Sheet metal fabrications Archives -

Custom sheet metal fabrications produced in Hampshire

Thursday, May 19th, 2022

Laser cut decorative screens

Custom sheet metal fabrications are produced by us every day of the week. Metal work that is produced specifically to a certain drawing just for a given customer. We have built a company on offering a custom sheet metal work service to our UK based customers. You may have looked on Amazon for a special angle bracket and cannot find exactly what you need. No problem, send us your drawing and we will sort out a price to make the custom sheet metal part for you.

Over the years we have been involved in many custom designed projects such as:

Children’s play-ground equipment mounting brackets
Bespoke lighting projects
Special recording studio enclosures
Shop door way heating units
Pharmaceutical filtration stands
Flood lighting brackets
Computer housing chassis equipment
Bespoke light fitting reflectors

If you wish to see a lot more examples of custom sheet metal work then our Pinterest Boards are a great place to start.

With a wide range of laser cutting, CNC punching and CNC bending equipment in house there’s not much in the way of sheet metal work that we cannot tackle. Along with an extensive network of material stockists, machinists, spinners, painters, platers and screeners we can offer the complete custom sheet metal service.

If you have drawings already prepared for your next sheet metal project please send them to sales@vandf.co.uk If however you are not quite sure what you want then a phone call may be a good idea (017489 577786). We can then talk through material options, which finishes would suit best and the right selection of production methods.

Sheet metal contractors manufacturing in Hampshire

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022

Sheet metal contractors

Sheet metal contractors such as V and F Sheet Metal offer a valuable service to a wide range of companies in the UK. Perhaps you need sheet metal components that are bespoke to your own product designs. Perhaps a special housings. A custom front panel. Whatever you need if it’s not something you can buy as a standard part you will need the services of sheet metal contractors.

With the ability to take your ideas and turn them into production items. Whether that’s CNC punched galvanised steel enclosures, laser cut stainless steel panels or aluminium brackets we are here to help you. We can read your 2D and 3D CAD data directly into our programming systems. Speeding up the process and reducing the possibility of errors.

The process is also reversible. We can produce 2D and 3D data and send to you to help with your production drawings.

We have been manufacturing sheet metal products and assemblies for over 35 years in Hampshire. Small volumes of 10 off, repeating batches of 100’s off and higher volumes of 1000s along with call off orders when needed. Simple send your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk for a quote today.

For more examples of past CAD/CAM projects our Pinterest Board is a great place to look.

Sheet metal workers near me – V and F Sheet Metal

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022

Folding up the blanks

If you are searching for sheet metal workers near me and you are based in Hampshire you should be talking to V and F Sheet Metal. Saying that we have vans delivering right across Hampshire, Dorset, Sussex, Surrey, and Berkshire most weeks and also regularly into Oxfordshire. Further afield and we can ship on an overnight pallet service or parcels where needed. You are always welcome to all in and collect work if you are based near us. You can then see what we get up to in more detail.

Sheet metal workers with over 35 years of experience manufacturing in the UK. We tend to manufacture in thinner gauge sheet metal. Up to 3mm and sometimes a little over. This suits our CNC punch presses and laser cutting facilities. All our bend tooling is ideally suited to thinner gauges. We cut and fold from 0.3mm spring stainless steel, 0.4mm reflector aluminium, 0.55mm galvanised steel. 0.7mm stainless steel and aluminium and upwards.

With sheet metal components from just a few mm across to 3M long we can cover most of your sheet metal working needs. A wide range of standard CNC punching and CNC bending on the shelf ready to be used on your orders. All supported with the latest CAD/CAM sheet metal software to get the most out of every metal sheet.

For a view of more recent sheet metal working projects please follow the link to our Pinterest Boards.

So in conclusion if you are searching for sheet metal workers near me I hope V and F Sheet Metal can help you. Send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will take a look for you or call us on 01489 577786 if you need more information or advice on your designs. We are always happy to talk through potential ideas and help where we can to reduce costs.

