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Folding sheet metal brackets from mild steel laser cut blanks

Sunday, May 13th, 2018

Folding sheet metal brackets from mild steel laser cut blanks using our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes

So the best place to start when you want an accurate sheet metal component is an accurate blank. Using years of experience and the latest CAD/CAM software we are able to offer this with little fuss. Linking CNC programs to our CNC punching and laser cutting machines leads to efficient manufacturing. If you can start with an accurate blank it makes folding sheet metal brackets so much easier.

laser cut mild steel brackets

The best way to produce an accurate sheet metal blank is to use a laser cutter. We have the option of cutting accurate sheet metal blanks using our Trumpf 3030 fibre laser cutter. Depending on the component’s shape, material and thickness we will decide whether to CNC punch or laser cut. These parts have been laser cut which was perfect for the shape and batch size involved.

CNC press brake tooling folding sheet metal brackets

Once an accurate sheet metal blank has been produced we can tackle the folding. We are lucky to have such a wide range of machines to fold our sheet metal work. Perhaps we might have a simple sheet metal part and fold it on a fly-press of Guifil CNC press brake. We may use our Safan e-brake with it’s 3M bed. In this case the Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes were ideal for the job. The component’s CNC program was written in under 10 minutes. The tooling was all laid out for one bending sequence. And off we went producing parts.

CNC folded mild steel brackets

Finally the finished article. A mild steel bracket with a series of bends and stiffening points built into the bends. Folding sheet metal brackets couldn’t be made easier than when using a laser cutter in conjunction with a CNC press brake.

Looking to get some sheet metal brackets manufactured then please give us a call. We love a challange, send us your STEP or DXF files and we will get working on a quote for you. Call 01489 577786 or e-mail sales@vandf.co.uk for help with your sheet metal project.

CNC punching stainless steel sheet metal components

Tuesday, May 8th, 2018

CNC punching stainless steel sheet metal components using our Trumpf punch presses

CNC punching stainless steel

Nowadays when you think of cut stainless steel sheet metal components you think of laser cutting. If laser cutting is what you want we can certainly accommodate that with our Trumpf 3030 fibre laser. But, you shouldn’t ignore CNC punching especially on thinner gauges. These 304 stainless steel brackets were easily CNC punched out. If the shape is simple then CNC punching is a very competitive manufacturing method.

CNC punching stainless steel sheet

There are obviously some parts that are better cut on a laser machine. These could be where the shape is complex or the gauge is too thick to CNC punch. We will take a view on every drawing we receive from our customers. We will always select the best method to produce a quality part at the right price.

And using Radan CAD/CAM software enables us to swap from one machine to another very easily. If there is a bottleneck in production we can swap jobs around to suit your delivery needs.

You don’t have to worry about which method we will us unless it’s important to you. We have all bases covered here at V and F Sheet Metal and are always happy to help you. Send us your drawings and our engineering team will be please to take a look for you. Even if you just want to refresh prices on an old project we are here to help.

Laser cut small components in Hampshire, Great Britain 2018

Monday, April 2nd, 2018

Laser cut small components

Looking for a company to produce your small components in large batches? Here at V and F Sheet Metal we’re ideally placed to do this for you using our Trumpf laser cutting machine. Small flat components, such as the examples shown here, are ideally suited to production on this machine and we love to use it!

Small components ready for powder coating

The laser cutter is extremely versatile, being able to cut any shape into mild steel sheet without the need for dedicated tooling. This is a real advantage for many of our customers with smaller batch size projects. In addition we’ve found that most laser cutting nests that we have converted have shown a better yield of components from a given sheet size. Always an attractive feature. For mild steel there is the need for cutting head assist gases which can be compressed air, oxygen or nitrogen, all of which we have available here at V and F Sheet Metal. The extra cost of the gases can usually be offset by the reduced material usage and the reduction in de-burring time offering a better quality part that is cost neutral for our customers.

Laser cut components

The Trumpf laser can easily handle a range of metal gauges and its versatility lies in the array of complex shapes it’s able to produce. As you can see from the photos, this machine has the advantage of being able to generate a smooth consistent arc as compared to a standard punching technique.

Selection of small components

The small components here are made of mild steel, 2-3 mm thick and will either be powder coated or zinc plated further down the line. If you take a closer look, all of these components demonstrate “safe designs” with rads on corners making them safe and easy to handle. Always a feature worth considering. These are typical examples of the repeating batch work we are involved in and usually, although not exclusively, for UK customers.

Perhaps you have some small sheet metal components that need to be manufactured? If so then please feel free to give us a call. We are always happy to take a look at new projects, we may be able to save you time and money with only a small design change. We can offer you free advice to improve material usage, reduce production time and select the most appropriate material type and finish.

Please e-mail us on sales@vandf.co.uk with your drawings attached.

Alternatively give us call on 01489 577786 and we will be more than happy to talk.

Let’s talk about grades of commercial stainless steel in Hampshire 2018!

Tuesday, March 13th, 2018

Grades of commercial stainless steel and sheet metal brackets

It’s time to look at some recently cut stainless steel brackets as this gives me the ideal opportunity to talk about the different grades of commercial stainless steel available. We often find our customers are unsure about the grade of stainless they require and turn to us for advice. Sometimes we find the grade is stated but it may be incorrectly specified which could have an impact on the durability of the final product. Moreover it could effect the final cost of each component through “over specification” when a lower grade stainless would have “done the job” adequately.

