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Sheet metal production companies in the UK 2020

Tuesday, November 17th, 2020

Sheet metal production – small brackets

Sheet metal production of small brackets and plates.

I thought it would be good to take a random selection of sheet metal production components as they perfectly illustrate the wide range of production techniques used today in the UK. These parts are typical, but be no means exhaustive of the different materials, thicknesses and finishes that we are requested to produce on a daily basis by our customers. Often using simple standard CNC punching and CNC bending tooling no additional costs are applied to these production projects. If the parts needs to be laser cut that production can also be catered for in house on our Trumpf 3KW fibre laser.

I have given a little more detail for each of the components in the photo, their material type, part finish and production stages to produce the complete part.

If you click on the photo you can clearly see each component identified with a number which corresponds with the details listed below.

Component 1

Material is 2mm thick mild steel. The part has been laser cut. It will be finished by zinc plating and clear passivating.

Component 2

Material is 3mm thick CZ108 brass. The part has been laser cut using pure nitrogen. No other finishing or treatment was required on this small brass washer.

Component 3

Material is 1.0mm thick 5251 aluminium alloy. The part has been CNC punched using standard tools of the shelf. All outer edges have been de-burred to remove the CNC punch nibble marks. It was finally anodised and dyed black.

Component 4
Material is 3mm aluminium. The parts has been CNC punched and then barrel de-burred to remove all sharp edges.

Component 5
Material for this small welded assembly is 0.7mm 316 stainless steel. The parts were laser cut together from the same sheet, CNC folded and then TiG welded together.

Component 6
Material for this copper bracket is C101. The bracket was laser cut on our Trumpf 3030 fibre laser cutter. A simple edge de-burring was used to remove any sharp edges and then folded up on our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes.

Component 7
Material is galvanised weld mesh material used as a filter plate. This part was simply cut to size on our Safan guillotine.

Component 8
Material is 1.2mm aluminium. An interesting shape which has been CNC laser cut, CNC folded up and then powder coated matt black.

Component 9
Material is 2.5mm 304 stainless steel. These parts were laser cut, barrel de-burred, CNC folded and then had threads tapped in the holes.

Component 10
Material is 0.9mm thick galvanised mild steel. Simply CNC punched and edge de-burred.

For additional examples of sheet metal production pleas take a look at our Pinterest boards.

If you have some sheet metal production that needs looking at please don’t hesitate to send us your drawings. We will be happy to produce price options and review designs where needed.

What is sheet metal fabrication?

Tuesday, October 20th, 2020

What is sub-contract sheet metal work fabrication?

Basically manufacturing anything from sheet metal for another company is sub-contract sheet metal work fabrication. Nearly always made to their designs. Sometimes we are asked to offer advice on designs and their suitability for manufacture. This is fine by us and we are always happy to help.

Sheet metal fabrications

With over 30 years experience in sub-contract manufacturing there isn’t much we haven’t seen before. Test us out and send us your drawings and we will be happy to help you. Whether you only have a few simples hand sketches, 2D CAD data or 3D models we are happy to lend a hand.

These aluminium housings have been manufactured to hold fibre optic light fitting gear. They were CNC punched, CNC folded, welded up and then powder coated.

Sheet metal fabrications

Want to see more examples? Take a look at this page. You can also see lots of examples of sheet metal fabrications at https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rayfrith1/sheet-metal-work/

Contact us direct on sales@vandf.co.uk, through our enquiry form or call us on 01489 577786 to discuss your needs in more detail.

CNC punching and CNC bending sheet metal work

Wednesday, August 26th, 2020

CNC punching and CNC bending

Combining CNC punching and CNC bending together enables some great products to be manufactured very quickly. Employing the very latest sheet metal CAD/CAM software enables our customers to adapt their designs from batch to batch. Fine tuning designs and producing special projects are no problem for us. We can work with your 2D and 3D files to help you with your designs. It also enables us to produce fast accurate quotations with costed options where necessary.

Producing accurate blanks is the key to folding accurate parts. We are lucky in having 2 Trumpf CNC punch presses and a Trumpf CNC laser cutting machine. We can swap jobs around to find the best manufacturing method and also reduce bottlenecks in production. Some sheet metal parts can even be CNC laser cut and then CNC punched to add extra formed features. Then onto CNC bending. With the ability to access all these processes within one factory enables us to offer a very flexible service to our customers.

CNC punched and CNC formed mild steel sheet

All our principle CNC bending machines share the same tooling. Have a rush job and we can move production around to suit your needs. Repeatable parts from batch to batch with centrally stored CNC programs for punching and bending.

CNC punching and CNC bending are the backbone of our manufacturing service. Couple this with CNC laser cutting and you have a great combination of tools to get any sheet metal job made.

CNC punched and CNC bent sheet metal work

Looking for a flexible partner to help you with your sheet metal needs?

Contact V and F Sheet Metal and we will be happy to help you out with your next order. Take a look at our Pinterest boards for lots of great examples of CNC punching and CNC bending.

