cnc punch Archives -

Custom sheet metal panels manufactured in the UK

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022

Laser cut mild steel panels

Custom sheet metal panels can come in many different shapes and sizes. The panels can be very simple such as the rectangular panels shown here. They can also be very complex with many different cut outs, edge profiles, studs, bushes, paint colours, silk screening etc.

We make custom sheet metal panels for a wide range of industries. They may well include electronics front and rear aluminium panels. Mild steel heating control panels. Rear connector panels for audio speaker and amplifier interfaces. We also make custom sheet metal panels for a wide range of industries where there are special projects such as lighting. Often lighting is ordered that will be a standard design but needs to fit into a ceiling with holes left from an older fitting. Customer sheet metal panels are then used to take up the difference as a cheaper option than manufacturing custom light fittings.

CNC punched pre-painted mild steel sheet metal panels

As you can see from these photos panels can be produced by either Laser cutting or CNC punching. Which method we use will depend on the complexity of the panel required, the material type and the thickness. Having both laser cutting and CNC punching facilities in house allow us the flexibility to apply the right manufacturing process to your panel design.

The only way to be sure that your custom sheet metal panel is right for production is to simply send over your drawings and let us take a look. We will quickly be able to produce price options. We will be able to help you refine your design where needed to make it right for manufacturing. Thereby saving you money and reducing problems in assembly.

If you want to see even more examples of custom sheet metal panels please take a look at our Pinterest Boards.

Galvanised mild steel sheet metal components manufactured in the UK

Wednesday, February 9th, 2022

Galvanised mild steel

Just a quick look back at a recent project, manufacturing galvanised steel components for cladding a building. All the steel parts were CNC punched and then folded on our Trumpf CNC punch presses and CNC press brakes. The parts were relatively simple and didn’t take us long to CNC program. Several of the smaller parts fitted nicely in the same sheet as the longer parts providing a good material utilisation.

All the sections fitted onto one pallet making shipping easy. Total job turnaround time was just over a week from receiving the order. This included purchasing materials, CNC programing, CNC punching and CNC bending. Customer was happy and collected the pallet in their own van.

This is typical of one of the simpler sheet metal projects we are asked to provide to our UK customers.

If you want to explore more sheet metal project ideas please take a look at our Pinterest Boards.

If you have a project you need manufacturing please don’t hesitate to contact us for a price estimate. Send over your drawings and we will be happy to help you. Whether it’s DXF, DWG, SAT, STEP or simply PDF we can read them and work with them.

Southampton Hampshire Sheet Metal Work manufacturing fabrication

Wednesday, January 19th, 2022

CNC punching with cut blanks

V and F Sheet Metal have been manufacturing sheet metal fabrications in the Southampton Hampshire area for over 35 years. Using a range of CNC laser cutting, CNC punching and CNC bending plant. All supported with the latest sheet metal CAD/CAM software. We are here to support you with your sheet metal requirements. Perhaps you need some advice on a material grade. The correct inserts to b pressed in to save time in assembly. Whether to spot weld, TiG weld or screw and product together. Laser cutting or CNC punching with custom tooling. All these questions and more are often asked and we are happy to help. Having produced sub-contract sheet metal work for over 35 years we have come across most of the problems people have.

If you are looking at developing a new design and think it maybe CNC punched then take a look at our standard tooling library. Select a hole that we have a tool for and it will save you money. Of course we can always look at laser cutting as well for complex internal cut outs and external profiles.

If you want to review hundreds of past sheet metal projects a great place to start is our Pinterest Boards.

Send your drawings into sales@vandf.co.uk and let us do the rest.

CNC punching sheet metal in November 2021 by V and F Sheet Metal

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021

CNC punching sheet metal

Punching sheet metal with a CNC punch press is a very versatile process. It can produce parts at great speed. Simple circular holes, rectangles, squares and special shapes. CNC punching can also be used to form sheet metal into shapes such as ventilation louvres, stand off dimples, plunge bosses etc. There are also options to tap threads and form simple small bends all in the same machine cycle on the punch press.

The example show here is a simple aluminium plate with a couple of CSK formed holes. The parts took 5 seconds each to produce including the formed CSK. These parts are typical of the work we often produce on our Trumpf CNC punch presses.