Laser cut brackets

Here at V and F Sheet Metal we mainly use three different grades of stainless steel. Grade 430 is the cheapest, lowest grade with good formability and ductility. It displays magnet properties but is not very corrosion resistance. With these properties in mind, its easy to see why its uses lie in decorative trim and domestic situations.

Setting up the press brake

Grade 304 is a mid range versatile and widely used stainless. It contains more chrome and nickel and displays good corrosion resistance. It’s found in outdoor settings, such as sign production where the exposure to water is not a problem.

Grade 316 is a high quality stainless with an addition of molybdenum giving rise to improved resistance to corrosion. This renders it particularly useful in chloride environments and makes it the stainless of choice in marine environments where metal work is constantly under attack from salty water. It is also used in the catering industry and in the production of high quality surgical components.

Trumpf 7036 CNC press brake

The batch of 250 laser cut brackets shown here were made for an outdoor setting using grade 304 stainless. They were folded on one of our Trumpf 7036 CNC controlled press brakes. Obviously the laser cut components are flat to begin with but they need to be curved and this is achieved using a multiple bending technique, all carried out on the press brake. There is no end to the flexibility of these machines when it comes to bending!

Curved stainless steel brackets

If you are unsure about which grade of stainless you need for your next project then please contact us at V and F Sheet Metal on 01489 577786 or email sales@vandf.co.uk. We look forward to giving you the advice you need and producing your components.

Spot welding is the order of the day at V and F Sheet Metal, Hampshire

Wednesday, March 7th, 2018

Spot welding

Often I’m asked by a customer to produce a part made of two dissimilar materials. This is no problem for our skilled staff at V and F Sheet Metal, it just calls for the technique of spot welding. The process whereby two pieces of sheet metal are joined together using spot welds made at regular intervals on overlapping sheets of metal.

We have four spot welding machines in our factory in Fareham, Hampshire set up as individual spot welding bays. We feel it is important to have more than one machine as this gives us the ability to offer our customers a high degree of flexibility and ensures that your “job” is not held up waiting in a queue. Many customers require a quick turn around time and in some cases the moment from order confirmation to delivery is surprisingly short. As the saying goes time is money!

Spot welding bay

One of the photos shows a close up of the welding electrodes showing copper tips in brass holders. During the welding process the top electrode moves up and down and the bottom one remains stationary. Using these electrodes, the welding current is concentrated into a small “spot”, thus forcing a large current through the spot and melting the metal to form the weld.

Spot welding electrodes

In this case the completed part was a mild steel bracket with a zinc plated and colour passivated steel clip attached. The clip was free issued to us by the customer. If you are interested in this particular technique and would like to learn more about the process in detail, then please take a look at the information on Spot Welding sheet metal under our plant list. There’s even a short clip of spot welding in action in our factory!

Spot welded bracket

Give us a call today at V and F Sheet Metal in Fareham, Hampshire to discuss all your metalwork needs. Contact us on 01489 577786 or email us at sales@vandf.co.uk.

We are bananas about our CNC punch press tooling at V and F Sheet Metal!

Monday, March 5th, 2018

CNC punch press tooling

The latest component I’ve been asked to make has given me the opportunity to talk about CNC punch press tooling, and more specifically the banana tool. Although the part is simply circular in shape, it still needs some thought on how this shape is created. We could have used the Trumpf fibre laser but in this case we chose to run the job on the Trumpf 3000. If this machine had been busy then we could have swapped to the Trumpf 200. Obviously, we like to offer this flexibility in our work shop and our regular customers appreciate this, as they know their job will not be held up in a queue.

Banana tooling used to CNC punch a circular component

Radan view of component

The first photo is a Radan view of the part. Below the circular part is the CNC punch press tool used to produce it, a banana tool. This tool has a choice of external and internal radii. These could be same or different to each other. In this case the internal radius of the tool was used to produce the external circumference of the component. We have many tools available at V and F Sheet Metal so if one doesn’t suit, we’ll probably find one that will! The tool could be used to create the external radius of the part or the internal radius of a hole in a piece of metal.

Radan nest of parts

The second image shows the Radan nest of parts arranged on a 2m x 1m sheet of 3mm thick aluminium.
Obviously as components are cut out of the sheet they will fall out so there is a chute underneath the machine for collection. All holes in the component are punched out first and the cutting out of each individual component is the last step. The left over “skeleton” sheet and punched slugs are recycled. For the final stage of production the components are sent off for powder coating.

Close up of component produced using a CNC punch press banana tool

Please feel free to contact us at V and F Sheet Metal if you would like to talk about CNC punch press tooling. We’re always happy to help. Call us on 01489 577786 or email salea@vandf.co.uk.

Laser cutting an intricate decorative handrail in Hampshire 2018

Tuesday, February 13th, 2018

Laser cut handrail

Radan image

Cut out handrail

Close up of pattern

Laser cutting sheet metal work is a process we’re proud to offer at V and F Sheet Metal. So I jumped at the chance to talk about a recent interesting job that came our way. My customer required a rather intricate decorative handrail made in stainless steel for installation in a lady’s home. The complex and artistic pattern makes it an ideal job for our Trumpf 3030 3KW fiber laser.