Have a drawing then simple e-mail sales@vandf.co.uk or give us a call for a chat if you wish

Sheet metal and Woodwork furniture projects manufactured in the UK

Friday, August 14th, 2020

Bespoke Furniture Projects

Sheet Metal and Wood Work furniture projects

We are always pleased to combine sheet metal work with other materials. This time we have the chance to show you the perfect combination of sheet metal and wood. With vibrant colours and clean simple lines this furniture project shows how easy it is to turn an idea into reality with sheet metal.

No special tooling was needed. Simply CNC programs laser cutting and bending.

Sheet Metal and Wood Work furniture projects

We always enjoy working with customers who need some input at the design stage. These furniture projects are no different. Discussion over the exact metal gauge needed and handle shapes helped to reduce weight and manufacturing costs. With all the cutting and folding programs saved away it’s easy to run this project again. It’s also just as easy to adapt the programs for alternative shelving shapes and sizes.

If you have a bespoke furniture project that needs manufacturing please contact us and we will put you in touch with our customer. With their expertise and our engineering support you will soon have a solution.

Sheet Metal and Wood Work furniture projects

What next?

If you already have a set of drawings or 3D CAD data don’t hesitate in sending them over to us. Our engineering team will be happy to take a look and produce some prices for you. Small batches of components, assemblies and higher volumes are all catered for. Take a look at our website pages and blog posts. You will see a wide range of ideas and past projects. Alternatively you can always view our Pinterest Boards.

It should give you a good idea of just what we are capable of here at V and F Sheet Metal.

CNC punching sheet metal in the UK produced in 2020

Tuesday, August 4th, 2020

Sheet metal manufacturing of ventilation grilles

CNC punching sheet metal in the UK produced in 2020

CNC punching can be used to produce such a wide range of sheet metal products. From the smallest aluminium tag, stainless steel mounting plates, mild steel chassis and copper heat sinks. From 0.4mm thick reflector aluminium right up to 6mnm thick aluminium for shelving. From 0.7mm stainless steel housings to 3mm stainless steel pump brackets. From 0.7mm zintec 19” chassis to 5mm light fitting flood light brackets.

We have been using CNC punch presses for over 25 years to produce metal work. There are occasions when materials maybe too thick to CNC. That’s not a problem as we can simply transfer those jobs to our Trumpf laser cutter.

CNC punched sheet metal work

With many hundreds of CNC punching tools in our extensive tool library we can tackle most work without the needs for any new tooling. This helps to keep the costs down on prototypes and speeds up the lead time.

We produce hundreds of different parts each week for a wide range of companies within the UK. Using our long experience and powerful CNC punching sheet metal software we can get the best from our Trump CNC punch presses and save you money where possible. For a wide range of CNC punched sheet metal work please take a look at our Pinterest Boards.

Give us a call or contact us at sales@vandf.co.uk with your drawings and we will be happy to work some quotes for you.

CNC bending sheet metal work in the UK during 2020

Tuesday, July 28th, 2020

Brackets manufactured in the UK

It’s time to have another quick look at recent sheet metal projects. This time it’s sheet metal brackets. Using various CNC bending techniques some very complex parts can be manufactured. I love that fact that nearly every bracket we produce is different to the next but all using standard tooling. Whether it’s on one of our smaller Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes or our larger 3M Safan e-brake the tooling’s the same. The process is the same and so is the end result, accurately folded sheet metal work.

The repeatability from part to part and from batch to batch is what makes these machines so useful in the workshop. We can produce a sample today and come back in a year’s time with the same CNC program and tooling and run production without any changes. Before CNC bending machines (press brakes) every set up was a long winded process and nowhere near as accurate as todays processes.

sub-contract sheet metal work

We take full advantage of the ability to treat a small batch like a big batch when it comes to costing. With very short set up times along with easy setting of a laser machine it has enabled us to try out samples and fine tune sizes before running a production batch. It’s a great help when materials come in say in their bottom or top tolerance for gauge. Simply run a couple of parts from the corner of a sheet and bend them up to check all is well before pressing ahead with the full production batch.

2020 has been a strange year for everyone. We hope now to push ahead again with supporting our customers, dealing with panic orders if they help our customers to gain new business and as ever the standard production runs when people need them.

If you have a sheet metal bracket that needs CNC bending simply send us a drawing and we will be happy to quote for production. Have an idea and stuck on the detail, give us a call and our team will help you out.

Brackets manufactured in the UK direct to your own designs

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020

Brackets manufactured in the UK

If you are looking for brackets manufactured in the UK then we are definitely here to help you. With over 30 years’ experience in manufacturing we can help you with your new projects. Hundreds of CNC punching and CNC bending tools enables us to produce the vast majority of products without the need for new tooling. Having seen and manufactured so many projects in the past help us to see any pitfalls in a complex design, point them out early on and save you money.

Whether you are thinking of having brackets manufactured in stainless steel, mild steel or aluminium we are here to help. We also manufacture brackets from brass, copper, galv., Zintec and spring stainless steel. You name it and we make it.

Brackets manufactured in the UK

With a wide range of CNC punching, laser cutting and CNC bending facilities all in house samples and development can be quickly supported. 3D images from our Radan CAD/CAM system can be used to help discussions when it comes to reviewing design options.

