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    • FAQ – Sheet Metal Work
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    • What is sheet metal work
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  • Plant List
    • Corner Notcher and Notching
    • Cleaning Equipment
    • Edwards Pearson PR3
    • Fly Presses and press work
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    • Haeger Bush / Stud Inserter
    • High speed sawing aluminium
    • Laser Cutting Sheet Metal Work
    • Power Press and press work
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    • Safan e-brake CNC bending
    • Safan Guillotine and Cutting
    • Sawing angle, tube and bar
    • Spot Welding sheet metal
    • Stud Welding Sheet Metal
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    • Trumpf 7036 – CNC bending
    • Welding Fabrication Processes
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    • P4W Production Software
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    • What is laser cutting?
    • Trumpf standard 2D tooling
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    • What is CNC Bending?
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    • CNC Bend Table – Z Bend
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    • Bend Table – Small Joggles
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    • Sheet Metal Punching Rules
    • Sheet Metal Thickness
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Sheet metal bracket design ideas to help you save you money

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2021

Sheet metal bracket design

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

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.

Laser cutting sheet metal fabrications in Hampshire UK 2021

Thursday, February 11th, 2021

laser cutting sheet metal fabrications

laser cutting sheet metal fabrications

I’ve just been taking a look around our sheet metal fabrication factory again today and spotted these stainless steel plates. Laser cutting sheet metal fabrications is something we do very well on light gauge sheet metal. These stainless steel plates are on the upper end of the material thickness we normally laser cut. 6mm 304 stainless steel laser cuts brilliantly with pure nitrogen as the assist gas. Often parts like these would not need to be de-burred in any way after cutting. The finish from laser cutting is often good enough straight from the machine for the finished part. In this case the parts are being used to construct a roof hinge mechanism for a campervan. All the edges needed to be de-burred well to eliminate the chances of the customers cutting their fingers.

Laser cutting stainless steel

Laser cutting stainless steel

The batch of stainless steel parts were cut from 2M x 1M sheets and off cuts from previous orders. The ability to easily tune CNC programs to use up any remnants we have in stock saves money and reduces material scrap. We can either reprogram the parts using our Radan CAD/CAM software in the design office or by the machine setter on the Trumpf laser cutter.

The complexity of a part profile (within limits) is no problem when laser cutting sheet metal fabrications. If you can draw it we can laser cut it. Simple send us a drawing and we will be happy to try out the part, produce a quote with your price options and any other operations you might need. Please send your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will do the rest for you.

Sheet metal laser cutting and cnc punching program nests

Thursday, January 14th, 2021

Sheet Metal Laser cutting program nest

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

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.

CNC bending sheet metal work in the UK during 2020

Tuesday, July 28th, 2020

Brackets manufactured in the UK

Brackets manufactured in the UK

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

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

cnc bending sheet metal work

sub-contract sheet metal work

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

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

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

Brackets manufactured in the UK direct to your own designs

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020

Brackets manufactured in the UK

Brackets manufactured in the UK

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

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

Brackets manufactured in the UK

Brackets manufactured in the UK

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

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

Folded stainless steel sheet metal housings manufactured in the UK

Thursday, July 16th, 2020

Folded stainless steel sheet metal housings manufactured in the UK

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

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

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

Mild steel support brackets

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

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

Aluminium angle brackets

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 projects

Sheet metal angle brackets

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

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

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

Stainless steel sheet metal housings manufactured in the UK

Monday, November 25th, 2019

Stainless steel sheet metal housings

Laser cut blanks nest

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

Laser cutting stainless steel in detail

Laser cutting stainless steel in detail

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

Finished laser cut housing blanks

Finished laser cut housing blanks

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

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

Laser cutting thin gauge sheet metal brackets in the UK

Monday, November 4th, 2019

Laser cutting thin gauge sheet metal

Laser cutting in progress.