We received a DXF file from our customer. A file with the .DXF file extension is a Drawing Exchange Format file developed as a type of universal format for storing CAD models. DXF files can easily be opened in CAD packages enabling an accurate and competitively priced quote to be created. The red photo is the image created in Radan software.

The remaining photos show the cut out rail covered in a plastic coating. This coating is removed after laser cutting.

Do you have a complex project you’re looking at right now? If you think laser cutting may be the way forward then we may be able to assist you! Please give our friendly team a call on 01489 577786. Alternatively email us on sales@vandf.co.uk.

Cluster tool and CNC punching sheet metal components

Tuesday, February 13th, 2018

In this post I thought I would concentrate on a recent project which makes use of a cluster tool. A customer from overseas required a 1U chassis made from 1.2mm mild steel to slot in to a 19 inch rack. If you are not familiar with the U, it is a unit of distance used to measure height of standard racks in which computer, video or audio components are mounted.

Over a thousand sets of components were required and as you can see from the photos, each part contains many ventilation slots. Due to the high volume of parts needed, I suggested to the customer that we use a punch press cluster tool to produce the slots, thus cutting down on production time and saving money. In fact the tool paid for itself within the first batch!

The blue images are produced using Radan software. The NEST image shows each set of components laid out on a sheet of 2m x 1m mild steel ready to be punched out on the Trumpf 3000R. If the Trumpf 3000R had been in use it would a have been equally possible to use our Trumpf 200R for production. We are a flexible bunch here at V and F Sheet Metal!

If this has given you an idea about the possible uses of tooling on a product you are looking to have made yourself then please contact us. We may be able to save on your production time and cut down on the final cost. We are a friendly team at V and F Sheet Metal and one of our experienced engineers is always happy to discuss all your requirements with you.
Call us today on 01489 577786 or email at sales@vandf.co.uk.

Radan image of ventilation slots

NEST image

Close up of NEST image

Punched component

Chassis in production

Roll up, roll up! Step this way for Sheet Metal production January, 2018

Thursday, February 1st, 2018

Formed sheet metal circular component

Now this sheet metal product caught my eye whilst walking around the factory this week. I thought it was worth a mention as it combines two separate processes of sheet metal engineering, namely bending and rolling. On both images, on the inside of the rolled end it’s possible to see a series of lines. This gives a clue to the process used, as a series of bends were made using the Trumpf 7036 to begin to produce a preform curve.

As the lines disappear and the inner surface appears smooth, this indicates that the metal has been rolled on a set of rollers. At V and F Sheet Metal we have both hand rollers and powered rollers. We have the capability to roll up to 1m wide and 3mm thick mild steel. However, we are able to roll up thicker metal in smaller strips. Please take a look at our plant list on rolling sheet metal work for more detailed information.

If you have a product that requires rolling or forming as part of your production then please give us a call on 01489 577786 or email if you prefer at sales@vandf.co.uk. Our sheet metal engineering team are always happy to help and love a challenge. With over 50 years experience between them there’s not much they haven’t come across.

Formed circular metal component

Metal circular component

Manufacturing Metal Enclosures using Radan software, Great Britain 2018

Sunday, January 21st, 2018

Sheet metal Enclosures

Today we’re looking at the production of metal enclosures. I think this process displays nicely the flexibility and time saving features of Radan software. So how do we begin the process? Well in this case the customer required production of a sheet metal enclosure using 1.2mm aluminium alloy. We always start with a 3D model on Radan, this allows us to make sure all the fixing holes line up before starting production. This model may come directly from our customer as a STEP or SAT file. If that is not available to us we will create the 3D model using our customers dimensioned drawings. Either way we have control of the basic design information needed to produce the correct developed blank shape and size.

3 D Radan model

Developed blank in flat

The developed blank shows the shape of the final enclosure in the flat (grey). The dark blue surrounding the blank is the shape produced by all the CNC punch press tooling. The tooling can be added to the blank shape automatically by the software. We still have the ability to alter this tooling to suit our own requirements where needed. Following on from this the blanks are set out on a full sheet of metal. In this case the sheet size is 2M x 1M. When CNC punching our Trumpf CNC punch presses can work with sheet up to 2.5M x 1.25M. Smaller panels can be programmed where needed for small components or smaller batches of work. This is definitely where the versatility of the Trumpf machine comes in to it’s own.

You might have noticed that the back 2 components have been turned at 90 degrees to the rest. Why so ? This is the region where the clamps hold the metal in place. Therefore the turning of these components is necessary but still allows for the maximum number of parts to be punched from one sheet. In addition, we have the capacity to to produce these parts on either the Trumpf 200 or 3000 as the same tooling fits both machines. A useful feature in a busy workshop, allowing production to be swapped from one machine to another.

Nest of parts

Metal Enclosures

Finally, once all of the sheet metal enclosure components have been CNC punched, we deburr the edges before moving on to the last stage which is folding. The image here shows a skilled employee folding up the components on one of our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. By using the Radan software at the design stage, the final components should perfectly match the model. This allows us to save time and effort when making the first batch of samples or production. Any alterations can be fed back to the 3D model and subsequent 2D tooled CNC punching nests. This process can also be applied when a customer requires a design change to take place.

