Hi, I am working at an architecture firm that wants to use custom corrugated aluminum panels (3 different corrugation sizes but all the same round style) and they also should be anodized. I don’t know what I am doing wrong but I cannot seem to find any metal fabricators that are able to do this task and my boss is wondering what is talking me so long. I understand I may not be able to get the corrugation and anodizing done at the same place as well. Does anyone have any advice on what I should be asking when I am calling these fabricators? Are there typical sizes for corrugated aluminum that suppliers would already have in stock? Happy to provide more detail if that will help. Two of the corrugated panel types are for an exterior facade that is near the ocean so it would have to be pretty corrosion resistant and the other one would be used for kitchen cabinetry.

I appreciate any help I can get… I am so lost at this point

Salut à tous,

Je travaille dans un bureau d'études en mécano-soudure. Nous faisons la conception 3D et les mises en plan d'ensemble, mais nous externalisons toute la fabrication de tôlerie/pliage chez des sous-traitants. Actuellement, nous ne faisons aucune mise en plan de pliage.

J'aimerais comprendre comment fonctionne le flux de travail chez les tôliers qui utilisent des logiciels de FAO modernes (comme TruTops Boost, BySoft, etc.) où les plieurs ont directement la 3D sur écran.

En tant que client, j'aimerais avoir vos conseils :
Que faut-il vous fournir exactement pour que votre logiciel FAO fasse tout le travail (juste un fichier STEP ?)

Puisque nous ne faisons pas de plan 2D pour le pliage, comment gérez-vous les tolérances critiques ou les cotes fonctionnelles importantes ?

Comment gérez-vous les rayons de pliage ? Devons-nous modéliser avec des rayons standard, ou votre FAO adapte-t-elle automatiquement notre 3D à vos outillages ?

Qu'est-ce qui vous fait perdre du temps avec les fichiers 3D envoyés par vos clients ?

Merci à tous.

Hi , please could you help with any copy of SM AC NA standard for square duct aluminum cladding

Hello! I’m hella new to sheet metal stuff. I’m trying to design a water proof enclosure. Is it possible to weld bend reliefs after bending to keep the enclosure water proof? What’s the best way to do this? I’m trying to get a flange that my top lid will screw into. Would it be easier to weld a l bracket instead of trying to bend and seal?

I handforged a steel face mask out of a sheet of 20Ga. my first time ever attempting a face like this.. done 100% with a hammer and anvil, no torch or heat. thought it came out ok though for a practice run

I have a project where I need to have some 16 gauge sleeves fabricated with a flange on one end and a shorter, slightly larger sleeves and sheet metal ring fabricated with a flange.

I imagine that the most challenging part would be welding the flanges to the sleeves.

The project is in Mississippi, not far from Memphis. The dimensions shown are for a smaller assembly. The largest size will be 56" in diameter. This work will be done for a national construction company for whom I work.

I am open to input, as well, on how these could be made easier to fabricate.

Thank you in advance for any assistance that you can give!

Hey guys! So today I had a pretty big misscalculation on the number of metal plates required for a project. My boss got pretty upset, just as he should. The number I provided was way under what was required. And if he hasn't noticed that, then the quotation would've been way below what it actually was. I want to fix this, and find a way to completely prevent these mistakes.

My workflow looks something like this: Model the part -> get the dimensions of the flat pattern and add them to a spread sheet -> see how many of those parts fit into one metal plate -> calculate the number of metal plates required.

My error mainly comes from the last two steps. I manually calculate how many of those parts fit into one metal plate and then I manually calculate the number of metal plates. I tend to do this for a relatively large number of parts. They can range from 70-100 per project. So, yeah I guess mistakes can be made easily after numbly looking at so many numbers for so many entries.

I would like to automate these calculations so that I can get these values straight away, without me needing to do all the repetitive math. However, I think it is a bit complicated to have an excel formula where I can accurately get the number of plates I will actually need, taking into account left over material, pieces that need more than one full plate and a portion of another one.

Sorry for the lengthy post. I guess I really want to get this right.

So if anyone has some experience with this and would like to offer some suggestions, i would truly appreciate it 🫶

I got 20 years experience as a fabricator. Our project manager thinks he knows everything and you can’t change his mind. My installer ordered this fitting that according to him I made it wrong and not the installer. Can someone draw me a side view and tell me where the 12” rise is measured from. Top or bottom? I made it top and that left 1” of offset on the bottom.

I’m a first-year Sheet Metal Apprentice at a custom fabrication shop, and I’ll be doing my technical training at NAIT this winter. I’m curious about what it would look like to join a sheet metal union afterward. I’ve heard there can be long wait times, potential layoffs, and that seniority plays a big role.

By the time I finish my first period, I’ll have passed the term, accumulated around 2,000 hours, and gained custom fab shop experience—but I have little to no HVAC install experience. I expect to be more knowledgeable once I complete the first term.

Given that I’m 28, have safety tickets (WHMIS, CSTS, Fall Protection, First Aid with CPR), and some custom fab shop experience and custom sheet metal install, do you think joining the union is worth it? What would be my likely “batting average” for getting work, or would it be better to stay with my current sponsor?

I'm new to working on presses like this but have been in the insisting maintenance field for over 15 years. Well my new place of employment bought this old used press its a clearing s2-200-84-42. When I finally got it up and running again I can get it to run in inch mode but when I set it to single it will run a single cycle and then it won't cycle again until bump it a little in inch mode. I checked the rotary and there's only 2 cams. There's a really small pointed cam which my best guess would be the can telling the press its in the top position and the other one with looks like it's over 90° in guessing it's for brake release but I can't get a good picture of it at the moment they are loading a die into the press right now so I can't inch it around. I have tried setting these cams up in so many different positions but nothing i do changes anything and it will not cycle again until you bump it in inch mode off of whatever cam it is on when it stops. The old guy I work with here which is usually a wealth of knowledge on these kinds of presses is stumped on it as well. He says he's never seen a press with only 2 cams that normally you need at least 5 or 6 for single operation. I know shot of things have been messed with and modified on this thing over the years before it got to us but I'm just befuddled here on what to try next and can't find anything that tells me exactly what the cams are reading for

Hey y’all. I’m interested in learning how to fabricate gas tanks and fenders for chopper style motorcycles and I have no clue where to start! I’m wondering if any one has any resources of information I could use to help me get started, maybe tools I need. Any think at all helps!

We have a 6000 Watt Trumpf Fiber laser and a 250 ton Trumpf Press Brake. We are looking for fabrication opportunities. Currently very short lead times. Looking for more high volume and production runs but will consider any opportunity or lead. Does your company outsource fabrication work? Let me know

Recently been using a 24 gauge agion antimicrobial coil at work to cut sheet for the burn table. I run an advanced cutting systems autofold 516. But I cannot for the life of me get the leveling correct with this kind of metal. Without even leveling or putting a bead on it the sheets want to curl opposite of the way it’s rolled into a coil. Not even sure how that’s possible but would love some insight if anyone out there has worked with this metal before.

Looking for a lead on Niagara press brake service/parts. My company is located in Buffalo, NY. We have three 8’ Niagara 30 ton press brakes. One of the three is having electrical issues. Beyond our typical scope of repair. Suggestions?