CNC punching sheet metal – CSK

With many years of tooling on the shelf we have the ability to tackle the majority of parts we make with no new tooling. This keeps the costs down for new projects. If your volumes are not huge then laser cutting can be an interesting alternative. As we have both CNC punching and laser cutting in house we can normally sort your parts without the need for new tooling.

For a lot more examples of CNC punching sheet metal take a look a tour Pinterest Boards.

We are always happy tp take a look at your drawings and produce price options for the most effective production method.

CNC punching sheet metal hinges in mild steel brackets

Wednesday, October 13th, 2021

CNC punching hinges

CNC punch presses have been used to produce sheet metal blanks for many decades now. Punching in holes at speed is their strength. Circles, squares, rectangles as well as special shapes are meat and drink for CNC punch presses. They are also a great tool when it comes to producing forms in the third dimension. Whether it’s down forming dimples, extrusions with tapped threads or stamping letters, number of symbols they are at home. Up forming ventilation louvres, small folds, earth tags and hinges.

Taking a walk around our workshop I saw these sheet metal hinges being formed on our Trumpf 200 CNC punch press. They show perfectly the flexible nature of manufacturing sheet metal components with a CNC punch press.

CNC punched mild steel hinges

Building in the male and female forms of the hinge to either side of a bracket is a neat design idea. It not only looks cleaner than welding / spot-welding but it’s a lot cheaper to produce.

Two tools are used to form the loop up and then form over I nth sheet. All the material around the hinge form is CNC punched out first and then in this case the complete set of parts were dropped down the machine’s part chute. This speeded up the removal of finished parts and removed the need to tag into the sheet.

Sheet metal hinges built into components

Sheet metal components with inbuilt hinges

With both our CNC punch presses and laser machine supported by Radan sheet metal CAD/CAM software we are able to pick the right method of manufacturing to suit your bespoke design.

To view other CNC punched projects it’s well worth having a look at gallery pages http://www.vandf.co.uk/gallery/

Alternatively we have hundreds of CNC punched projects on our Pinterest Boards.

Simply send us your drawings and we will be happy to produce quotes for your next project.

Custom sheet metal work near me using CNC production techniques

Tuesday, August 24th, 2021

Laser cutting mild steel brackets

You have designed a new component and you need it manufacturing. You want it made from sheet metal but are not sure which processes to select. Should it be laser cut, should it be CNC punched and how do you know what sort of folding will be needed? No problem, at V and F Sheet Metal we cover all the custom sheet metal work techniques. We can select the right production method to fit your custom design. The right method for your order volume and the materials you might be interested in.

Whether its thick gauges of steel or thin spring stainless. Copper sheet, light fitting reflector materials or brushed stainless steel we have the right CNC machines to cope. With custom sheet metal work it’s all about picking the right production technique to suit your design. Lots of complex shapes, connector cut outs or a detailed outer profile and we will probably go for laser cutting. A large number of simple shape holes such are circles or rectangles and its likely to be CNC punching.

cnc punching circular discs

Thicker materials tend to be laser cut. Custom sheet metal work needing forms such as ventilation louvres, pressed dimples, plunges sheet with tapped threads and you are definitely requiring CNC punch presses. Luckily we have both areas covered in house.

When it comes to folding custom sheet metal work we have a range of machines. We can fold sheet metal profiles up to 3M long and right down to just a few mm across. CNC press brake tooling investment over many years enables us to produce the vast majority of folded sheet metal work without the need for new tooling.

Bending sheet metal work

What should I do now?

For more custom sheet metal work examples please take a look at our Pinterest Boards for design ideas.

The most important thing for you to know is that whatever custom sheet metal work project you design you have a partner in V and F who can support you. Simply send us your drawings, 3D models, sketches and we will be happy to produce a range of quotes for you.

Bespoke sheet metal components manufacturers in the UK

Wednesday, August 18th, 2021

Bespoke sheet metal components

Bespoke sheet metal components manufacturers

V and F Sheet Metal having been producing bespoke sheet metal components since the 1980s. Now using a wide range on CNC manufacturing equipment. Laser cutting with a Trumpf 3KW fibre laser, perfect for very fast cutting of thin gauge ferrous and non-ferrous materials. It can also laser cut much thicker materials when needed.