Folding up of components

Finished component

Please feel free to look at our website pages which gives up to date information on our plant list, tooling and design data. You have the ability to search all our blog posts so if this post doesn’t quite fit your needs then something else will! There is also an extensive gallery of photos.

If after reading this you think we could help you then please contact our engineering team at V and F Sheet Metal on 01489 577786 or drop us an email at sale@vandf.co.uk. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Manufacturing a Sheet Metal Stainless Steel Guide Plate with tapped holes

Tuesday, January 9th, 2018

Stainless Steel Guide Plate

Recently at V and F Sheet Metal we were asked to make a guide plate with tapped holes and I thought this would make an interesting topic for discussion. As with any project the initial phase of manufacturing starts with a clear and concise drawing. This should provide exact dimensions and if required precise position of holes and slots. With this particular design I was able to program the part within 10 minutes using Radan software. This batch of 50 guide plates were then manufactured from 2.5mm thick 304 stainless on the Trumpf 3000 machine.

A couple of the photos here show the sheet on the punching machine and illustrate a number of useful points which may not always be obvious to the customer. Firstly if you look carefully at the image of the CNC punching the guide plate, it is possible to see that at the back of the machine I turned the last two rows of plates to achieve the maximum number of components from the sheet. The nest diagram reveals this clearly and shows the small amount of waste material that will be left at the end of production. Secondly, although not obvious from the photos, this job actually made use of an off cut of material from a previous job, again allowing me to reduce the cost to the customer. In addition there was no need for special tooling as we have an extensive tool library at V and F Sheet Metal. Another money saving feature.

Finally I thought it was worth drawing your attention to the tapped holes on these guide plates. The Trumpf 3000 is equipped with a number of tapping tools and an M4 tap was used on these guide plates to produce a strong, clean thread within the material. It is an efficient process and cheaper than the traditional tapped cutting of threads which produces swarf, which must then be removed from the underneath the machine.

Hopefully you have found this useful and if you think V and F Sheet Metal can help you then please give us a call on 01489 577786 or email today at sales@vandf.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you!

Stainless steel Guide plate

Stainless steel Guide plate program

TAPPING EXPLODED TOOL

TAPPING CROSS SECTION

CNC punching the guide plate

CNC punched nest of guide plates

We love making folded Sheet metal boxes!

Sunday, January 7th, 2018

Folded sheet metal boxes

Folded Sheet Metal Boxes

Are you looking to produce a folded sheet metal box? Then look no further as we are here to help you! Over the years we have produced a huge number of boxes ranging from the small and simple to large and complex. We use high tech equipment which allows us to CNC punch sheet metal from 0.4mm up to 5.0mm gauge in a range of steel, aluminium and stainless steel alloys. Furthermore if you require thicker gauges this is no problem as we employ the services of our Trumpf 3030 3KW fiber laser cutting machine.

I’ve include this image as it’s a typical example of the type of folded sheet metal box we are asked to make on a daily basis. First of all nearly all of our sheet metal projects start their life as a 3D model using Radan sheet metal development software. Once checked and approved, the model is used to produce a flat pattern ready for use on one of our CNC punching machines. After punching, the edges are deburred and the panel folded up in to the final shape using one of our many CNC press brake bending machines.

This may be the final product especially if the box is going to be placed “out of sight”. However, more often than not our customers require their boxes to be treated or finished. For example we can powder coat, zinc plate or anodise components to produce a perfect cosmetic finish.

If you would like to learn more about the various stages of metal box design and production then please go to our web page on Box Fabrication. Finally if you need any more help with your project then we’re always happy to hear from you at V and F Sheet Metal. Please just call on 01489 577786 or drop us an email at sales@vandf.co.uk.

Please feel free to look on our website for more general information on CNC bending and CNC press brakes.

Z angle aluminium brackets laser cut and folded in Great Britain 2018

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2018

Laser cut aluminium strips

Z Angle Brackets

If you require aluminium brackets but you’re not sure who to contact then look no further! Here at V and F Sheet Metal, Hampshire we have the facility to help you. We have many years of experience to ease your journey from the initial idea or drawing through to final production.

Folding aluminium Z brackets

First of all we begin the process using Radan 3D modelling design software before moving on to laser cutting and finally folding up to produce brackets.

The photos here follow the production of a simple aluminium bracket. Initially we cut out flat metal strip ready to be bent in to a z shape. Cutting out is quick using the latest technology Trumpf 3030 3 KW fibre laser. The second photo shows an individual strip in the process of bending using one of our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. Finally once completed and inspected, the strips are packed up ready for delivery to the customer. If you would like to know more about bending then please read the CNC bending information on our website.

Folded aluminium Z angles brackets

So please do not hesitate to contact us here at V and F Sheet Metal by calling 01489 577786 or emailing us at sales@vandf.co.uk. We have the ability to make many types of brackets and the expertise to assist you with your product from the initial idea through to design and final production. We look forward to hearing from you.

Merry Christmas from V and F Sheet Metal 2017

Thursday, December 21st, 2017

Merry Christmas from all at V and F Sheet Metal.

We just want to say thank you to all out customers for their business through 2017, we really appreciate it. We also want to thank the support of our suppliers through this year. Lets all hope that 2018 will be just as busy and profitable for all of us.