All you have to do now is send us a drawing in either 2D or 3D format. Need to have a chat, that’s OK with us we are passionate about sheet metal and would love to hear from you and discuss your ideas.

Folded stainless steel sheet metal housings manufactured in the UK

Thursday, July 16th, 2020

CNC bending stainless steel housings

Folded stainless steel sheet metal housings, some of the options available to you.

When you are designing sheet metal housings it’s always worth thinking about the manufacturing processes in advance. Whether the housing is made from a single piece of metal or many sub-parts joined together time spent early on will save money in the long run.

We may be looking at laser cutting v CNC punching to produce the housing blanks. Depending on the thickness of the material required and the complexity of the design one way or the other will seem the best route to take. Some feature may also immediately suggest a certain blank production method, for example if the housing has formed dimples or plunged and tapped threads then CNC punching will be the best manufacturing method. If however the housing has a company logo cut into it or a series of curved profiles laser cutting may be the more efficient method of production. We will always look at your design and select the most appropriate method and keep you in the loop at the quoting stage.

Stainless steel housings

There are similar considerations to be made when it comes to folding sheet metal housings. Not only the physical size and tonnage required to fold the angles but the complexity of the design and the ease with which the folds can be produced. This certainly needs experience, we have had many a good design sent to us to find that’s it’s impossible to fold from 1 piece of metal. A quick call or e-mail at an early stage of development will save time in the long run especially if we are using off the shelf tooling.

These folded stainless steel sheet metal housings have been developed in conjunction with the customer to enable the most efficient method of production. The more parts that have to be assembled together more thought has to be given to alignment and tolerance build up. This is where a useful piece of software such as our 3D Radan CAD/CAM software comes in handy.

Stainless steel housings

Like so much in sheet metal work it can look easy until you come to translating your designs to physical components. We are always here to help you with your ideas and point you in the right direction when it comes to tooling and material selection.

For more examples of recent sheet metal projects why not take a look at our Pinterest boards.

We are always happy to receive your drawings to review.

Bending and Forming sheet metal work

Tuesday, June 9th, 2020

Laser cut mild steel bracket blanks

When we are bending and forming sheet metal there are so many ways to go about it. From the simplest single folded angle bracket right up to complex folded enclosure assemblies we have the techniques to support you.

Starting with either CNC punched or laser cut blanks gives us the best chance of producing perfect sheet metal components. Using high quality programming software and years of experience enables us to fine tune cutting and bending CNC programs to get the best from all out machines. Being sub-contract sheet metal workers we have to be very flexible. Each customer and new order will have different demands. It maybe the tolerances of sizes that will be the utmost of importance to one customer. Surface finish could be key with another. Lead time with another or perhaps price. We have to juggle all these concerns on a daily basis when manufacturing sheet metal work for our customers. Bending and forming components is no different.

Forming sheet metal brackets

Looking specifically at the small brackets shown here we can see some of these factors in play. Accurately cut blanks produced by laser cutting enables us to maintain a clean outer profile. Simple fly-press tooling was created at a low cost to produce the deformation in the middle of the component. Finally the folds were bent up on one of our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. With a wide range of standard tooling and 3 identical machine to select from production was carried out very quickly.

Bending sheet metal brackets

With the experience of literally thousands of past bending and forming projects to call upon there isn’t much we cannot produce. You may like to view some of our past projects on our Pinterest Boards. Having folding machines with forces up to 100 tons and 3M long enables to tackle most of the enquiries that come our way.

Perhaps you have a sheet metal component that needs bending and forming. We would love to take a look for you and produce a range of price options and comment where we can to save money. Send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will do the rest.

Sheet metal engineering facilities in Great Britain

Tuesday, May 26th, 2020

Sheet metal engineering of ventilation grilles

Sheet metal manufacturing of ventilation grilles

We are happy to offer our sheet metal engineering facilities for manufacturing in Great Britain. We have a wide range of skills and manufacturing plant with over 30 years of experience in this sector.

From helping newly formed companies with their designs, explaining the best manufacturing process to achieve the quality they want with an affordable price. Working with companies who need to reduce costs on existing products with perhaps a fresh set of eyes. Right up to larger volumes and KANBAN ideas to help plan projects over longer periods of time.

With an eye to new ideas and machines V and F Sheet Metal have constantly invested over the years. We have CNC punching, laser cutting and a wide range of CNC bending machines all supported with the latest CAD/CAM software. Feel free to follow the links to plant pages and also take a look at our gallery pages to see some of our recent sheet metal engineering projects.

Laser cut zintec rings for ceiling light fittings

We have a lot of free advice on our website with regards to tooling to help you save money when designing. Design data and guidance for material selections can also be useful when you first start out working on a new design. If you cannot find what you want on our website simply call us on 01489 577786 and we will be happy to help you.

Brackets manufactured in the UK

Another good place to see hundreds of examples of sheet metal engineering projects is on our Pinterest pages.

If you have a sheet metal engineering project that needs pricing and free advice please send us your drawings. You can either use our enquiry form or e-mail us at sales@vandf.co.uk. We will do the rest.