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

Parts removed for inspection

Parts removed for inspection

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

Full sheet of laser cut brackets

Full sheet of laser cut brackets

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

Laser cut brackets in detail

Laser cut brackets in detail

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

Laser cut scrap nests

Laser cut scrap nests

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

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

Laser cutting stainless steel sheet metal in the UK

Wednesday, September 11th, 2019

Laser cutting stainless steel nests

Laser cutting stainless steel nests

Laser cutting stainless steel sheet metal whether it’s coated or plain is no problem when you have a Trumpf 3030 fibre laser machine. Plain stainless steel laser cuts beautifully with a clean edge and very little burring. Thin gauges can simply be cut with compressed air and thicker gauges with pure nitrogen. When laser cutting stainless steel with a protective peelable plastic film a slightly different technique is needed. The laser cutter is programmed to mark out the profile to cut at a low power to fuse the plastic to the top surface of the stainless steel. This happens at speed and is automatically programmed at the machine if needed. The profile is then cut again fully using pure nitrogen to cut out the parts with the plastic film in place. This process enables the laser to cut the parts out without forming a gas bubble under the plastic film.

Laser cutting stainless steel panels

Laser cutting stainless steel panels

Any grade of stainless steel can be laser cut although our customers seem tend to favour 316 for top quality parts needing the best corrosion resistance. 304 is the most popular grade giving a good balance between performance and cost with 430 being the cheapest.

As far as gauges are concerned we have been laser cutting stainless steel form 0.3mm thick to 6mm thick. Our Trumpf 3030 fibre laser is capable of cutting much thicker than this but it’s not required for our customer base.

These images show rather nicely the advantages of laser cutting a range of parts from the same sheet of metal. The parts were all used to build an assembly as part of a display stand. With all the parts being from the same material and thickness our Radan CNC programming software could easily find the best fit for all the parts saving money on material.

Laser cutting stainless steel

Laser cutting stainless steel

So what do you do next?

Well if you have a sheet metal project and you want it laser cut we will be happy to produce some prices for you. Or perhaps you need some help with a design or selecting the right materials, again we can advise you. With over 30 years of experience in sheet metal work we have a solution for all your design problems.

Call us on 01489 577786 if you want to chat through your ideas.

Send us your drawing data to sales@vandf.co.uk if you like and we will take a look for you.

If you want to see past laser cutting projects our Pinterest Boards are well worth a view.

Laser cutting mild steel components using a Trumpf fibre laser cutter

Monday, August 5th, 2019

Laser cutting mild steel components is the perfect process for manufacturing batches of sheet metal work.

3D software image of a sheet metal bracket

3D Model of a mild steel bracket generated in Radan CAD/CAM sheet metal software

Nearly all our sheet metal work that has folds starts with a 3D model. It could be one supplied by our customers in a STEP / SAT or IGES format. This is great as it saves time not only when programming to manufacture the components order but also when initially preparing quotations. If our customer doesn’t have a 3D model or one that we can open then we will generate the 3D model ourselves. By using our Radan CAD/CAM software we can produce a 3D model and link it to the correct material databases to aid the calculation of cut sizes and tooling for laser cutting or CNC punching.

The process can go the other way with us creating a 3D model and providing our customers with images or DXF files if the need them.

laser cutting mild steel components

Image of a laser cutting nest of components showing efficient use of material

Once the 3D model has been created and unfolded the individual parts can be “nested” together to produce the best sheet utilisation possible. The Radan software calculates this with one click of a mouse and in seconds. We can then experiment with the orientation of the components on the sheet as well mixing several different parts together to reduce material wastage. That said, the vast majority of the time the software gets it right and cannot be beaten by human intervention.

As well as creating an efficient nest of parts the software also enables us to produce a CNC program which drives the laser cutter to produce the components with the shortest cutting path.

Laser cutting path simulation

Laser cutting path simulation generated within the Radan software

Along with the automated best path we can intervene to cut parts in a certain order or tag certain parts in place or allows others to fall through the machine bed and then collected by a conveyor belt system. This ability to tune the program to suit the component size, material and profile makes this software very powerful, we wouldn’t be without it. This is especially useful when laser cutting a range of different parts from the same sheet of metal. The laser machine operator can also take an active role when using off-cuts of materials on the shop floor. The operator can select a piece of material and then take parts from a programmed nest and make them fit the material without the need to involve the office. This speeds up the production of samples and trial components on the shop floor for new projects.

Trumpf fibre laser cutter pallet changer

Mild steel sheet on the pallet changer waiting to be laser cut

The components discussed here were laser cut from 2M x 1M sheets of mild steel 2mm thick. They were loaded onto the automatic pallet changer system as shown in the photograph. This system allows a sheet of parts to be laser cut while a sheet is waiting to be loaded. Once that sheet is finished it’s automatically switched over enabling the operator to remove parts while the next sheet is being laser cut. This simple system enables us to maintain a high laser cutting rate which saves time and cost prices.

