Sheet Metal's Laser Cutting and Bending Design: Key Points from a Ten - Year Vet+ View more
Sheet Metal's Laser Cutting and Bending Design: Key Points from a Ten - Year Vet
+ View more
Date:2025-01-25 09:37
For ten years, I have been in the sheet metal industry and have accumulated considerable experience. The path that has brought me here seems both unexpected and natural. Looking back, I can see that I've been involved in many projects. Today, I want to share some of what I've learned about laser cutting and bending design of sheet metal. Some of what I've learned comes from my colleagues who have shared and reemphasized with me some important info. Much of it, though, comes from my own exploration over the past ten years and my sorting out of knowledge. En route, I've seen a fair number of designers and technicians involved in the processes of laser cutting and bending design of sheet metal overlook some important info. So I want to highlight a few key points I think are really essential to the processes.
The most crucial custom part that the server storage enclosures project needed was the enclosure itself. We used a laser cutter to manufacture the enclosure, but first, I had to ensure that my workforce knew how to use the machine satisfactorily. That's because, to my way of thinking, the operation of this machine reduces human error to the absolute minimum if you want your parts to fit together. A smooth surface was very important because we didn't want any edges to catch even a single hair. We might have uncovered this issue if we had tested the enclosure under the conditions that were part of the project’s final hurdle in obtaining legal state approval—a hurdle I like to think of as the "human flailing about for two weeks to get the necessary paperwork done to make a thing legal" conditions.
The need for surface smoothness remained at the top of the hierarchy of surface requirements. If the surface was even slightly lumpy, the edge that I was grinding would have a burr or just wouldn't be smooth. Most importantly, I had to make sure the surface was rust-free.
Additionally, laser cutting requires the focus of the laser to be right on. If the laser isn't focused well, then no matter what else you do, the cut won't be clean. When I first started using a laser cutter, I ran into this problem and thought, "What's WRONG with this machine?!" After a few unfortunate tests, I figured out I needed to pay more attention to focus. The best place to focus the laser is above the surface of the material, but every material has its own optimum focus point. If the material is thick, then you need to focus lower in the material.
There is also a wealth of knowledge about bending. Many novices tend to focus solely on the thickness of the sheet and fail to consider other, more basic aspects, like ensuring that the angle is properly chamfered so it can bend without cracking. You must also keep in mind the dimensional proportions of the sheet itself. For different materials and for different angles, thicknesses, and types of bends, we need different kinds of bending dies. When working with a thick stainless steel sheet versus a bended aluminum sheet that's less than half its thickness, I found out the hard way that you must use a different kind of bending die.
Furthermore, one must pay very close attention to the sequence of bends in a part made from sheet metal and of complex geometry. It is necessary first and foremost to make a clear choice of bending sequence to ensure the part meets the dual criteria of precision and strength. When the sequence of bends is predetermined, the part is almost always bent first at small angles and then at large ones, to avoid interference and deformation problems. This is a good place to mention that the order of bends is very much a key consideration. There are many things to think about when choosing a sequence of bends, and we've already touched on a couple of them.
The most crucial custom part that the server storage enclosures project needed was the enclosure itself. We used a laser cutter to manufacture the enclosure, but first, I had to ensure that my workforce knew how to use the machine satisfactorily. That's because, to my way of thinking, the operation of this machine reduces human error to the absolute minimum if you want your parts to fit together. A smooth surface was very important because we didn't want any edges to catch even a single hair. We might have uncovered this issue if we had tested the enclosure under the conditions that were part of the project’s final hurdle in obtaining legal state approval—a hurdle I like to think of as the "human flailing about for two weeks to get the necessary paperwork done to make a thing legal" conditions.
The need for surface smoothness remained at the top of the hierarchy of surface requirements. If the surface was even slightly lumpy, the edge that I was grinding would have a burr or just wouldn't be smooth. Most importantly, I had to make sure the surface was rust-free.
Additionally, laser cutting requires the focus of the laser to be right on. If the laser isn't focused well, then no matter what else you do, the cut won't be clean. When I first started using a laser cutter, I ran into this problem and thought, "What's WRONG with this machine?!" After a few unfortunate tests, I figured out I needed to pay more attention to focus. The best place to focus the laser is above the surface of the material, but every material has its own optimum focus point. If the material is thick, then you need to focus lower in the material.
There is also a wealth of knowledge about bending. Many novices tend to focus solely on the thickness of the sheet and fail to consider other, more basic aspects, like ensuring that the angle is properly chamfered so it can bend without cracking. You must also keep in mind the dimensional proportions of the sheet itself. For different materials and for different angles, thicknesses, and types of bends, we need different kinds of bending dies. When working with a thick stainless steel sheet versus a bended aluminum sheet that's less than half its thickness, I found out the hard way that you must use a different kind of bending die.
Furthermore, one must pay very close attention to the sequence of bends in a part made from sheet metal and of complex geometry. It is necessary first and foremost to make a clear choice of bending sequence to ensure the part meets the dual criteria of precision and strength. When the sequence of bends is predetermined, the part is almost always bent first at small angles and then at large ones, to avoid interference and deformation problems. This is a good place to mention that the order of bends is very much a key consideration. There are many things to think about when choosing a sequence of bends, and we've already touched on a couple of them.
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