A quick look back at sheet metal manufacturing projects in 2020

Monday, May 18th, 2020

Sheet metal angle brackets

Although these have been difficult times in 2020 we are still looking forward to doing what we do best, manufacturing projects. I thought it was nice to look back at some recent sheet metal projects completed even during these difficult times.

We have been laser cutting, CNC punching, CNC bending and welding with a small team to keep our customers satisfied with their urgent needs. Along with a great network of painters and platers we have managed to finish off many projects.

Welded sheet metal work

As we bring in more staff our delivery times will reduce and the range of sheet metal work we can complete will increase. We are still producing new quotations for customers needing metal work and CNC programming where needed.

There is always the chance to rush something through when needed in a hurry. Please just ask and we will be happy to look for you at what we can do. Send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk

There’s always a great range of images to help with your designs on our Pinterest Boards

COVID-19 and sheet metal work, lets get going again

Tuesday, May 5th, 2020

We are now into our third week of production after shutting due to coronavirus. Thankfully we have had no cases here and we now have 50% of our workforce in place. With careful planning we have a system in the office to maintain a safe distance from each other. Regular cleaning of equipment in the office and workshop and separation at tea break and lunch times have become the norm. These are strange times but we are getting through it. With more and more customers coming back the work levels are slowly picking up again.

There’s life at V&F

Starting up production

I thought it would be good to show that we are still here and manufacturing sheet metal work for our customers in the UK.

This experience has shown us here more than ever that we are all dependant on each other. We are in a chain and you remove any link and it chain fails. We all need to get going again so that we can get back to some form of normality.

Here’s hoping that won’t be too far away.

As ever if you need anything pricing up simply drop us a line at sales@vandf.co.uk and we will be happy to help you.

Back to work ….

Thursday, April 23rd, 2020

Sheet metal working in Hampshire UK

Just a quick update on our work situation here at V and F Sheet Metal.

We now have a small team back in the factory producing metal work again.

We plan to increase the number of staff we have in over the next few weeks to meet customer demands.

If you have sheet metal work that you still want quoting we are able to accommodate that, please send your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will be happy to sort that for you.

Extraordinary times with CoronaVirus Covid-19

Saturday, March 28th, 2020

Here at V and F Sheet Metal we have taken the welfare and safety of our staff very seriously. We have decided to close our factory from the 27th March and will open as soon as we can safely do so. We are monitoring the situation and following UK government advice as it changes. We hope to be open after Easter.

We would like to thank our staff for their tremendous support as well as our suppliers in this difficult time in enabling us to support our customers. We are still able to work on new quotations, so if you have designs you wish to progress before for our return please don’t hesitate to e-mail us at sales@vandf.co.uk

We hope you all stay safe.

Thanks again from the management of V and F Sheet Metal

Latest sheet metal projects manufactured in the UK

Wednesday, March 4th, 2020

Latest sheet metal projects manufactured in the UK direct to your designs

Mild steel support brackets

Whether you want just a few simple flat sheet metal plates or a very complex welded fabrication we will be able to help you. Special one off sheet metal projects or monthly repeating batches of work we don’t mind. With over 30 years of manufacturing experience in the UK, contact us with your ideas.

If you have a full set of dimensioned drawings and CAD files that’s great. If you only have a sketchy idea of what you want we can still work with you to get your desired outcome. We are always happy to help you and advise the best design options to suit manufacturing techniques, materials and finishes.

Aluminium angle brackets

These sheet metal projects show a range of manufacturing techniques. From laser cutting, CNC punching, CNC bending and formed press work. The Zintec angle brackets have also had zinc plated bushes inserted. Batches of 50, 250 and 1000 for these parts.

Sheet metal angle brackets

There are plenty of other examples of sheet metal projects manufactured in the UK over the last few years. Take a look at our Pinterest boards.

The sheet metal projects shown here are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the range of production we get involved with. You really need to explore our website to see all the weird and wonderful projects we get involved with for our UK customers.

Send us your details and drawings etc. and leave the rest to us.

Manufacturing small sheet metal brackets in the UK

Friday, January 3rd, 2020

Manufacturing small sheet metal brackets in the UK

Manufacturing small sheet metal brackets in the UK using the latest CNC manufacturing techniques.

We have been manufacturing sheet metal components for well over 30 years. Servicing the needs of our customers, manufacturing brackets to their designs and in the volumes they need when they need them. These tiny stainless steel brackets for a electronics cable connector are typical of the small end of the work we make every day of the week. Using our 3 Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes we can handle the trickiest of bending jobs with no fuss. Whether they are laser cut or CNC punched we have the team and plant in house to deal with your designs. With the ability to take your 3D files and adjust them to suit correct manufacturing tolerances we are always looking to save production time and money.

Click on the image to get an idea on just how small these sheet metal brackets really are.

For more images of past sheet metal bracket projects take a look at our gallery page.

Do you have small sheet metal brackets that are smaller than this? We like a challenge, give us a try. Send us your CAD data and our engineering team will be happy to take a look and produce some quotations for you.

V and F Sheet Metal Christmas shut down 2019

Monday, December 16th, 2019

V and F Sheet Metal Christmas Shut down

Sheet metal work at
Christmas 2019

We will be closed for the Christmas break from Friday 20th December 2019 and we will be back on Thursday 2nd January 2020.