If you look carefully you can see our Trumpf 200 and Trumpf 3000 CNC punch presses in the back ground of the photo. Acting together with our Trumpf 3030 fibre laser they make a great team and allow us to take on a wide variety of sheet metal work.

laser cutting in action

Laser cutting 2mm mild steel – sparks generated from piercing holes

So now we are at the point of laser cutting mild steel components. You can see a sheet full of cut components and the fibre laser machine right in the process of laser cutting through the 2mm mild steel sheet. The sparks are instantaneous and are normally associated with the point of piercing through the material. Once through the laser can cut a hole or edge profile very cleanly. These parts were cut with pure nitrogen gas producing a very clean edge. The final parts needed no further cleaning up before they were powder coated.

Finished laser cut nest

Laser cut nest of mild steel components waiting to be removed from the parent metal sheet

If you click on the photos here you will see in detail just how cleanly the components have been laser cut. Virtually no distortion, burnt edges and no burring. Processing materials as cleanly as this saves us a lot of time in post op finishing and improves the consistency of components throughout a batch. You can also see just how thin the laser cut line is, well under 0.5mm thick. You also see how well the parts have been nested together to reduce material waste.

Clean cut from a fibre laser cutter

Clean cut from a fibre laser cutter using pure nitrogen gas

Laser cutting mild steel components such as these really shows how easy it is to produce components with a smooth clean finish and simply get the best from a sheet of metal. This is important when working with 2mm mild steel but even more so when cutting expensive materials like aluminium, stainless steel, copper or brass. All materials that are easily processed with a fibre laser cutter.

Laser cutting scrap skeletons

Laser cutting scrap skeletons waiting to be recycled

Once all the laser cut components have been lifted away from the parent sheet the material that is left is called the skeleton. This residual sheet material can easily be lifted from the bed of the machine and folded up. The material is then kept with other off-cuts of the same grade and then recycled. All the waste sheet metal materials used by us to produce our customer orders is recycled, nothing is wasted.

Final laser cut mild steel components

Final laser cut mild steel components waiting to be folded

The final components are simply checked, stacked and then are ready for CNC bending. Components like these are easy for us to produce and are very much part of our everyday production plan.

If you have laser cutting mild steel components already drawn up please send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will be happy to produce a price for you and get you started.

For more specifics on laser cutting mild steel components or any other materials please read our web page “what is CNC laser cutting?“

Aluminium electronics chassis panels manufactured in the UK

Friday, June 7th, 2019

Aluminium electronics chassis panels

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.

Laser cut decorative screens produced to your own designs

Thursday, May 30th, 2019

Laser cut decorative screens

Laser cut decorative screens

If you are looking for complex shapes cut from sheet metal then you have to think laser cutting. With the ability to laser cut around shapes without the need for tooling you can concentrate on your designs without the constriction of thinking of tooling.

Whether the shapes are internal windows or external profiles laser cutting is certainly the way to go. Decorative screens such as these shown here can only really be manufactured by laser cutting when there may only be small volumes. Luckily we have a Trumpf 3030 3KW fibre laser which is more than capable for jobs like this.

If you can draw it there’s a good chance we can laser cut it for you.

The ability to take our customer’s drawings and lay them out to get the best from any standard sheet of metal. To fine tune details to suit the manufacturing process and feedback problems before starting the manufacturing process.

Not sure if your design can be laser cut? Simply send us your designs (sales@vandf.co.uk) and we will run them through our software and send you back an image of the nest of parts for you to check.

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

Laser cutting sheet metal work in Great Britain 2019

Thursday, May 16th, 2019

Metal work in Great Britain produced by laser cutting

Laser cutting sheet metal work in 2019

Laser cutting sheet metal work in 2019

Now this is a perfect example of getting the best out of a sheet of metal. Click on the red image of the 6 metal parts from the CNC program and you will so no waste material. Using the complete sheet wherever possible helps to minimise material waste and reduce components prices. We have been producing sheet metal work in Great Britain for over 30 years and using a laser cutter is just the latest manufacturing development.

Laser cutting sheet metal work in Great Britain 2019

Laser cutting sheet metal work in 2019

Laser cutting Zintec (a zinc coated mild steel) sheet metal material is ideal on our Trumpf laser cutter. The laser cutting process is very quick on a component like this. It has very few holes so the laser can cut around the straight outer and inner profiles very quickly.