CNC punching with 2 Trumpf punch presses. A wide range of standard and special tools collected over the years help to reduce tooling costs on new projects. Fast production of holes in standard sheet metal materials along with formed dimples, plunges, tapped thread features, electrical knock outs, you name it we can probably make it on these CNC punch presses.

All blanks are taken to our CNC press brakes when folding is needed. From small machines up to our 3M Safan e-Brake CNC press brake. Common CNC press brake tooling across the range adds flexibility when it comes to production and sampling bespoke sheet metal components.

For a much wider view of custom sheet metal components manufactured in the UK why not take a look at our Pinterest pages.

Using the latest CAD/CAM software to read 2D and 3D drawing we can quickly produce prices for your bespoke parts and the volumes that you need.

Mild Steel Brackets

Thursday, August 12th, 2021

Mild Steel Brackets

Mild steel brackets can be used in so many applications today. We have been manufacturing them since the 1980s. Using mild steel as well as other sheet metal materials from 0.7mm to 4mm thick. Whether it’s laser cutting or CNC punching and then CNC bending we have all the tools and experience to produce a wide range of brackets. Volumes can ranges from just a few for a special project or many thousands.

Here’s just a small range of recent sheet metal projects that we have produced needing mild steel brackets:

Securing LED displays in libraries
Fixings fibre optic lighting in a gallery
Mounting flood lighting around a castle
Clamping brackets to hold down pump sets
Lamp holder brackets in fibre optic lighting
19” rack mounting ears
Securing gear trays in street lighting
Children’s playground equipment
Fixing signage on golf courses
Mounting air curtains over shop door ways

I think you can see from the list above that we support many different industries when it comes to manufacturing mild steel brackets.

If you want to see some of the stages required to manufacture a humble sheet metal bracket we have a page worth reading.

For more examples of sheet metal brackets please take a look at our Pinterest Boards.

All the sheet metal brackets that we produce are bespoke to our customers designs. All you need to do is send us your drawings and we will do the rest. Drawings can be sketches but it helps to speed up the process if they can be in a CAD format. DXF, DWG, STEP and PDF are more than acceptable.

Give us a try today and we will be happy to quote for our next mild steel bracket project.

Aluminium plates manufactured from sheet metal by V and F Sheet Metal

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

Aluminium plates made to measure

Aluminium plates can come in so many different shapes, sizes and thicknesses. From tiny delicate components to 6mm thick support plates. These aluminium plates have been CNC punched from 5mm 5251 aluminium alloy. They were CNC punched on our Trumpf 200 and sent straight down machine chute into a collecting bin. No edge de-burring was needed on these parts. The final operation not yet seen at this stage is a single fold. The fold was carried out using one of our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes.

The aluminium plates are used to support aluminium walk way decking systems.

Batch sizes vary as well as the plate sizes. We produce a range of standard plates from 100 to 2000 off. Special projects are also manufactured with a wide range of sizes and volumes.

With the simplest of drawing or sketch from you we can quote and manufacture your plate design. Our team are always happy to help you out with design help. The right material selection and a range of prices for different volumes is not a problem for us. Again, if you need to investigate different plate finishes such as anodising, NCP iridite treatment or powder coating we can include that in the quote. Through a network of tried and tested supplies we can offer an aluminium plate manufacturing one stop shop.

Drawing formats include DXF, DWG, STEP and SAT files. If you don’t have a drawing, that’s not a problem as we will produce one from a simple sketch.

For more examples of laser cut and CNC punched alumiunium plates you really need to visit our Pinterest Boards.

Precision sheet metal brackets manufactured in the UK to your designs

Thursday, July 8th, 2021

Precision sheet metal brackets

When you are looking for a manufacturer of precision sheet metal brackets several factors come into play. Not just the manufacturing ability to physically make the brackets although this is clearly important. You may need support throughout the whole process. That support could take the form of design assistance. It could be multiple drops from a larger batch / kanban. It might be treatment and finishes for the complete one stop shop. If we can help you we will.

As far as the production of precision sheet metal brackets is concerned we have all the right equipment. Whether it’s laser cutting mild steel sheet metal as shown in the photo here. CNC punching aluminium with a wide range on standard CNC punch press tooling. Folding complex shapes using a range of CNC press brakes. Again, with a large selection of bend tooling to produce most parts without the need for special tooling. All aimed at keeping the cost down on new sheet metal projects.