We just want to say all our customers a big thank you for all the your prototype and production sheet metal projects we have manufactured throughout this year. It’s been an unusual year to say the least with the on off Brexit saga. Lets hope that 2020 will be more predictable for all of us.

Also, thanks to all our suppliers for your continued support throughout the year.

Let’s hope we are all as busy in 2020.

Sheet metal component design ideas for your next project

Thursday, December 5th, 2019

CNC punched pre-painted mild steel sheet metal components

Sheet metal component design ideas can come in many shapes and forms. Here we have a clever way to reduce post production finishing costs and lead times. Where the design allows, a pre-painted sheet material can be a great idea. With a clear protective film these materials are durable enough to be CNC punched, CNC folded, have bushes and studs inserted and pop riveted. They cannot be welded or spot welded, so it’s down to clever design to accommodate this restriction where possible.

You can also see that while CNC punching we can produce parts with radius corners. We can also punch chamfered corners or leave the square if required. We have standard CNC punch press tools to cover most of these features with no extra cost to yourself.

If you want to take a look at our tooling library please help yourself.

For more ideas on CNC punching and examples of past design projects please click on the links.

CNC punched pre-painted mild steel sheet metal components

There are many designs ideas that can save time when bending and welding components. Sheet metal component design ideas are always coming to us from our customers and we can often apply them to other industries to save people money. Where possible we will suggest design ideas at the quoting stage. Then you can trial them to see what impact that might have on your order costs.

Well you have made it this far so why not send us a drawing or two. We are able to work with DXF, DWG, STEP, SAT and IGES files types as well as PDF. You can always just call us up and talk through your ideas with our engineering team.

Make the call now and start saving money.

Sheet metal manufacturing near Portsmouth – Give us a call for a quote

Monday, December 2nd, 2019

Sheet metal manufacturing of mild steel brackets

Are you based near the Portsmouth area?

V and F Sheet Metal have been sheet metal manufacturing near Portsmouth since the 1980s. We have grown as a company with steady investment in manufacturing equipment, people and software. Now based in a 13,000 square foot factory on the Segensworth industrial estate we are ideally placed to support companies in the Portsmouth and Southampton region.

Whether you have a small batch of sheet metal brackets, boxes or plates you want or a larger volume of electronics housings, stainless steel panels or aluminium trays we are here to help you.

Sheet metal manufacturing of ventilation grilles

Please take a look at our website to see just how many different sheet metal projects we get involved with. You will be amazed at the variety and complexity of the sheet metal work we can produce. Using Radan 2020 CAD/CAM sheet metal software to drive our 2 CNC punch presses and fibre laser cutter to save time and money on your orders. We are always looking to improve our workshop equipment and tooling to maintain a high quality at the right price.

Laser cutting mild steel brackets

Although we have been sheet metal manufacturing near Portsmouth for a long time we have a customer base that stretches right across the UK. From Scotland and Northern Ireland right through England and Wales. Supporting small companies and “one man bands” to larger concerns with sheet metal work and advice on design.

Looking for more examples of modern sheet metal manufacturing? Take a look at our sheet metal Pinterest boards.

We will be happy to work with you on new sheet metal projects in 2020. Contact us through our website, call us and have a chat or e-mail your drawings and we will be pleased to produce you some price options.

Sheet metal manufacturers near Southampton – Give us a call

Thursday, November 28th, 2019

Sheet metal manufacturers producing aluminium housings

V and F Sheet Metal are sheet metal manufacturers of a wide range of components. Being sub-contract sheet metal workers based near Southampton we get involved in all sorts of projects. These aluminium housings, stainless grille and mild steel trays are typical of the projects we manufacture everyday of the week. We are always working hard to help out our customers. Whether it’s free advice on their designs. Perhaps alternative ideas to save money or call off volumes to help with production planning. We are here to help where and when we can. With over 30 years experience in sheet metal in the UK we are here to help you.

Sheet metal manufacturers producing
laser cut stainless steel grilles

Being able to work with your drawings direct into our CAD/CAM system speeds up programming and reduces confusion on the shop floor. Our engineering team are always keeping an eye on designs to make sure they are practical in production. Even at the quote stage we will suggest alternatives for you to think about to save money. We are here to work in conjunction with you.

Sheet metal manufacturers producing mild steel trays

With laser cutting, CNC punching, CNC bending, welding and press work in house, there isn’t much we can’t tackle for you. With 3D CAD/CAM and an experienced engineering team that is here ready to help, go on, give us a go.

Send us you drawings when you are ready and we will be happy to take a look and prepare a quotation for you.

File formats DXF, DWG, SAT, STEP, IGES and of course PDF are fine.

Stainless steel sheet metal housings manufactured in the UK

Monday, November 25th, 2019

Laser cut blanks nest

Stainless steel sheet metal housings such as these are typical of the work we can produce on our Trumpf 3030 fibre laser cutter. With a range of circular holes, slots, cut-outs and a complex outer profile. Housings like this can be CNC punched but with more difficulty and with the need for special tooling. Whereas with laser cutting, there is no need for tooling and virtually any shape can be cut. The parts are easy to CNC program and that also enables us to make quick changes to CNC programs when there are design changes. Filling the metal sheet with components is also easy with the ability to automatically turn parts to get the best fit possible. More parts per sheet equals cheaper part prices for you.