Merry Christmas

From the team at V and F Sheet Metal

Sheet metal fabrication in the UK – V and F Sheet Metal

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

Laser cut and CNC bend zintec sheet metal work produced with Trumpf manufacturing equipment

Sheet metal fabrication in the UK covers a wide range of processes. From laser cutting and CNC punching thin sheet metal to folding complex sections. Using various welding techniques and secondary manufacturing and finishing operations a large range of sheet metal fabrications can be produced.

Here at V and F Sheet Metal we specialise in batch production of sheet metal fabrications. From our factory in Fareham, Hampshire we supply sheet metal work right across the UK. We can support you with your new designs by producing prototypes. We can also produce small batches of sheet metal components and then where needed larger volumes.

For far more information on sheet metal fabrications and what we can do with them take a look at this link.

Zinc plated mild steel sheet metal brackets

If you are looking for a company to supply sheet metal fabrication in the UK V and F Sheet Metal are the people to contact on 01489 577786. Alternatively you can always e-mail us your drawing data and our engineering team will be happy to advise on your designs or produce estimate options.

Sheet metal work manufactured in Great Britain 2017

Thursday, November 16th, 2017

CNC punched sheet metal work

If you are looking for sheet metal work manufactured in Great Britain here’s as good a place to start as any. During 2017 V and F Sheet Metal have invested in more plant and machinery to improve product quality and speed up manufacturing. The projects shown here are typical of the sheet metal work that we manufacture every day. Whether it’s CNC laser cutting or CNC punching. CNC bending from just a few sample parts to orders of many thousands. Parts may be simply left self colour or treated and finished in a variety of ways. Calling upon the talents of a range of sub-contract specialists in the area we can offer the complete manufacturing service.

Sheet metal trays

Sheet metal work manufactured in Great Britain is cost effective compared with importing. We have many customers who use our services from Europe and the US. Or course our home market of Great Britain is where the majority of our customers as based. With the ability to communicate easily and offer quick samples we provide a useful service to many companies. With the latest sheet metal manufacturing equipment prices are also very keen.

Folded sheet metal work

To get a really good idea of sheet metal work manufactured in Great Britain you should take a look at our gallery pages and plant pages. They will illustrate the wide range of work we manufacture and the ways in which we save time and our customers money.

So if you are looking to get your sheet metal work manufactured in Great Britain give us a try. We are happy for you to call us and have a chat with one of our team of experienced engineers. If you wish to simply e-mail us your drawings that’s fine and we will work on producing estimates for you.

Sheet Metal work in Great Britain 2017

Monday, November 13th, 2017

Sheet Metal work in Great Britain

Here at V and F Sheet Metal we are proud to be able to offer a wide range of sheet metal services to all our customers. Whether it’s laser cutting stainless steel fixings plates or CNC punching aluminium front panels. CNC folding electronics chassis components or mild steel angle brackets. Welding in a wide range of materials and gauges using modern welding techniques. We are here to help you with your designs and provide the best choice of manufacturing techniques to produce your sheet metal work in Great Britain.

With an active program of investment in sheet metal working equipment we are helping to keep sheet metal work in Great Britain. In the last year we have purchased a brand new 1.5 ton fork lift. We have invested in 1M power rolls for rolling up circular sections. We have also invested in another Trumpf 7036 CNC press brake to strengthen our folding section. Along with our other 6 CNC press brakes we have a great range of services to support the most complex sheet metal work.

Using the latest sheet metal working CAD/CAM software we can tune designs to suit the correct and most efficient manufacturing machines. If you have a project that needs some input from a friendly sheet metal working company we are here to help. We can take a quick look at your designs and suggest areas that can be improved with a view to saving you money. Simply send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will take a look for you.

New CNC press-brake tooling pays dividends in production

Monday, November 6th, 2017

CNC joggle tooling

We can produce such a wide variety of sheet metal work with standard CNC press brake tooling. Using simple V tooling enables us to cover most of the bends our customers want in their products. Sometimes however, special press-brake tooling can make a big difference. It can reduce the setting time for a number of tools and reduce programming time. The biggest gain for you is the reduced production time easily saving the cost of the tooling after just a couple of batches.

Joggled aluminium brackets

By using joggle press-brake tooling a double bend can be achieved in one cycle of the machine. Not only is this quicker but a more reliable form can be achieved. The joggle tool can be adjusted to suit a range of material gauges and offset sizes. This bracket was produced from 3mm aluminium but it could just as easily have been mild steel or stainless steel.

This press-brake tooling is shown producing a joggle form in 3mm aluminium on our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. The same tooling can be used on our Safan e-Brake CNC press brake making it a versatile tool for the shop floor.

If you have a sheet metal component and you are looking to save money it might just be that bespoke press-brake tooling could make a difference. Please send us your drawings and we will quickly be able to see if we can help. Email us at sales@vandf.co.uk or give us a call on 01486 577786 if you are still now sure.

Manufacturing sub-contract sheet metal work in Great Britain

Tuesday, September 26th, 2017

Manufacturing sub-contract sheet metal is what V and F Sheet Metal are all about. We have been manufacturing in Great Britain since the 1980s. We have a company ethos of constantly investing in the latest machinery and software to improve the quality of the parts we manufacture. Managing costs and improving order lead times is an everyday job for us.