If you want precision sheet metal brackets another important factory is communication. When you are selecting a new sub-contract sheet metal worker you need to be sure than can read your drawings. We have the ability to open DXF, DWG, STEP and SAT CAD files. Obviously we can also read PDF files if you prefer that format. Sketches and samples can also be used as a starting point for manufacturing.

Ask us for a quote today and we will be happy to help you.

Custom sheet metal workers manufacturing in the UK

Thursday, April 8th, 2021

Custom sheet metal work

Custom sheet metal work can encompass so many different products. From the smallest clip just a few mm across to folded sections up to 3M long. As we deal with approximately 75 different customers every month custom sheet metal really does include many different parts. We would normally say that thinner gauges best suit us when we are manufacturing sheet metal components. Traditionally we have worked up to 3mm thick sheet in ferrous and non-ferrous materials. With a laser cutter we can go thicker than that and work up to 6mm on occasions. It really depends on the size of the component and the tolerances required by the customer.

So, let’s take a look at these custom sheet metal projects in more detail. The only thing these parts have in common is that they were all being manufactured in April 2021. In fact I saw them all on the same day as I walked around our factory. I never tire of seeing sheet metal components being manufactured no matter what the batch size of design. It’s always a good starting point for a sheet metal blog post.

Custom sheet metal work

We have here parts that have both been created by laser cutting and CNC punching. Both services are offered in house and supported by Trumpf service engineers and Radan CAD/CAM software. If a customer had no particular preference for laser cutting or CNC punching we will select the best method to suit the custom part.

It may be that the custom sheet metal part really suits laser cutting, perhaps it has a complex outer profile or a unique cut out shape. New tooling isn’t always practical if there are only small volumes. In that case the way to go is certainly laser cutting. The thickness of the part may also decide which way to go. When parts have added features such as formed dimples, tapped threads or ventilation louvres then it’s obviously going to be CNC punching. We will often produce a quote both ways to see which comes out the cheapest. The advantage for you is that we can take the best path to cheap parts without compromising the quality of the parts.

Custom sheet metal work

For examples of other customer sheet metal work produced by us over the years take a look at our Pinterest Boards.

The parts I have chosen to illustrate here just happen to be made from mild steel, galvanised steel and stainless steel. They could just as well have been brass, copper or aluminium. They have all been folded up on one of our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. Having a number of CNC press brakes to call upon enables us to be flexible when it comes to dealing with urgent jobs.

So when I say custom sheet metal work cab be varied I really mean every part is different. That’s the challenge of sub-contract sheet metal work. Every customer has their own ideas and we are here to support them where we can. If you have a custom sheet metal job and need some advice on manufacturing or price options for different volumes, give us a call. Better still, if you have drawings e-mail us at sales@vandf.co.uk and our team will be happy to help you.

Sheet metal bracket design ideas to help you save you money

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2021

Sheet metal bracket design

Sheet metal bracket design ideas can be many and varied. From using different materials and surface treatments to material thicknesses and profiles. The brackets shown here were manufactured from mild steel (zinc plated) and mill finish aluminium. They could just as easily have been produced from galvanised steel or stainless steel. Like all sheet metal manufacturing we have the flexibility to produce a wide range of part designs without the need for specific tooling.

Sheet metal brackets designed with inserted threads are ideal for saving time in assembly. Whether its bushes, stand-offs or studs we have huge stocks of parts and all the tooling needed to insert them. CNC bending brackets is easy when you have decades of experience and the right tooling for the job.

Sheet metal bracket design

Laser cutting and CNC punching both perfectly suit the manufacture of sheet metal bracket blanks. Using Radan CAD/CAM software to develop reliable 3D models, developed blanks and complete tooled nests we are able to turn your ideas into reality.

A great place to review an in depth study of the stages we might go through in CNC programming sheet metal brackets can be seen at http://www.vandf.co.uk/software/sheet-metal-fabricated-bracket/

For many more examples of sheet metal bracket designs you can always take a look at our Pinterest Boards.

If you already have a bracket design ready for quoting / manufacture please send us a drawing and our team will be happy to take a look for you.

