest of the surface area, it’s best to use standard tolerances to keep the costs down.
Conclusion of Sheet Metal Processing Costs
These are the important tips you can follow to reduce the sheet metal processing costs. Sheet metal processing can be costly if you don’t have some strategies to minimize your production costs and keep the best production efficiency. By following these tips, you can reduce the costs of your sheet metal processing by optimizing various aspects of it in your production line.
Besides from sheet metal fabrication, TEAM Rapid also offers 3d print services, die castings services, plastic injection molding services to meet your needs. Contact our team today to request a free quote now!
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