Among rolled metal, a thin metal sheet is quite widely demanded in the construction industry. Its application is very diverse, and each case has its own technological features.
What is sheet metal?
Thin sheet metal is made from carbon steel. The thickness of the sheets can be from 0.4 mm. This is a very thin rolled product used in special high-tech work. Modern production technologies and improved chemical composition provide high quality products. The flawless surface of the thin metal sheets does not need to be treated before painting, which saves time during the work.
Metal sheet production
Metal sheets are produced by cold or hot rolling. In the hot-rolled method, low-alloy and carbon steels are used. At the same time, a perfectly flat surface is not obtained due to its uneven cooling. These thin metal sheets are used to make household appliances, housings, aircraftdevices, in construction and mechanical engineering.
The cold rolled method involves the use of hot rolled carbon and low carbon steel billets. After undergoing additional processing to remove scale, the sheet is subjected to cold rolling. The result is a thinner metal sheet with a high surface quality, a thickness tolerance of no more than ±0.01 mm, and improved technological properties. It is used in the future for the manufacture of various machines and mechanisms. In any case, the production of flat products requires the use of specialized equipment.
Metal sheet properties
Sheets made by hot-rolled and cold-rolled methods differ in their properties. These features are taken into account when using this building material. Hot-rolled sheet has increased rigidity, so stamping and embossing is almost impossible. Welding such a sheet can lead to its thermal deformation.
The popularity of thin metal sheet is due to the presence of a large number of positive characteristics, such as reliability, versatility, strength, durability, ease of installation, etc. In the production of machinery, construction and the medical industry, galvanized sheet is especially in demand (coated on one or both sides with zinc). The surface of such a sheet with high-quality galvanizing is very clean, even, without the slightest cracks.
Application
Sheet productsused in a wide variety of industries. It is almost impossible to name an area where a thin metal sheet would not be in demand. This includes the construction of fences, roofs, and wall cladding, the manufacture of stairs and metal structures. Rolled sheets are used for the manufacture of refrigerators, various containers, drainpipes. Recently, this material has also been in great demand for decorating summer cottages. It is impossible to imagine the creation of cars, aircraft and other equipment without it.
A thin metal sheet with a wavy surface, the so-called profiled or corrugated, is used for roofing, making fences. It is made from galvanized steel. Waves can have very different shapes - rounded, trapezoidal and others, they also differ in height and width. Sheet metal is also used as a raw material for the production of other building materials (corrugated board, metal tiles, etc.).
A very thin sheet of metal is called foil. In radio engineering, copper foil has found application as a package for confectionery, aluminum foil for tea packaging. Its thickness is no more than 0.2 mm.
How to measure sheet thickness?
Measuring the thickness of a metal sheet with a ruler, tape measure or caliper will not allow you to do this with all accuracy. With their help, you can only get approximate values. Measurement with a caliper is made only along the edge of the sheet, the thickness of which may vary over the entire area, especiallywhen it comes to inconsistency. To accurately measure a thin metal sheet, you need to use a special tool called a "sheet gauge".
Thin Sheet Metal Processing Methods
When manufacturing a product of a certain configuration, it is required to carry out the appropriate processing of a sheet profile. As a result, the appearance of the material and its quality should not suffer. There are several different manufacturing steps that are used to process thin sheet metal. These are welding, cutting, bending, etc.
The most common processing method is bending. It is performed by stretching and compressing the outer layer. It can be manual, when tools such as a hammer, pliers, vise are used, or mechanical, performed on modern equipment. Manual bending is a rather laborious process, therefore, it is performed only for bending thin metal sheets with a thickness of not more than 0.6 mm.
Welding is used when there are no special requirements for the appearance of the product. Metal sheet less than 3 mm thick can be melted quite easily, resulting in holes that are very difficult to weld later. For welding sheets up to 2 mm thick, direct current is used. In the case when it is required to weld thinner metal, small currents and electrodes of a smaller diameter are used.
Assortment of metal sheets at the buildingthe market is large enough to allow you to choose the material that best suits the task.