Laser cutting sheet metal work in 2019

Laser cutting sheet metal work in 2019

With an automatic change over pallet the Trumpf fibre laser machine can be kept continually running. This is great when we have a large order or that panic job that comes along from time to time.

Whether we are looking at 0.7mm Zintec, 1.5mm mild steel, 2.5mm aluminium or 6mm stainless steel we can cope with it. Most components when laser cut have very little or no need to have edge de-burring. Not only does this obviously save money but time and energy as well.

So you have a laser cutting job and need a price? It’s easy, all you have to do is send us a drawing. We will happily work through the options you want, volumes, materials and then produce you a range of prices. You can send them to sales@vandf.co.uk or call us on 01486 577786 and have a chat through your ideas if you like.

Laser cutting stainless steel sheet metal UK

Monday, April 29th, 2019

laser cutting stainless steel sheet metal uk

laser cutting stainless steel sheet metal uk

All our sheet metal components that are either CNC punched or laser cut are programmed off-line. This basically means all the instructions needed for laser cutting stainless steel parts are ready for the machine operator when needed for cutting. A few simple alterations can be made at the laser machine but the part details and the part layout (nest) is set off-line. We use Radan CAD/CAM programming software to control this aspect of the manufacturing. The algorithms within the Radan software instantly find the best fit from any given sheet and the quickest path for the laser head to cut all the internal cut-outs and the outer profile.

laser cutting stainless steel sheet metal uk

laser cutting stainless steel sheet metal uk

When laser cutting stainless steel with a protective plastic coating we have to carry out a vapour laser cutting operation first. This is a quick process with the laser cutter running around the profiles of the holes and profile at low power fusing the plastic film to the stainless steel substrate. This then allows the laser to switch to full power and cut through the stainless steel without the nitrogen cutting assist gas blowing bubbles in the plastic.

laser cutting stainless steel sheet metal uk

laser cutting stainless steel sheet metal uk

Once the laser cutting program has been created. A single part checked out for size and edge quality. There is only the the batch to run and with a 3KW Trumpf fibre laser that is very quick. With an automatic pallet changer we can be laser cutting stainless steel parts while removing the previous nest of parts. This enables us to keep the machine running more of the time saving time and money.

You can now see how easy it is for us to laser cut stainless steel parts to suit our customers designs.

For more information on laser cutting take a look at this page.

Simple send us a drawing or two and we will be happy to take a look and produce you an estimate for supplying materials and manufacturing. Either a direct e-mail to sales@vandf.co.uk or use our contact form on the website.

Brackets manufactured in the UK to your designs

Tuesday, April 16th, 2019

Brackets manufactured in the UK

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

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

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.

Manufacturer of sheet metal stainless steel brackets

Wednesday, April 10th, 2019

Manufacturer of small sheet metal stainless steel brackets produced in the UK

stainless steel brackets

stainless steel brackets

We have been manufacturing small stainless steel brackets for over 30 years. All the thousands of different types of brackets have been made to our customer’s designs. Whether it’s laser cutting or CNC punching we will produce sheet metal blanks to suit any shape or size that you need.

With 7 CNC press brakes ranging from 600mm right up to 3M long all sorts of brackets can be cater for. You only have to look at the vast range of past projects featured on our website to realise you have come to the right place for your sheet metal work. With a wide range of customers in Lighting, Heating, Audio and Electronics industries in the UK there’s not much we haven’t come across before.

stainless steel brackets

stainless steel brackets

So you have a sheet metal bracket that you are going to need in your next project. Simply send us your drawings or call us up on 01489 577786 and we will be happy to help you. It might be that we only have to take your drawing and produce a range of prices for you. It may be that you are almost there but need some advice to finish off your design. You may have a price target and need a little design advice to reduce costs, talk to our friendly engineering team for help.

Laser cut blanks produced from zintec coated mild steel material

Monday, March 18th, 2019

Zintec, a zinc coated mild steel sheet metal which is ideal for laser cutting.

Laser cut zintec brackets

Laser cut zintec brackets

Zintec laser cuts beautifully as it’s basically mild steel but without the oil film. Being dry there are less burn marks with our Trumpf 3030 fibre laser cutter.