CNC punching plastic coated steel

Manufacturing sub-contract sheet metal for our customers can be range from the simplest flat plate right through to complex welded fabrication assemblies.

Laser cutting sheet metal work

Whether we are using the latest laser cutting technology or CNC bending machines people are still the most important factor in any business. With a stable workforce we have a wide range of experience. Manufacturing special projects and prototypes to repeat batch work and kanban systems, we are happy to help you.

Supporting a wide range of customers in the UK and mainland Europe we will often alreadyd have come across a solution you need. Having a large library of standard CNC punching and bending tooling we can usually produce all your work without any tooling costs.

Trumpf 7036 CNC bendingSheet metal angle brackets

If you are looking for a long term relationship with a UK based company manufacturing sub-contract sheet metal then please contact us. We will be happy to talk to you about your latest sheet metal projects on 01489 577786. If you prefer to e-mail us your drawings then please feel free. We can work with STEP, SAT, DXF and DWG CAD data, please send it to sales@vandf.co.uk. We can produce you quote options, price ranges and advice on treatments and finishes to save you money.

CNC laser cutting sheet metal programming in Great Britain

Friday, September 22nd, 2017

Laser cutting sheet metal work CNC program nest

We use Radan sheet metal CAD/CAM software to drive our CNC punching and CNC laser cutting machines. Radan software is one of the most sophisticated packages for controlling sheet metal manufacturing machines available today. With support for 3D modelling, 2D drawing, standard tooling libraries, auto tooling and auto nesting of full metal sheets. Sheet metal programming is critical for producing accurate components at the right price. For us sheet metal programming is the most important stage in the manufacturing cycle before any material is cut.

Laser cutting sheet metal work CNC program nest

The examples of sheet metal programming shown here are typical of those we produce every day of the week. The Radan software automatically finds the best fit for components on any given sheet size or off-cut no matter how complex the blank shape or size.

With many years of experience in producing a vast range of sheet metal parts via CNC punching and CNC laser cutting we are happy to help you modify your designs to reduce processing time and part costs.

You can send us your drawings as 2D PDF, DWG or DXF files. If you are lucky enough to produce 3D data then STEP or SAT files can help us to speed up sheet metal quotes and the final production sheet metal programs.

CNC punching of sheet metal work in the UK 2017

Wednesday, September 13th, 2017

CNC punched vents

When you are looking for CNC punching of sheet metal a good place to start is V and F Sheet Metal. With 2 Trumpf CNC punch presses there isn’t much we cannot do for you. Having over 17 years of CNC punching tooling we have a large standard tool library to reduce the need for new tooling costs.

The mild steel lighting gear boxes that are shown here are typical of the work we CNC punch everyday. CNC punching sheet metal with features such as ventilation louvres is quick and easy. Supported by Radan CAD/CAM software to produce the correct flat blanks and tooled nests we can easily find the most cost effective way to produce your parts.

CNC punching of sheet metal including all ferrous and non-ferrous materials is possible from 0.5mm up to 5.0mm thick. If you want to have components thicker than 5.0mm then we would laser cut them with our Trumpf 3030 3KW fibre laser machine.

The variety of components that can be CNC punched is truly huge, please take a look at our gallery pages for more examples.

So if you have a project and it’s going to need CNC punching of sheet metal please give us a call. We are on 01489 577786 or e-mail sales@vandf.co.uk with your drawings. Our engineering team will be happy to help you.

Specialists in sheet metal working for the lighting industry

Thursday, September 7th, 2017

V and F Sheet Metal are specialists in sheet metal working for the lighting industry. We have been manufacturing sheet metal work for over 30 years and many of those for lighting companies.

CNC punching with cut blanks

Using CNC punch presses and laser cutting machines we produce a wide range of sheet metal components and fabricated assemblies. From lighting reflectors, housings, heat sinks, lamp hold brackets to flood light stirrups and louvres we know the lighting industry very well.

These housings are being CNC punched from custom sheet blanks to save material wastage and keep down the component costs. Where ever possible we will look at ways to reduce your component prices.

CNC punching common line

These gear housings are used to contain control gear for industrial light fittings. Using standard CNC punch press tooling we can manufacture components like these quickly and cost efficiently. Some of the more interesting features on the parts are the pressed dimpled feet, easy bend LED support brackets and the common line cutting.

Having the right materials and tooling is essential if we are going to be able to satisfy our customers lead times. It is also important when it comes to part costing if we can use remnants from past projects. This is particularly helpful with small one off projects needing only small amounts of material.

We have often seen the solution to a design problem you may have with the work we may have carried out on a previous job. Just let us take a look at your drawings and we will be happy to help suggest improvements to your designs. We can also offer you cost options to see what works for you.

For more information on our lighting industry work please follow the link or take a look at our gallery pages.

Folding sheet metal work in Great Britain using CNC Press Brakes

Friday, August 25th, 2017

Folding sheet metal work is a big part of what we do here at V and F Sheet Metal

From the smallest angle bracket to components up to 3M long we are here to support you. But what does that mean?

small sheet metal folding

Well for us it means not only having the right machines and tooling, you would hope all sheet metal workers would have that. No, it means having the experience to help you with your designs. Selecting the correct materials and thicknesses for a given part with an eye to the cost of the final part. For example why would you use 5251 aluminium if 1050A will do the job and is cheaper. Many of our customers will not know what material to select and we will help them to get it right and at the right price.