Laser cutting stainless steel in detail

This photo perfectly shows just how easy it is to produce complex profiles with a laser cutter. The stop start points for the laser cut. The profile path all are automatically selected by the Radan CAD/CAM software. At any point we can step in and make changes where we see fit. The quality of the cut is also very important on components such as these. Trying to de-burr around these profiles would be difficult and time consuming. So being able to produce a profile in stainless steel with pure nitrogen is a bonus in production time and final part quality.

Finished laser cut housing blanks

Stainless steel sheet metal housings, brackets, trays, panels are all easily produced. For more examples of recent laser cut stainless steel projects please take a look at our gallery pages.

It’s not difficult to program parts straight from your drawings. We can quickly use this data to experiment with the best material usage and cutting times to produce competitive quotes. Try us with your next sheet metal production order. Simple e-mail your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk or call us on 01489 577786 and we will be happy to discuss your options.

Sheet metal projects manufactured during November 2019

Thursday, November 7th, 2019

Sheet metal projects November 2019

Being a sub-contract sheet metal manufacturer enables us to work on a wide range of sheet metal projects. Although we do not have our own product, we feel we have an investment in all our customers products. Whether it’s helping to fine tune a design to save time in production, input at the design stage to solve problems or simply offering a range of prices to suit the right order volume.

Sheet metal projects November 2019

With many customers across a wide range of industries in the UK we have an interesting time each month manufacturing sheet metal projects. As shown in the photos here we work with mild steel, aluminium, Zintec as well as stainless steel, copper, brass etc. It’s the ability to turn our hand to work with so many different materials and thicknesses that make us your idea partner for sheet metal work.

Sheet metal projects November 2019

Using laser cutting and CNC punching to produce sheet metal blanks enables us to select the most effective production method to suit your design, material and volumes. We may start production of a component on say our fibre laser and then if volumes increase, we may move the part to CNC punching with tooling. Along with a range of 7 CNC press brakes all in house we can offer the complete service for your sheet metal projects.

Sheet metal projects November 2019

We only manufacture sheet metal work and that’s what we specialise in. We have a network of companies that we can use to help us with powder coating, zinc plating, anodising etc.

With over 30 years’ experience in manufacturing sheet metal components for UK companies we are always happy to help you out. Our engineering teams in design and production have seen it all before. We have the latest CAD/CAM software to aid communication with your designers. We can also simulate jobs before manufacturing starts to be sure we can get the best from any sheet of metal.

Simply send us your drawings or 3D data to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will do the rest for you.

Laser cutting thin gauge sheet metal brackets in the UK

Monday, November 4th, 2019

Laser cutting in progress.

Using a Trumpf 3030 fibre laser for laser cutting thin gauge sheet metal is absolutely perfect. Being a fibre laser source the machine is extremely fast when cutting sheet metal below 3mm. Easy and cheap to run. Easy to CNC program and ideal for sub-contract sheet metal manufacturing where you never know what you will be asked to make next.

Parts removed for inspection

When laser cutting thin gauge sheet metal brackets the production team have some control over the parts they produce. At the start of a new batch the laser cutting machine can be stopped and parts can be removed. They can be inspected visually to check that the laser cut is clean. They can also be measured to ensure they are to drawing. In both cases adjustments can be made at the machine to influence the finished parts. This can be adjustments to the gas flow rate, feed rate of the machine, power of the laser beam and focus position. We can also adjust the cutting offset at the machine so component profiles and hole sizes can be tuned to achieve the drawing tolerances required. All this without having to talk with the CNC programmer saves time and enables the production staff to make their own decisions in real time.

Full sheet of laser cut brackets

Using our Radan CAD/CAM software enables us to produce very efficient nest layouts. Once a blank has been programmed it’s very simple to fill a standard or off cut sheet with as many parts as possible. Not only does this save money on material when quoting for new projects but it also enables us to reduce waste by using up off cuts from previous projects. Looking at the image here and the magnified image you can see just how fine laser cutting thin gauge sheet metal can be.

Laser cut brackets in detail

Parts such as these brackets are long enough to simply leave on the bed of the machine. No corner tags are needed. No time consuming breaking out of parts from the sheet nest and no edge de-burring. We simply pick the parts from the sheet and then lift the scarp skeleton off the bed. All this can happen while the laser machine is cutting the next sheet so that production is not interrupted.

Laser cut scrap nests

All the scrap sheet metal is collected together and separated into different grades. Stainless steel, aluminium, mild steel along with Zintec and galvanised steel, copper and brass. That way we manage to recycle 100% of the scrap metal we produce. Another advantage of laser cutting is that all the scrap sheet is dry and easy to handle.

If you have a project that requires sheet metal brackets please give us a call. We will be happy to help you out and produce price options to suit your order volumes.