Laser cut zintec brackets

Laser cut zintec brackets without the sheet skeleton

You can easily see how efficiently we can lay components on a given sheet of metal. Using Radan CAD/CAM software enables us to program each part and the full sheet away from the shop floor. These laser cutting nests are crated automatically with the software and rarely do we need to amend them. For lots of examples of past CNC programming projects why not take a look at our Pinterest Board.

Laser cut zintec coated mild steel bracket blanks

Laser cut bracket blanks

Zintec coated mild steel laser cut blanks ready to be folded up. Batches of just a few parts up to many thousands are perfect for laser cutting and CNC bending. To see more laser cut zintec coated mild steel components take a look at our Gallery Page.

So, if you have a sheet metal project and it’s being manufactured from Zintec we are the people to help you. Stocking 0.7mm, 0.9mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm and 3.0mm often on the shelf lead times are kept to a minimum.

Feel free to send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk or call us on 01489 577786 and we will be happy to help you. With over 30 years experience in sheet metal work our team have lots of good ideas to help you save money by simple changes to your designs.

Copper sheet metal work manufactured in the UK

Monday, February 11th, 2019

Copper sheet metal brackets

Copper sheet metal brackets

Copper sheet metal brackets

Copper sheet metal brackets

It’s not often I get to show off a copper sheet metal project. These brackets caught my eye for nothing more than their wonderful colour. In a work shop of mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium, copper sheet metal really does shine out. These simple copper brackets are used as electrical contactor brackets in electrical switch gear assemblies.

The copper brackets were laser cut from C101 copper sheet on our Trumpf 3030 fibre laser. It’s the perfect machine for processing copper sheet metal work. Combined with our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes for bending up the brackets they make the perfect sub-contract sheet metal manufacturing team.

We manufacture thousands of different sheet metal brackets for our customers in the UK, take a look at our Bracket and Angle gallery page or our Pinterest Board for inspiration for your next design project.

You may not currently have a requirement for copper brackets, it may be that you need brackets made form brass, stainless or galvanised steel. Whatever bracket you need in over 30 years experience we will have come across it before and can certainly help you out. Our team will be happy to help you with your design ideas, getting the best method for manufacturing and offer price options to suit your batch sizes. Call us on 01489 577786 or e-mail your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk for more information.

CNC punching aluminium circular discs with banana tooling

Thursday, January 24th, 2019

CNC punching aluminium circular discs

CNC punching aluminium circular discs

When we receive a drawing for a sheet metal part that’s a circle you might think we automatically go for laser cutting. Well laser cutting is a great manufacturing process to use for cutting a wide range of profiles. It is the perfect solution for cutting circular discs but there is another option. By using a CNC punch press with special curved tooling circular discs can be produced very effectively. These curved tools are known as “banana” tools obviously due to their shape.

So why use a curved CNC punch press tool when a laser machine could do the job? Well the biggest advantage is that the curved tooling allows us to combine it with other tooled features not possible on a pure 2D laser machine. For example you may have a circular disc that also has some tapped thread or countersink holes that could be formed. These features are ideal for our Trumpf 3000 punch press enabling us to produce the part much quicker than laser cutting the disc and then having to use secondary operations for tapping the threads or drilling the countersink holes.

Circular aluminum discs

Circular aluminum disc

Banana tooling can also be useful with a CNC punch press if the material doesn’t suit laser cutting. For instance highly reflective lighting materials that are cut and folded to make light fitting reflectors cannot be cut on laser machines. Also, pre-painted materials are better suited to CNC punching as the laser cutting edge can burn the painted surface.

The main point to remember is that we have the ability to select the best solution to suit the sheet metal component design and material type. We can also use the machines in combination, perhaps by laser cutting a complex item and then transferring it to a CNC punch press to have threads tapped of a series of dimples of louvre forming

To see hos these banana tools work in action please take a look at our video here. You can see how effective the tooling is and ho quick the parts can be produced.


Fast Tube by Casper

As ever if you have a sheet metal design where it has a circular form or not we will be happy to take a look at it for you. Please send your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk as we will work on some price options for you.

Bending laser cut sheet metal components in Great Britain

Thursday, January 17th, 2019

Sheet metal components can come is a wide range of shapes and sizes. From the simplest flat metal plate to complex intricate welded fabrications. We offer support to our customers’ right across the range with a host of sheet metal manufacturing services. Having control of these manufacturing processes in house enables us to tailor services to suit different designs and production volumes.