Defining a suitable manufacturing tolerance is another area where people can be unsure what can be achieved in practice. Say you want a small stainless steel channel folding up similar to the part shown on the right. It may be fitting into another rightly controlled machined item. Asking for +0/-0.25 across the bends may be required and achievable. Asking for the same tolerance on a much larger support bracket in 4mm mild steel would be adding extra time and scrap where it’s just not needed. Sometimes simply talking through these points with us is enough to get it right and save time and money in production.

We have all experienced the standard drawing border that is applied to every job without any thought.

For more information on bending please check out this link

large sheet metal folding

So you can already see that there are plenty of actions you can take when considering designing for folding sheet metal work. The specific machine we chose and the tooling needed is not your problem. Of course you will want us to have modern accurate machines. We won’t disappoint there with a program of constant investment in plant and tooling. Getting your design right for that tooling is your problem and we are always happy to help you with it. If you want to discuss a current sheet metal project that will need folding please give us a call on 01489 577786. Alternatively you can e-mail us your drawings and we will be pleased to review them for you.

Bending sheet metal work in Great Britain 2017

Monday, August 21st, 2017

Bending sheet metal work in Great Britain 2017

I thought it would be good to show off a few sheet metal jobs that have been bent up on our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. These jobs nicely show the versatility of bending sheet metal work on these fast and accurate CNC press brakes.

Fast Tube by Casper

With a large range of tooling that can be shared across all the machines we can tackle all sorts of jobs. From the smallest angle bracket the size of a finger nail right up to 1M on these machines. We can fold up to 3M on our Safan e-Brake CNC press.

Fast Tube by Casper

With sub-contract sheet metal work being so varied they machines are perfect for us. Being so easy to set up when bending sheet metal work in small batches these machines are very cost effective.

Fast Tube by Casper

As well as our 3 Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes we also have 2 small Guifil CNC press brakes, an Edwards Pearson 2.5M CNC press brake and a Safan 3M CNC press brake. Please visit the plant pages for these machine or see them in action on our YouTube channel. There is a link at the bottom of the page.

Shapes that can be produced with standard CNC punch tooling

Wednesday, November 29th, 2017

When we are asked to produce sheet metal work we may choose to use one of our CNC punch presses. Having both Trumpf 200 and Trumpf 3000 CNC punch presses we have plenty of capacity to handle a wide range of projects. If we select this production method we will need to have the collect tooling to produce all the details for that part. That may include the outer profile of the parts and any internal details. These could be simple round holes or more complex cut-outs. By combining a range of shapes a wide variety of profiles can be achieved with standard CNC punch tooling.

The images here cover the most common shapes that are requested by our customers when manufacturing their sheet metal work. They include circles, squares, rectangles, obrounded slots, corner radiusing tooling, single D and double D tooling and banana tooling. The banana tooling is used to produce larger inner and outer circles for round cut-outs and discs.

We have plenty of standard tooling on the shelf ready to use on your sheet metal work. If you want to see more for yourself please take a look at our CNC punch tooling tables.

Since we pride ourselves on being able to offer a wide variety of sheet metal working services we can also laser cut in house. This is the perfect process for manufacturing more complex shapes that would be more difficult to CNC punch with standard tooling. We will automatically select the best manufacturing process to suit your design and the volumes that you might need. Our Trumpf 3030 fibre laser is the ideal tool for the sub-contract sheet metal worker.

So if you have a sheet metal product and you want us to provide you with an estimate simply give us a call. Alternatively you can e-mail over your drawings if you wish and one of our engineering team will have a look for you.

CNC punching plastic coated pre-painted mild steel sheet metal

Thursday, August 17th, 2017

Why do we CNC punch plastic coated sheet metal?

CNC punching plastic coated steel

There are 2 forms of plastic coating on sheet metal. They basically split into plastic that is applied to protect the sheet metal and plastic that is a cosmetic finish.

A peelable low tack plastic film can be applied to sheet metals like aluminium and stainless steel at the material stockists. These materials can then be CNC punched or laser cut leaving the plastic film in place. This plastic film helps to protect the sheet metal surface from scratches, finger prints and oil. They can be left in place during subsequent operations such as CNC bending, CSK, rolling and during the insertion of bushes. They do have to be peeled back locally where any heat is applied such as spot welding joints or TiG / MiG welding corners.

The second “cosmetic” plastic coating is similar to pre-painted materials. This plastic coating will also have a peelable film to protect it during manufacturing. The coating again can be CNC punched but not laser cut. The coatings can be specified in different colours and textures and are used in place of painting or powder coating finishing processes.

CNC punched plastic coated steel

Here I have shown a great example of CNC punching plastic coated sheet metal. These end plates have been CNC punched on our Trumpf 3000 CNC punch press using a common line programming technique to reduce punching time and saving materials used.

Perhaps you are currently purchasing a sheet metal component that you are having painted or powder coated. It might be worth considering a pre-painted / plastic coated material. We often look at parts and with a small design change we can reduce costs and reduce production leads times. If you want to know more about these materials or want to see some samples please contact us on 01489 577786.