Aluminium sheet metal fabrications manufactured in the UK

Thursday, October 31st, 2019

Trumpf 7036 CNC press brake folding aluminium sheet metal fabrications

Aluminium sheet metal fabrications can come in many shapes, thickness and sizes. We have been producing sheet metal work for over 30 years and have seen most everything that people want producing. From small volume tiny electrical components right up to fully welded aluminium sheet metal fabrications. 19” rack mounted components, support angles and lots for the UK lighting industry.

Using both CNC punching and laser cutting to produce blanks and then onto CNC bending to fold up brackets, trays, boxes, long profiles etc.

Aluminium sheet metal blanks

Producing an accurate sheet metal blank is crucial if we are to fold up a correct component. This accuracy comes from using Radan CAD/CAM sheet metal software. This is the starting point for all our CNC punching and laser cutting activities. It enables us to communicate with our customers taking their designs and feeding back changes in a most efficient way. The ability to produce the correct blank size, edge profile and corner notch conditions leads to folded sheet metal work with consistent sizes and joints.

aluminium sheet metal fabrications

Consistency when folding aluminium sheet metal fabrications is essential. The ability to write a CNC program using standard tooling to fold up a part is one thing. To be able to repeat the cycle again and again without interruption is important. To be able to do that months apart and on different machines in a very powerful technique. Having 3 Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes all reading the same programs and using the same tooling is essential to achieving this consistency.

For more examples of sheet metal fabrications please take a look at this Blog post.

So finally here’s the sales pitch, if you have a sheet metal fabrication that you wish to have manufactured why not let us take a look for you. We can take your drawings, have a good look and see if there are any points than can be fine tuned to save you money and offer you a range of prices. Just send your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will do the rest for you.

UK CNC punched sheet metal components – take a look

Monday, October 28th, 2019

If you are looking for a supplier of CNC punched sheet metal components in the UK you should talk with us.

We have been CNC punching sheet metal components using CNC punch presses for over 30 years. From simple small and large turret machines right through to powerful single head Trumpf punch presses. With constant investment in Radan sheet metal CAD/CAM software to support CNC punch and laser programming the most efficient cutting of sheet metal has been achieved over the years.

Having now used Trumpf CNC punch presses for 20 years we have a vast tool library. This standard range of tools can be accessed via our website to enable you to customise your designs without the need for new tooling costs.

The range of CNC punched sheet metal components that we have produced over the years is endless. From spring stainless steel fingers to specially treated aluminium lighting reflector materials. From mild steel rack mount chassis components to galvanised mild steel boxes. From stainless steel motor plates to aluminium angle brackets. From plastic labels to copper bus bar parts. That’s the advantage of a CNC punch press you are not limited on the materials and designs that you can work on.

We have lot’s of examples of CNC punched sheet metal components on our Pinterest Boards, please take a look for inspiration.

Having all this experience enables our engineering team to spot potential problems with your design at the quoting stage to save you time and money before production even starts. Often with a small modification to the part, design problems can be eliminated.

The best way to find out is to give us a call on 01489 577786 or send us a drawing or two to sales@vandf.co.uk and we can then take a look for you.

CNC punching brackets

CNC punched plastic coated steel

Sheet metal manufacturing in Hampshire UK

Thursday, October 24th, 2019

Sheet metal manufacturing in Hampshire

I have been looking at the wide range of sheet metal work we get involved with and it amazes me where all the parts go. With customers ordering sheet metal parts from the 4 corners of the UK we get involved in so many different manufacturing sectors. Electrical/electronics, heating, lighting, professional audio, building, pumping systems, signage to name but a few are supported by us. With orders from 1 off specials right up to many 1,000s of production volumes we have the equipment to cope with your needs. Typical batch sizes are a few hundred parts at a time.

With over 30 year’s experience of manufacturing, tooling and skills we have a comprehensive service to offer you. You only have to look at our website galleries and BLOG to see the wide range of parts we manufacture. And being a sub-contract company we never know what people might ask for next.

You can always look at past projects to collect design ideas from other industries that may solve a design issue you have. With so many examples to view here and on our Pinterest Boards it’s a great resource for design ideas.

If you want to understand more about the processes we go through to manufacture your parts there is a helpful page on our website to look through, “What is sheet metal work and how is it made?“.

By all means give us a call if you want to know more. Perhaps you have a specific project in mind but are not quite sure of the details. Our engineering team will be happy to help you proceed or work out some price options for you.

Ray Frith
Director

Sheet metal manufacturing in Hampshire UK

Cloak room storage systems with sheet metal bracket assemblies

Monday, October 21st, 2019

Modular coat hanger systems

Here’s a great example of a project we were recently involved with. Combining both woodwork and metalwork to produce cloak room storage systems. The simple line and function being key to this projects success. Metal components laser cut from sheet steel and thicker steel plate. Once the metal parts were powder coated and assembled they easily became part of the whole design.

A frame system for coat and bag storage

It’s always a pleasure to work with customers on bespoke projects and see the final product fulfilling its potential. These cloak room storage systems are used for a London University to provide flexible storage and space dividers.

There were a few hundred components that were needed in total for this project. That volume perfectly suits our manufacturing processes. Using laser cutting, CNC punching and CNC bending processes to manufacture bespoke sheet metal components and assemblies. If you can drawing it we can probably make it.