Flat laser cut aluminium components

Flat laser cut aluminium components

Here is an example of us producing an aluminium bracket. The component could have been CNC punched. We looked at the developed flat blank shape and decided that laser cutting would be better. With its shape and the blending corner radius features on the outer profile laser cutting was the best method to use.

Bent Aluminium components

Bent Aluminium components

Once the components were laser cut there was no need to deburr the edges as the cut was so clean. We often find that when laser cutting thin gauges with our fibre laser cutter the edge is acceptable to your customer without further edge finishing operations. We will also include small corner radii to help reduce the chances of people cutting their hands in subsequent assembly processes.

Bending sheet metal components on the Trumpf 7036

Bending sheet metal components on the Trumpf 7036

Setting up the Trumpf 7036 CNC press brake to fold a component like this is relatively easy. With a simple single top and bottom V tool the whole component can be folded up. Programming the machine allows the operator to control the length or each bend and its angle. The combination of upwards and downwards folds, varying lengths and bend angles enables complex components to be programmed in simple stages. Once a program has been written a single “first off” part is produced. If it’s not exactly to drawing a simple correction can be made on the program to an angle and it will be reflected across all the bends. After the part meets the drawing requirements the process can be repeated again and again until the batch is complete. Depending on the size of the batch of parts, the complexity and drawing tolerances we may stop and check random parts to ensure all is correct.


Fast Tube by Casper

If you are looking for more information on CNC bending take a look at our page, “What is CNC bending?”

Or possibly you would like to see hundreds of examples of CNC folded sheet metal components on our Pinterest Board to give you some ideas for your next new design.

If you have a new sheet metal project and you want us to take a look for you please feel free to give us a call or email sales@vandf.co.uk with your drawings. We will be happy to help with quotes and advice.

Laser cutting 6mm thick mild steel brackets to your designs

Tuesday, December 4th, 2018

Laser cutting mild steel brackets to your bespoke designs here in the UK

Laser cutting mild steel brackets

Laser cutting 6mm thick mild steel brackets

Here is a typical display of mild steel brackets produced in our factory in Fareham, Hampshire, UK. Manufactured in house by laser cutting and CNC bending direct to our customer’s own designs. Understanding just what can be achieved with laser cutting and CNC bending then leave it to V and F Sheet Metal! We have decades of experience in sheet metal working from producing simple angle brackets right up to complex electronics fabrications. These mild steel brackets were laser cut from 6mm thick plate and used to support heater units in a shopping centre.

So what’s next

Looking for more images of sheet metal brackets to give you some ideas for your design follow this Pinterest Board. We have hundreds of examples of past sheet metal projects on our Pinterest Boards and gallery pages within our website, help yourself!

If you have a need for mild steel brackets please give us a call and our engineering team will be happy to help you. With lots of standard CNC press brake tooling on the shelf we can move on your projects straight away. Try us.

Sub-contract CNC sheet metal manufacturing in Great Britain

Monday, November 5th, 2018

Sub-contract CNC sheet metal manufacturing

CNC folding sheet metal work

CNC folding sheet metal work

There are several advantages to CNC manufacturing.

Firstly, the speed with which new projects can be trialed. Often no special tooling is needed whether components are being CNC punched or CNC bent. And certainly no tooling is required if sheet metal manufacturing is taking place with laser cutting.

There is the ability to change details of a component’s blank size, hole positions or bends without tooling changes. This can lead to many design options and no extra costs for our customers. This is ideal when you have special projects or are looking for customisation within your product range.

The ability to produce components accurately and quickly across a range of batch sizes is another strength when looking to manufacture using CNC equipment. Here you can see 2 good examples of manufacturing repeatability within the CNC bending manufacturing process.

CNC sheet metal manufacturing

CNC sheet metal manufacturing

Everything we do at V and F Sheet Metal and the investments we make are to make your job easier. Quicker delivery of accurate parts at a price that will help you to compete and win new orders. We want to be an essential part of your business and offering the right service is very important to us.

All our CNC programs, whether they are generated by our engineering team or at the machine on the workshop are backed up offsite every night. We need to be able to access the right CNC program just when it’s needed to produce your work.