Sheet metal work produced in 2021 by V and F Sheet Metal

Thursday, December 9th, 2021

Sheet metal work produced in 2021

The range of sheet metal work produced in 2021 by V and F Sheet Metal in astonishing. From the smallest clip or clamping bracket to fully assembled enclosures. Be it aluminium, steels or stainless we can cut it, fold it and weld it. We have produced parts predominantly for the lighting, heating, audio and electronics industries. But we have also produce sheet metal work for companies involved in diverse projects such as children’s playgrounds equipment, filtration assemblies, LED display signs, ground spikes, decking and fencing brackets. You name it and we will turn our hand to it.

Using our Radan CAD/CAM software to develop 3D models and program our laser and CNC punch presses we can support your design team. We can feed back our observations on your design in 2D and 3D formats to help you refine your ideas ready for manufacturing.

We have thousands of examples of sheet metal work. Many which have been produced in 2021 – take a look at our Pinterest Boards.

If you have drawings ready to go please send them to us at sales@vandf.co.uk. Our team will be happy to help you with price options. Or if you just want to chat through your ideas we love to talk sheet metal work, 01489 577786.

Sheet metal manufacturing in Southampton Hampshire

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021

CNC bending - Manufacturing in Southampton

CNC bending using modern press brakes

V and F Sheet Metal have been manufacturing in Southampton for over 35 years. A family firm who have invested over many years in CNC sheet metal manufacturing equipment. Sheet metal CAD/CAM software and tooling.

If you are based in the Southampton area and are looking for sheet metal work, give us a try. The images her shown us working on a wide range of projects. Folding aluminium channels on a small CNC press brake. Folding mild steel housings on our 3M long CNC press brake. TiG welding aluminium boxes. CNC punching zintec brackets and laser cutting stainless steel handles.

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

Whether you call is manufacturing, production, fabrication, engineering etc. It’s still the process of taking raw materials and transforming them. Manufacturing can be laser cutting complex shapes from mild steel. Perhaps to be used as the starting point (a blank) for a wall fixing bracket. It could be CNC punching aluminium strips that will be rolled and welded together to make rings. Again, manufacturing might be folding and then welding stainless steel pump housings for the pharmaceutical industry. They all take materials and process the in some way.

If you are looking for manufacturing in Southampton and surrounding areas whether it’s just a new part or many thousands we can help. We often work on batches of 25, 50 or many hundreds. Call offs and special projects can also be catered for. With a long history of working in partnership with other suppliers we can offer the complete manufacturing service.

Folding up of components – Manufacturing in Southampton

Perhaps you have a manufacturing project that needs sheet metal work but more than just that. You might have machining requirements, for instance milling and turning. Maybe you need parts or assemblies to be painted, powder coated or silk screened. Treatments such as zinc plating or Iridite NCP dipping. We can manage the whole project to give you a finished manufactured solution.

TiG welding aluminium housings

Using the latest CAD/CAM manufacturing software we become part of your team. Taking your ideas, drawings and 3D models. We can clean up details and test out ideas ready for manufacturing before cutting any materials. If you wish we can feed back updated 3D models and 2D drawings or flat blanks to help your design function.

Trumpf 200 CNC punch press producing zintec sheet metal blanks

Manufacturing in Southampton we are ideally placed to delivery same day from Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex. As well as Wiltshire and Surrey. Further afield is no problem with overnight parcel and pallet services all over the UK.

If you have a design project that needs sheet metal manufacturing please let us know. Our team are always happy to chat and help refine your designs. If you want some price options please e-mail your drawings and we will be happy to do some calculations for you. File formats that we are happy to work with include PDF, SAT, STEP, DXF and DWG.

Sheet metal enclosure manufacturers based in the UK

Wednesday, October 27th, 2021

CNC punching and CNC bending

Sheet metal enclosure manufactures based in Hampshire, UK. V and F sheet Metal have been manufacturing a wide range of enclosure components and assemblies. Enclosures used in the electronics, lighting, heating and audio industries. We have been manufacturing sheet metal enclosures for over 30 years. Using many different ferrous and non-ferrous sheet metals.