CNC punching plastic coated sheet metal is just one of the manufacturing techniques we use to save time and money for our customers. Please take a further look at these blog posts for design ideas to improve your sheet metal designs.

Sheet metal housings and gear trays manufactured in the UK

Tuesday, August 15th, 2017

Mild steel sheet metal housing base

Sheet metal can be used to create a wide range of housings, enclosures and boxes for electronic and lighting products. Whether the housings are made from stainless steel, mild steel or aluminium we have the correct equipment for efficient manufacturing. With a varied customer base demanding a quick service from just a few samples right up to volume production we have a large flexible sheet metal housing production service.

Sheet metal light fitting gear tray

Whether it’s CNC punching or laser cutting that’s needed to start off a sheet metal housing we have the right software to get the best from any given sheet of metal. Using either fresh standard sheets, custom sheared blanks or remnants from previous jobs we can cope with your requirements. Radan CAD/CAM software is very powerful with it’s ability to change a part from CNC punching to a laser cutting job in seconds. This allows us to swap production jobs around when that inevitable panic order comes in.

Linking the flexibility of CNC punching and laser cutting under the same roof as CNC bending is perfect for most people’s sheet metal housing needs. Bending housings as small as the palm of your hand right up to 3M long is no problem for us. With many of our CNC bending machines sharing the same tooling enables us to be flexible when running higher volumes of work. We can set up the same part over several machines to increase work flow when needed.

These small housings are typical of the easier parts we manufacture. If you have something more complex please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to take a look for you. Whether it’s a 3D STEP file or 2D data please give us a try.

Laser cutting stainless steel sheet metal work

Tuesday, August 8th, 2017

Laser cutting stainless steel sheet metal work in Great Britain during 2017

Whether you are looking to just have a few stainless steel parts laser cut or higher volumes here at V and F Sheet Metal we will be able to help you. Using the latest Trumpf 3030 3KW fibre laser technology we can cut work from 0.3mm to 12mm thick. Using a fibre laser enables us to offer you a comprehensive laser cutting service. We can laser cut ferrous and non-ferrous materials. As well as stainless steel this can include aluminium alloys, mild steel and galvanised steel. Using the fibre technology we can cut brass and copper alloys.

Employing either nitrogen, oxygen or compressed air as the cutting gases we can ensure the best edge quality to suit your needs. This also helps us to select the right solution to keep your finished part costs down.

Laser cutting stainless steel is only one service we offer our customers. For a fuller picture please take a look at our plant pages and galleries. If you have a design that needs sheet metal work please give us a call. Our engineering team will be happy to help you and talk through your ideas.

Small sheet metal components

Thursday, August 3rd, 2017

Small stainless steel sheet metal components

Sheet metal work can come in all shapes and sizes and these small sheet metal components are certainly at the lower end of our range. Manufactured from stainless steel by CNC punching and CNC bending they nicely show the complexity that can be achieved with sheet metal work. They could so easily have been laser cut but having both processes in house we can pick and choose the process that suits the parts. This can be particularly helpful when moving from prototypes and small batches through to higher volumes. One process, say laser cutting, may be perfect initially then with higher volumes and some simple tooling CNC punching may lend itself to be the most efficient manufacturing process.

Small sheet metal components also present problems if they have to be folded up. We are fortunate in having 3 Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes which are ideally suited to folding small sheet metal components. With a large range of tooling and an experienced team of machine programmers there aren’t many parts that we cannot fold up whatever their size.

So what do I do next?

If you have some small sheet metal work that might need to be manufactured please give us a call. We are always happy to take a look at new projects are see if we can help you save money with a small design change. We can offer you free advice to improve material usage, reduce production time and select the most appropriate material type and finish. If you have some drawings please e-mail us on sales@vandf.co.uk. If you just want to chat through your ideas please call us on 01489 577786 and we will be happy to talk.

CNC punching sheet metal work supplier based in the UK

Monday, July 31st, 2017

Here I thought I would show you a small range of the sheet metal work that we have just CNC punched today.

CNC punching ventilation louvres

CNC punching sheet metal in the UK can be so varied. We can CNC punch components from stainless steel, mild steel and aluminium as well as copper, brass and a range of pre-coated materials. With a wide range of standard tooling most work that we take on for our customers needs no new tooling. Special features such as dimples, plunged screw threads and ventilation louvres can be quick and easily produced with the right tooling. You can see that these mild steel ventilation covers have been CNC punched in two directions to get the best from the material sheet. This technique is easy for us with our Trumpf machines and their single head design. Combined with the power of our Radan sheet metal software we can offer a great service for CNC punching sheet metal in the UK.

CNC punching sheet metal work

Zintec is a material that we often use for our customers. It’s an ideal material for CNC punching and we process it from 0.7mm right up to 3mm thick. All the tooling that we use to CNC punch zintec is the same as that which we use for mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium. CNC punching sheet metal in the UK is the perfect solution for manufacturing many of these parts.

CNC punching brackets

Some parts with straight sides can be placed together and cut at the same time. This CNC punching technique is known as “common line cutting”. It helps to reduce punching time and materials adding to component part cost savings.

If you have a sheet metal project and you think that our CNC punching service can help you please take a look at http://www.vandf.co.uk/plant-list/trumpf-200r-3000r-cnc-punch/ and then give us a call and we will be happy to help you.

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