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

If you are looking for a new supplier for your CNC manufactured sheet metal work then give our team a call (01489 57776). If you would prefer to e-mail (sales@vandf.co.uk) that’s no problem with us. Make the move today and start to reap the benefits of working with a flexible and reliable supplier.

Stainless steel blanks laser cut with Trumpf 3030 fibre laser

Monday, October 29th, 2018

stainless steel blanks

stainless steel laser cut blanks

Stainless steel used to be a difficult material to work with. It’s very hard and wears press tooling and CNC punch press tooling, stainless steel also needs high tonnages to process. Once laser cutting machines become available to the sub-contractor stainless steel blanks became much easier to produce.

stainless steel folded chassis

stainless steel folded chassis

Folding stainless components with the range of CNC press brakes that we have is easy for us. Whether we are using our small Guilfil or Trumpf machines for stainless steel brackets and chassis assemblies or our Safan e-Brake for longer sections, it makes no difference to us.

Stainless steel blanks are just the start of the process. If you want to know more about sheet metal production please take a look at “What is sheet metal work” for more details.

We have a YouTube channel with dozens of videos showing laser cutting, CNC punching and CNC bending stainless steel components.

Once you have a design you want manufacturing we will be happy to help you. Whether you want part designer in 430, 304 or 316 stainless steel we can help you and get the best from the material for you. Call us on 01489 577786 we are waiting to take your call.

Quality sheet metal workers in Hampshire

Monday, October 22nd, 2018

If you are looking for quality sheet metal workers in Hampshire then you need to talk with V and F Sheet Metal.

Whether it’s laser cutting, CNC punching or CNC bending we are here to help you. Offering a quality service to manufacture your sheet metal products. Working to your designs and guiding you through the purchasing / manufacturing process.

For further explanation of what makes a quality sheet metal worker do take a look at our report, “What is sheet metal”

If you would like to view further examples of our past sheet metal projects we have well over 1000 images on our Pinterest Boards.

Give us a call on 01489 577786 if you want to talk with a quality sheet metal working team of engineers. We are waiting to help you with your latest design projects. We also pride ourselves of helping our customers to reduce costs through designing for manufacture. Using standard CNC punch and bending tooling is so import to reduce manufacturing costs. In conclusion, send us your drawing (sales@vandf.co.uk) and we will help you.

Radan nest of parts

Radan nest of parts

Laser cutting sheet metal work

Laser cutting sheet metal work

Spot welding Zintec sheet metal assembly

Spot welding Zintec sheet metal assembly

Brackets in production

Brackets in production

Quality sheet metal workers in Hampshire Folding up the blanks

Folding up the blanks

3 D Radan model

3 D Radan model

Laser cutting mild steel brackets using a Trumpf 3030

Friday, October 19th, 2018

Laser cutting mild steel brackets at speed

Laser cutting mild steel brackets

Laser cutting mild steel brackets

We love manufacturing sheet metal brackets here at V and F Sheet Metal. Our manufacturing machinery is perfectly designed to produce small components like brackets, you just have to take a look at our website to see that. The image you can see here is through the safety glass looking onto our Trumpf 3030 3KW fibre laser cutting 3mm mild steel. The beauty of this machine is the ease with which we can go from job to job with virtually no set up time. Here we are laser cutting some brackets from material off-cuts from a previous order. The ability to amend CNC programs from full production sheets to smaller off-cuts enables us to offer the best prices. Using up remnants especially of expensive or thick materials is an easy way to keep costs down when quoting for work.

For more examples of past sheet metal bracket projects please take a look at our Bracket and Angle Gallery.

Or if you want to watch the laser cutter in action follow the link.

So, if you have a sheet metal bracket that needs manufacturing please give us a call. We are always happy to help you with ideas to speed up the manufacturing process to save you money. Perhaps you have designed a bracket and we can change some CNC punch tooling to suit standard tools and reduce punching time. We may have just the form tool needed to produce the curve you want.

Our engineering are always willing to help.

Laser cut stainless steel plates with a protective plastic film

Thursday, September 27th, 2018

Laser cut stainless steel

Today’s activity in the factory has given me the opportunity to talk about laser cut components using our Trumpf 3030 3KW fiber laser. This was an interesting job using stainless steel of 2mm gauge with a 4 thou plastic fiber laser coating to produce a batch of 300 laser cut brackets.