V and F Sheet Metal stand out amongst enclosure manufacturers with such a wide range of experience in different industries. Being subcontract sheet metal workers enables us to learn from one industrial sector and apply those ideas to another. A form tool we develop to help us produce a curved section for an air conditioning unit may be just what’s needed for a lighting reflector. We always have our eye on ways to save money when we review our customer’s designs.

aluminium sheet metal fabrications

Working with our customers to save them time and money. Flexibly batch sizes to suit production needs. Alternative material suggestions to save on treatment and finishing costs. We have a vast collection of CNC punching and CNC bending tools. Most standard cut outs can be catered for. We also have a laser cutting facility in house so even if you come up with a really tricky design we will still be ready to help you.

Want to see more past sheet metal enclosure projects? Take a look at our Pinterest Boards.

If you are looking to review a range of enclosure manufacturers, V and F Sheet Metal should certainly be investigated.

Please send your drawings (STEP, SAT, DXF, DWG or PDF) to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will be happy to help you.

Custom sheet metal fabrications manufactured in England

Monday, October 4th, 2021

Bespoke sheet metal fabrications

Custom sheet metal fabrications are being produced by V and F Sheet Metal every week of the year. From the smallest spot welded earth clip to fabricated enclosures. Using a wide range of materials to satisfy our customer’s needs. TiG, MiG and spot welding techniques are used to assemble different parts together to make finished fabricated assemblies.

The custom sheet metal fabrications show in these images are typical. One is manufactured from mild steel and the other from aluminium sheet metal. The mild steel fabricated assembly is manufactured from 3mm mild steel that has been CNC punched, edge de-burred, CNC folded. The wrapped around ends have been MiG welded along with an additional strengthening piece. The final custom sheet metal fabrications were hot dip galvanised for corrosion resistance.

M8 hank bushes

The aluminium fabricated assembly was made from laser cut components, edge de-burred, CNC folded with bushes and studs inserted where needed. The component parts were TiG welded together and then cleaned of smooth before powder coating.

For more example of custom sheet metal fabrications it’s well worth a visit to our Pinterest Boards.

So if you have manufacturing projects that include custom sheet metal fabrications we would love to hear from you. You can either call us on 01489 577786 for a chat or send your designs to sales@vandf.co.uk

Sheet metal manufacturers in the UK – sheet metal production

Tuesday, September 7th, 2021

Sheet metal manufacturers

Sheet metal manufacturers in the UK produce a wide range of sheet metal projects. Sub-contract manufacturers produce parts to any given design and are a great support to UK based companies who do not have the expertise or the volumes to justify their own manufacturing facility. V and F Sheet Metal are one of these sub-contract manufacturers. We have been producing sheet metal work since the 1980s in Hampshire.

Sheet metal manufacturers based in the UK

Whether your project is only small or many thousands of parts sheet metal manufacturers in the UK can help you out. Keeping things local not only reduced shipping costs and time but helps to support the whole engineering supply chain. Materials are purchased in the UK, treatments and finishes sourced in the UK. You also have the ability to deal in your own time zone and visit if you need to.

Sheet metal manufactured enclosures

Using a wide range of sheet metal manufacturing techniques we cover most of the sheet metal parts UK companies need. Whether it’s produced by laser cutting, CNC punching or CNC bending we have the facilities to help you today. Simply ask us to take a look at your drawings and we will be happy to produce a quotation for you.

For a much larger range of work produced by sheet metal manufacturers in the UK take a look at our Pinterest Boards.

Sheet metal fabricators in Southampton – ask for a quote today

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021

Laser cutting stainless steel

Sheet metal fabricators work with a wide range of materials. The types of material fabricated split into 2 camps, ferrous and non-ferrous. So that’s materials that are iron based and those that are iron fee. The types of materials can include simple mild steel along with treated steels such as Zintec and galvanised steel. More exotic stainless steels such as 304, 316, 403 and 3CR12 can be worked. They come in standard (2B) mild finish, bright annealed or grained finishes. Aluminium alloys such as 1050A and 5251 are often stocked.

More unusual materials such as tin plate, spring stainless, copper, brass and lighting reflector materials and be used to fabricate components. For exact details of the correct materials to specify in your design and the thicknesses available it’s always worth a chat first to be sure your design can be fabricated.

Aluminium sheet metal brackets

Sheet metal fabricators use a diverse range of fabrication equipment. Whether it’s laser cutting thin to thick ferrous and non-ferrous materials. CNC punching standard sheets. CNC folding simple to very complex sheet metal components and assemblies.

