Sheet Metal Fabrication
Sheet metal fabrication is a manufacturing process that involves cutting, bending, and assembling thin metal sheets to create parts, components, or structures. It uses techniques like shearing, punching, laser cutting, and welding to transform flat metal stock into three-dimensional products. This process is essential in industries such as automotive, aerospace, construction, and HVAC for producing durable and precise metal items.
Developers should learn about sheet metal fabrication when working on hardware projects, robotics, or IoT devices that require custom metal enclosures, brackets, or structural components. It's particularly useful for prototyping physical products, integrating electronics with mechanical parts, or collaborating with manufacturing teams in industries like automotive or aerospace engineering. Understanding this skill helps in designing for manufacturability and ensuring compatibility between software and hardware elements.