Using the latest Radan CAD/CAM software with 3D modelling enables us to get the best from our machines and to interact directly when needed with our customer’s designers. Swapping ideas and quote options is easy and helps to refine the design quickly when time is of the essence.

If you have a project coming up that needs some bespoke sheet metal work, give us a call. We are happy to chat through your ideas and fine tune designs where needed to save time and money.

If you are already at the final design stage then simple e-mail us at sales@vandf.co.uk and our engineering team will be pleased to put together some cost options for you.

Welded fabricated trolley brackets

For more examples of recent sheet metal project and ideas for your next design why not take a look at our Pinterest Boards.

Another good place to start looking at sheet metal designs is our website gallery pages.

Where can I find a sheet metal working company in the UK

Thursday, October 17th, 2019

CNC punched sheet metal work

Where can I find a sheet metal working company in the UK?

Right here in Hampshire.

V and F Sheet Metal have been manufacturing sheet metal components for companies in the UK for over 30 years now. With a wide range of computer based manufacturing machines and traditional hand craft skills we offer a comprehensive manufacturing service. From CNC fibre laser cutting and CNC punching along with CNC bending to press work, rolling and many different welding techniques. Here’s a great example of using CNC punching thin gauge Zintec to produce housings for industrial light fittings. The housings are supplied flat “as punched” and then folded up by the customer along the “dotted lines”. This design idea helps to save storage space and reduces volume in shipping.

We are always happy to help you with your designs and can advise you on the right tooling that we hold on the shelf. Most new projects that we look at for our customers do not need new punching or bend tooling. Used in conjunction with our Trumpf fibre laser we can tackle a wide variety of designs and profiles. With many ferrous and non-ferrous sheet materials held on the shelf for a speedy turn around when needed.

Call us and we can guide you or e-mail your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk for a quick price on your next project.

For more examples of sheet metal working in the UK why not take a look at our Pinterest Boards. We have thousands of images of past sheet metal projects that you can study and re great of ideas when considering a new design.

So in conclusion, “Where can I find a sheet metal working company in the UK?” right here in Fareham, Hampshire.

Give us a call today and we will start to save you money.

Sheet metal enclosures manufactured in mild steel with formed louvres

Monday, October 14th, 2019

CNC punching sheet metal enclosures on our Trumpf 200 punch press

Sheet metal enclosures come in so many shapes and sizes. Different materials, manufacturing processes and finishes are called for and you need to be sure you are getting the right price. When it comes to manufacturing sheet metal enclosure we have all the facilities you require. Whether it’s CNC punching as these examples of laser cutting we can process your designs efficiently.

Formed sheet metal louvres - 3 sheets waiting to be broken out

Formed sheet metal louvres – 3 sheets of CNC punched mild steel waiting to be broken out

These particular mild steel sheet metal enclosures are being manufactured to house fibre optic lighting control gear. They will be folded up on our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes and have a variety of bushes and studs inserted. With spot welded corner joints and accompanying covers they will then be powder coated.

Sheet metal enclosures still in their CNC punched nest

If you want your sheet metal enclosures powder coated, zinc plated, anodised or silk screened we have a selection of sub-contract suppliers who work with us to give you the best service possible. You simple have to ask and we will track down that unusual material or finish if that’s really what you need for your design.

If you want help with your designs and are not quite sure how to get the best from today’s sheet metal manufacturing equipment, give us a call. We can easily take a look at your drawings and suggest improvements to simplify features to speed up production. Perhaps you need to look at our CNC punch press tooling tables to eliminate the chances of needing new tooling.

Feel free to call us or e-mail your ideas to sales@vandf.co.uk

Sheet metal workers in Hampshire – call us now for a quote

Thursday, October 10th, 2019

CNC punched and CNC formed mild steel sheet

Looking for sub-contract sheet metal workers in Hampshire? We have been manufacturing sheet metal work for over 30 years in Hampshire, UK. We don’t have our own products we simply just concentrate on offering a good service to our customers in manufacturing their products.

From the early days of guillotining materials, using fly presses and manual bending machines to produce simple sheet metal components and welded assemblies we have been production sheet metal workers. Now with the advent of CNC punch presses, CNC bending machines and CNC laser cutting the complexity of parts we can offer you has greatly increased. Coupled with sophisticated CAD/CAM software the range of sheet metal work we produce today is quite astonishing. The speed we can take an idea that you might have and turn it into a complete finished product has comes right down in the past few years.

We have so many examples of past sheet metal projects here on our website in past blog posts and gallery pages. We also have a large collection of sheet metal component ideas on our Pinterest Boards.

Sheet metal workers in Hampshire, UK

So if you want us to help you with your next sheet metal work project what do you need to do next? Simply send us your drawings and we will be happy to quote for your next engineering project. Send either 3D (STEP or SAT) or 2D data (DXF, DWG, PDF) to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will do the rest.

Want to chat through your ideas with sheet metal workers who listen? Call us on 01489 577786 and our engineering team will be happy to advise you on getting the best out of our manufacturing plant to keep your purchasing costs down.

We hope to work with you soon.

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