CNC punching sheet metal products in the UK ask us for a quote

Monday, February 15th, 2021

CNC punching sheet metal products

CNC punching sheet metal products from a wide range of materials is a common practice for V and F Sheet Metal. We have the tooling to cope with products from 0.5mm thick aluminium electronics panels, 0.7mm Zintec brackets, 1mm mild steel trays, 1.5mm stainless steel housings, 2.0mm copper electrical connectors, 3mm galvanised steel clamping brackets and up to 5mm aluminium spreader plates. Having 2 Trumpf CNC punch presses using common tooling allows us to be very flexible when it comes to production. Jobs can be swapped around to suit customer requirements. If a machine is being serviced work can be swapped to another to keep production going.

CNC punching sheet metal products

We have the same ethos when it comes to CNC bending with 4 machines sharing the same tooling. This allows us to run a large batch of parts across several machines at once if needed.
Although our Trumpf fibre laser cutter can be used to produce more complex profiles the CNC punch presses have other strengths. When it comes to producing sheet metal products with forms such as dimples, plunged and tapped threads, ventilations louvres, earth tags, formed CSKs etc there are no better machines in our opinion. To get a better picture of the standard tooling we have that you can use on your sheet metal designs just take a look at our tooling libraries.

Having been CNC punching sheet metal products for over 30 years we have a wide range of examples to see on our website and Pinterest Boards. They are a great place to start when looking for ideas for a new project.

If you already have a good idea what you want and need no help simply send us your drawings (sales@vandf.co.uk) and our engineering team will be happy to help. We can produce a range of price options to suit your needs.

Sheet metal laser cutting and cnc punching program nests

Thursday, January 14th, 2021

Laser cutting program nest

When it comes to creating sheet metal laser cutting and CNC punching program nests there’s only one choice for us. Radan have been supporting the sheet metal industry for decades and we have over 20 years’ experience using their software. Supporting us with 3D modelling, 2D drafting and CAD/CAM translations they are the go to people in the sheet metal industry.

We use the software to produce our own 3D models when our customers cannot supply a STEP file. We can also turn 3D data into production drawings to aid bending and welding. But the real strength is the CAM side where we use the software to drive our CNC laser cutting and CNC punching machines.

CNC punching program nest

Once individual parts have been developed as flat profiles with the correct bend allowances we move onto nesting. The images here are typical of sheet metal laser cutting and punching nests. It’s easy for us to use the software to automatically fit parts to the sheet. If we have off cuts it’s also not a problem. As you can see in the red image various parts can be nested together if needed.

For more examples of sheet metal laser cutting and CNC punching projects please take a look at our Pinterest Boards.

This ease of nesting is great when it comes to produce a price for a job. We can play around with different options and sheet sizes to get the most efficient program and hence the best price for our customers. Ask us for a quote and we will be happy to help. Do you need some engineering advice? We can guide you on material selection and design details.

Please give us a call or send your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will get working for you.

Sheet metal manufacturing near me

Tuesday, December 8th, 2020

If you are looking for sheet metal manufacturing near you perhaps you should be talking to V and F Sheet Metal. Based in the south of England and with well over 30 years experience in manufacturing sheet metal work for people right across the UK. We ship product locally and far afield. Please take a look at our website pages to see the wide range of parts we manufacture and all to our customers own designs.

CNC punched galvanised brackets

The images shown here illustrate the stages of CNC punching and CNC bending a sheet metal bracket. You can see that once a single component has been tooled it can easily be copied over a whole sheet. This enables us to achieve a high yield from any given sheet size.

Sheet metal component manufacturing

This is a good example of CNC punching a part with a range of simple off the shelf tooling. A small range of circles, rectangles and a single D were used to create the component profile and holes. If you want to view the wide range of CNC punch press tooling that we have for you to use for free, take a look at our tooling library. For more examples of CNC punching it’s well worth a look at our Pinterest Boards. There is also a collection of past manufacturing projects illustrated in our gallery pages with hundreds of ideas for your nest sheet metal design. Feel free to take a look and call us if there is something that catches your eye. We can often adapt tooling and ideas to suit different products.

Sheet metal CNC punched nests

The scrap sheets known as “skeletons” are collected up and recycled along with all the metal that comes from the holes. Metal is grouped together by grade e.g. stainless steel, aluminium, mild steel and kept separate. This metal is then sent for melting down to remake fresh metal sheet. This process is very green with very little waste. Even components that are used to help set up manufacturing processes and then scrapped can be included and recycled.

