Take a look around, and one of the things you’ll notice is how common sheet metal parts are. From cabinets to weldments, assemblies, brackets, housings, and enclosures, they are undoubtedly versatile and practical to many industries. That’s why we offer sheet metal prototyping services to help product designers, manufacturers, and engineers verify their designs before they proceed with end-use production. We can accurately and quickly make what you need, whether you require one or up to 100,000 pieces.

Make accurate sheet metal parts fast.

Sheet metal prototyping is one of the best techniques to help you realize your design faster and cost-effectively. By working with the right prototyping partner, you can access the latest technologies and processes to make any custom sheet metal prototype. We recommend choosing a rapid prototyping company that uses proven methods like welding, laser cutting, bending, stamping, staking, and punches to create your metal parts quickly and seamlessly.

How is it done?

The accuracy of sheet metal prototypes can depend on many factors, such as the capabilities of the manufacturer and the methods used. Here is a quick overview of the common processes for manipulating and shaping metal sheets into custom geometries:

• Laser cutting: A highly accurate way to cut sheet metals of dissimilar thicknesses simultaneously. With a low heat-affected zone, it can produce hole diameters lower than half the material thickness.
• Stamping: Also known as metal forming, this process joins two metals by applying heat at specific temperatures.
• Staking: Sheet metal prototypingby staking connects two components by establishing an interference fit between them. One of the pieces will have a hole, and the other has a boss to fit in that hole.
• Bending: Sheet metal bending is among the most common ways to shape aluminum and stainless steel parts after cutting.

Meet your new sheet metal prototyping partner.

Our team at HLH Proto can tell you more about sheet metals and prototyping! Just submit your project for a free review, and we will get back to you with more information and a quote.