Initially we start by laying out the components on the sheet for maximum utilization of the material. There’s not much wastage here!

LASER CUTTING STAINLESS STEEL PLATES

LASER CUTTING STAINLESS STEEL PLATES

The individual components are cut out using the laser in a particular way which is not always obvious. If you look carefully at the drawing of the “red” component, you’ll see at certain points there are small yellow lines. These are called “lead ins” and correspond to the start of the laser cutting point. This allows for a nice clean edge and in the end the initial area where cutting starts from will be on the piece of material that’s thrown away. The advantage of this is that no burn marks are seen on the piece of material you want to keep, only on the scrap. These yellow lead in lines are seen on all areas where cutting occurs.

LASER CUTTING PROGRAM

LASER CUTTING PROGRAM

When cutting metal with a plastic coating using a laser there are two processes which occur. In the first instance the laser beam passes through the plastic and metal and a “vapour” cut sticks the plastic to the metal sheet. Finally a cut is made using nitrogen to cut the part out.

Need some assistance?

Are you looking for someone to laser cut components for you? If you have a project that needs some input from a friendly sheet metal company then we are here to help. We can look at your designs and suggest areas that can be improved with a view to saving you money. Always good news! Simply send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will take a look for you.

LASER CUT STAINLESS STEEL PLATE

LASER CUT STAINLESS STEEL PLATE

Would you like to see more images of laser cut components to give you some ideas for your design? Take a look here: Pinterest Board We have many examples of our work on our Pinterest Boards and gallery pages within our website.

Stainless steel components another great example of using a laser cutter

Wednesday, September 26th, 2018

Stainless steel components produced by laser cutting

Laser cutting stainless steel components

Laser cutting stainless steel

Here’s a great example of a component with a really complex inner and outer profile. With so many curves blending into each other there’s only one way to produce this part and that’s laser cutting. We were really lucky with this project as our customer had already produced STEP files. We simply read them into our Radan software and then output 2D files for tooling ready to laser cut. Once the components had been laser cut they needed no further cleaning up around the laser cut edges as we have used pure nitrogen gas. These stainless steel components were simply CNC folded and were then ready to be shipped to our customer.

Laser cutting has become second nature for us whenever there is any profile complexity. The ease of CNC programming and reduced amounts of edge cleaning make it a perfect sub-contract manufacturing process. Working alongside our CNC punch presses we have the perfect combination of cutting machines to wok on your sheet metal projects. Interested in seeing more examples of laser cutting please take a look at our Laser Cutting Pinterest Board.

Have a drawing you would like us to look at? Send it over to us and we will be happy to produce you price options for laser cutting. Not quite sure what you want? No problem, give us a call and we will be happy to chat through your ideas.

Aluminium and mild steel sheet metal brackets manufactured especially for you

Friday, August 31st, 2018

Sheet metal brackets manufactured from aluminium and mild steel

If you are looking for aluminium or mild sheet metal steel brackets you have come to the right place. With over 30 years experience in sheet metal work we will produce brackets to your own designs. Our website has a vast array of past examples of sheet metal brackets made for our UK customers.

Mild steel sheet metal brackets

Mild steel sheet metal brackets

Here at V and F Sheet Metal we will CNC punch and laser cut the blanks for any aluminium or mild steel brackets. We will produce them to your design using the very latest CAD/CAM software ensuring accuracy to your initial ideas. For that reason we always use Radan sheet metal software to enable us to communicate with our customers. Whether it might be 3D design files or detailed drawings we will be able to support you with your manufacturing project.

Take a look at our past CAD/CAM examples to see what we get up to.

Once we have accurate blanks we have a range of CNC press brakes to fold the brackets. Using accurate tooling we will produce a wide range of shapes and sizes of bracket. Please take a look at our bracket gallery for more examples. Another good source for sheet metal bracket examples is our Sheet Metal Bracket Pinterest Board.

Aluminium sheet metal brackets

Aluminium sheet metal brackets

We can also work with other grades of material including stainless steel, copper and brass. More specialised materials such as zintec, bondcote and pre-painted steel are no problem to us.

In conclusion you can see that we are definitely the people to contact when you need sheet metal brackets. You can send us your drawings right now and we will be happy to take a look. Producing price alternatives for material type and volumes options is not a problem to us. If you would rather have a chat please call us on 01489 577786, we will be waiting for your call.

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

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

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

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.

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