CNC bent sheet metal brackets

And finally the folded bracket is ready to be shipped to the customer. This small galvanised steel bracket is typical of the sheet metal work that we produce every day of the week. If you have a sheet metal project that needs manufacturing please give us a call or e-mail us your drawings and we will be happy to take a look for you.

So for sheet metal manufacturing near you please ask for details.

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

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.

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.

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. Laser cutting, CNC punching, CNC bending and a host of other sheet metal manufacturing processes.

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 the right manufacturing techniques, materials types, gauge thickness and cosmetic or protective 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 in 2D or 3D formats. and leave the rest to us. We are happy to comment on any design issues you may be having, provide you with quote options and lead times.

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 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

CNC punching galvanised mild steel sheet metal panels

Thursday, August 29th, 2019

cnc punching galvanised mild steel sheet metal panels

Here we are again looking at CNC punching. This time it’s galvanised mild steel sheet metal panels. These relatively simple panels have been CNC punched out of 2M x 1M sheets of 0.9mm galvanised mild steel. With the programs using standard CNC punch press tooling there was no extra tooling cost for our customer. The job was set up in 15 minutes on the punch press with parts being ready for de-burring within 30 minutes.
If you look below you will see the nest in more details as programmed using our Radan 2019 software. Common line cutting and multiple orientations have been used to save time and money on materials.

cnc punching galvanised mild steel sheet metal panels

Here’s a nice a example of the ability of a Trumpf CNC punch press to produce parts is multiple orientations on the same sheet. With a single head that rotates through 360 degrees all tools are free to be postioned in any angle required by the program. This allows us to produce the best fit on the sheet, saving money on materials and the amount of tool changes. Often it’s a collection of small advantages that add up to a cost saving when we are producing prices for work.

cnc punching galvanised mild steel sheet metal panels

If we zoom right in we can see how the corner notches have been created using several standard rectangular tools, There is also a threaded hole produce on the CNC punch press. Being only a thin gauge we have pierced and plunged the hole first to form a thicker piece of material to enable the mils steel sheet metal panels to have stronger threads.

Have a sheet metal project that is going to need mild steel panels? Give us a call or send us your drawings and we will be happy to help you.

CNC punching sheet metal work UK during 2019

Thursday, August 15th, 2019

Trumpf 200 CNC punch

We have been CNC punching sheet metal work in the UK for over 25 years. From an initial investment in 10 station CNC punch presses we have built up to the single station Trumpf format machines. Using the latest Radan CAD/CAM sheet metal programming software we cover huge range of components. Most of our work is for UK companies and uses our standard off the shelf CNC punch press tooling.

Having produced countless 10s thousands of different sheet metal components over the years we have seen it all. Bringing together all that experience enables us to assist our customers with their designs, enabling them to use our standard CNC punch press tooling to save money on small batch work. Perhaps guiding customers with their choice of materials and gauges to ensure their design is based on commercially available materials.

CNC punched plastic coated steel

Where it is better to laser cut the parts rather than CNC punch we have that covered as well. Having the combination of CNC punching and laser cutting in house is ideal when quick samples are needed before looking at running higher volumes. We can even produce hybrid parts that maybe laser cut and then have features formed in our CNC punch presses such as dimples or ventilation louvres. For hundreds of examples of CNC punching sheet metal work UK take a look at our Pinterest Boards. We are always adding new examples of sheet metal projects and they are a good source of design ideas for new and when reviewing sheet metal design.

CNC punched heater grilles

If you are looking for CNC punching sheet metal work UK then you really need to be talking to V and F Sheet Metal. With so much experience, tooling, programming ideas etc. we are here to help you. Contact us on 01489 577786 or if you prefer send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk in DXF, DWG, STEP, SAT or IGES formats.

Light fitting gear trays CNC punched from 0.7mm zintec sheet metal

Monday, August 12th, 2019

Light fitting gear trays can be made in many ways and from a wide range of materials

CNC punched light fitting gear trays

We have manufactured these components from 0.7mm thick zintec sheet metal. It is a great base for powder coating and is a step up from just using plain mild steel. These lighting fitting gear trays have been CNC punched on our Trumpf 200 CNC punch press. With so many holes and dimples this was the way to go rather than laser cutting. Having the ability to use both production methods in house helps us to select the right method for our customers.

Sheet metal circular light gear trays

These components show off the skills needed to produce sheet metal components without any bespoke tooling. Using our standard CNC punch tooling and some rather clever CNC programming the parts were tested in no time for the customers approval. Production was up and running in days. With a batch of over 1000 plates and 2 different styles it was idea for our team.

Jobs like this years ago would have had to be have been made with hard press tools. A much more expensive and time consuming task. Now it’s no problem to take a customers CAD file, clean them up, play around with sheet options, run a few samples and then into production. If changes are then needed it’s simply a program change and off again. We produce so many components like this for a number of industries either CNC punched or laser cut.

Contact us with your project details and we will do the rest for you. Produce you quote options, samples if needed and then production volumes.

CNC punching in Hampshire Sheet Metal Work 2019

Monday, July 29th, 2019

Brackets in production

Looking for a supplier of CNC punching in Hampshire, UK?

V and F Sheet Metal have been CNC punching sheet metal work for 30 years and have a vast range of experience. Whether it’s CNC punching 0.4mm reflector aluminium, 0.9mm zintec, 2.0mm stainless steel, 3.0mm mild steel or 5mm aluminium we are here to help you. You name the material and we have probably worked with it before. With a wide range of Trumpf CNC punch press tooling we can produce the majority of people’s designs without the need for new tooling.

Perhaps you only have a sample part you want to replicate from a previous design. We can take that part, 3D model it and create a dimensioned drawing if that helps you to fully understand your design. With price options for different volumes, material grades and sub-contract finishes we will be able to offer you something that suits your budget.

Using Radan 2019 CAD/CAM software we can quickly investigate the most efficient use of materials and the quickest cutting program to reduce tool changes and CNC punching time.

Take a look at our CNC punch press tooling tables to see what’s available to you when designing your nest sheet metal product. Most shapes and sizes of tooling are available from stock with no added costs to yourself. If however you want a shape that is not possible with standard CNC punch press tooling we can always look at bespoke tooling for you. Alternatively we can explore laser cutting if needed to solve that tricky design issue.

Alternatively, take a look at our Sheet Metal CNC Punching Pinterest Board for hundreds of examples of past sheet metal projects produced on our Trumpf CNC punch presses.

So if you want to purchase CNC punching in Hampshire ask the people who have been producing sheet metal work since the 1980s.

All we want to do is help you find the most efficient design and manufacturing method to suit you. Contact us with your ideas at 01489 577786 or simple e-mail us on sales@vandf.co.uk

CNC punching sheet metal in the UK during 2019

Monday, July 15th, 2019

Trumpf 200 CNC punch press producing zintec sheet metal blanks

We have been CNC punching sheet metal in the UK for over 25 years. From an initial investment in 10 station CNC punch presses we have built up to the single station Trumpf format machines. Using the latest Radan CAD/CAM sheet metal programming software we cover huge range of components. Most of our work is for UK companies and uses our standard off the shelf CNC punch press tooling.

Sheet metal circular light gear trays

For more examples of CNC punching in the UK take a look at our Pinterest boards.

CNC punched nest

If you are looking for CNC punching sheet metal in the UK then you really need to be talking to V and F Sheet Metal. With so much experience, tooling, programming ideas etc. we are here to help you. Contact us on 01489 577786 or if you prefer send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk in DXF, DWG, STEP, SAT or IGES formats.

CNC punching circular discs with radius banana tooling

Tuesday, June 11th, 2019

CNC punching circular discs with radius banana tooling is a practical alternative to laser cutting.

cnc punching circular discs

If you want to produce a perfect even smooth circle laser cutting is king. If however you want to produce a good circle in sheet metal and your component has features other than holes then perhaps CNC punching is a solution. You may have a circular chassis with tapped threads or ventilation louvres. Perhaps a circular disc with formed dimples is needed and again CNC punching with banana tooling is a perfect method of production.

cnc punching circular discs

There is another useful tip we have found and that’s although we would buy a banana tool with a given cutting radius it can be used for a range of circle sizes. Both circles smaller and larger can be cut with acceptable edge finish. If for instance you have a circular gear tray that needs to fit into a plastic moulding, it may be that the gear tray is not seen buy the final user of the product. You can then allow for an edge that is not perfect but still functional. This enables us to produce a wide range of CNC punched circles with a small range of tools. If also means that we can often quote for new work without the need for new tooling costs.

To see a range of our Trumpf CNC punch press banana tooling take a look at this link.

When CNC punching circular discs we can tag them in if needed. They can then simple be broken out at the end of the manufacturing cycle. We can however completely free the component from the sheet and allow it to fall through a chute in the machine. You can see this in action if you view the video show here.

Fast Tube by Casper

Not sure if this is for you? Call us and we will be able to chat through your project. We can easily take your drawing and run it through our CNC programming software. We can then offer you the best solution and show you the edge profile you would receive.

Call us on 01489 577786 for more details.

Aluminium electronics chassis panels manufactured in the UK

Friday, June 7th, 2019

Aluminium electronics chassis

Aluminium electronics chassis panels CNC punched and CNC folded. Manufactured in house by our engineering team in the UK. You design it and we will make it. From the simplest flat panel with just a few holes. Right up to complex welded chassis assemblies for housings electronics components.

Having over 30 years experience in manufacturing sheet metal work for the UK electronics industry we are here to assist you. With many standard tools for CNC punching and CNC bending on the shelf and ready to go. Using the latest sheet metal CAD/CAM software (Radan 2019). We can effortlessly communicate with your design team and guide them to produce the best parts for manufacturing.

Aluminium electronics chassis panels from from connector plates right up to 3M long display panels. All produced in house and with powder coating, iridite NCP or anodising treatment where necessary through our network of long established suppliers.

Whether your designs need CNC punching or laser cutting or a combination we are here to help. We have experience in combining both manufacturing methods where needed to produce the perfect panel.

Simply send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will do the rest. Check your options, produce price options and manufacture without any fuss.

Folded sheet metal chassis panels manufactured in the UK

Thursday, May 23rd, 2019

Folded sheet metal chassis panels

Sheet metal chassis panels come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Perhaps simple flat plates such as 19” rack mounted front panels. Sometimes they will have folds to create a shallow tray. Others may have welded features or are made up from several separate parts.

The panels shown here have been folded up and have a series of threaded mild steel zinc plated studs inserted. These are quite typical of the sheet metal chassis panels we often produce for our UK based customers. With such a wide range of material options, different gauges, finishes and designs no two panels are ever alike. These have been CNC punched and CNC bent up from 1.2mm 5251 aluminium alloy.

They were manufactured in a batch of 100 parts. This volume perfectly suits our manufacturing facilities although we will produce small volumes right up to many thousands when required. For us it’s all about offering a service that can cope with a growing customers needs, “large oaks from small acorns”. We have seen so many customers grow from just a few test pieces to full production runs and it’s great to be a part of that success story.

With so many years experience we always have a solution to your sheet metal problems.

Call us on 01489 577786 to have a chat with our engineering team or e-mail sales@vandf.co.uk with your drawings.

Brackets manufactured in the UK to your designs

Tuesday, April 16th, 2019

Brackets manufactured in the UK

Whether you are looking for a few special sheet metal brackets to complete a special installation or repeating batches of brackets for higher volume production we are here to help you. We have over many years produced thousands of different brackets for our customers in the UK. Using a wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous material ranging from 0.3mm right up to 10.0mm thick we can cover all your needs.

Brackets manufactured in the UK

Using our CNC punch presses and fibre laser cutting machine to find the best production methods for producing the bracket blanks. Depending on the materials and the gauge as well as the details we will know which way to go and the most cost effective process to suit your needs.

Having a large library of standard CNC punch tooling helps us to keep your costs down, especially if you only have a small order. It’s the same with CNC bending. We have a wide range of CNC press brake tooling which will enable us to fold a wide range of shapes, angles, safe edges and bespoke forms.

For lots of past projects of brackets manufactured in the UK take a look at our Pinterest Board.

Brackets manufactured in the UK

Our customers come back again and again for production but also for advice. Whether it’s manufacturing advice to solve a tricky design problem or perhaps advice when selecting the correct materials. Often a simple phone call is enough to save a lot of money when it comes to production. We are always happy to help and enjoy being part of our customers design team.

Give us a call and we will be happy to help. Alternatively if you wish send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will sort out a quote.

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