V and F Sheet Metal are sheet metal fabricators with over 35 years of experience manufacturing in the UK. We are happy to help point you in the right direction with design ideas. Guidance on material selection, the right options when it comes to sheet metal inserts and finishing / treatments. The design will always be yours we just help to speed you through the process.

Have a new design idea? Want to double check your current prices? Send use your ideas and we will be happy to quote.

Mild steel bespoke sheet metal fabrications manufactured in the UK

Tuesday, July 13th, 2021

mild steel sheet metal fabrications

Mild steel is such a flexible sheet metal material. It’s been used over several centuries as the basis of so many components and fabricated assemblies. We have been manufacturing bespoke mild steel fabrications for over 35 years. We predominately manufacture components from mild steel material from 0.5mm to 3.0mm thick. The sheet comes in 3 standard sizes; 2M x 1M, 2.5M x 1.25M and 3.0M x 1.5M. It’s also possible to have bespoke sheet sizes de-coiled to suit if there are reasonable volumes. From these sheets we can cut a wide range of component shapes and sizes.

If a component is either rectangular or square as a flat blank it is possible to just guillotine the part from sheet. However if the component has a more complex outer profile or has internal holes then this process isn’t the best way to go. We would then either laser cut or CNC punch the components. These processes not only enable us to produce more complex shapes but at the same time cut holes. These holes could take the form of circular holes, windows, slots, corner notches, radius forms etc. The flexibility of laser cutting is CNC punching are great tools to have and we have both in house.

That produces us a flat blank (pattern) but this is just the starting point. If the component had a 3D form such as the guard covers show here we need to go further. We need to fold up the mild steel sheet. We have a range of sheet metal bending machines know as CNC press brakes. They can be programmed to produce different bend lengths and angles and are perfect for sub-contract sheet metal work.

For more examples of mild steel sheet metal work a great place to check out is our Pinterest Boards.

After folding these covers they were TiG welded and cleaned off nice and smooth. As you know you cannot just leave mild steel untreated as it will eventually go rusty. These components were then powder coated by the customer. For more information on mild steel components and the production processes we apply please give us a call. Alternatively, you can always send us drawings and we will be happy to quote for your next mild steel bespoke sheet metal fabrications.

Precision sheet metal fabrications manufactured to your designs

Tuesday, April 20th, 2021

Precision sheet metal fabrications

Precision sheet metal fabrications can be used in so many different ways.

It may be sheet metal components manufactured for an electronics housing. Precision cut outs for cable connector to snap into place. Perhaps precision lighting reflectors to focus the light from a high performance lamp. Precision sheet metal copper plates for electrical bus bars. When there are many components brought together to form an assembly there will be need for precision in the cutting and folding of the individual parts.

Precision sheet metal fabrications

With these particular images we have custom components being formed on one of our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. The shapes formed are a combination of CNC bends, CNC curve multi-bends and using curved form tooling. All these precision sheet metal techniques have produced complex shapes without the need for special tooling.

The initial calculations to produce the profile were not easy. 3D CAD/CAM was used to produce a developed blank. This was then experimented and refines. Several iterations later we had the correct blank size for laser cutting and CNC bend programs that worked in production. Having a laser cutting machine is idea with a profile such as this. We can easily cut precision templates to check the shape during a product batch.

Precision sheet metal fabrications

For lots of ideas on sheet metal designs it’s always worth looking at past projects. Our Pinterest boards are a great starting point.

If you have a precision sheet metal fabrication project that needs manufacturing and you have a set of drawings, feel free to send them over to us. We will be happy to work through them and put prices on your volumes breaks for manufacturing as well as suggest any changes that could save you money. Please use sales@vandf.co.uk or call us if you want a chat.

Sheet metal housing fabrications manufactured in the UK

Tuesday, March 30th, 2021

Sheet metal housing fabrications come in all shapes and sizes. Here we have 3 different parts that will all go together to make a welded sheet metal housing. All parts have been laser cut and CNC punched before we start CNC bending. The design is all our customers own work but with our input. We helped refine bend sizes to suit standard tooling. Advised on the best methods to join the separate parts together and provided samples to test out ideas.

Sheet metal folded housings produced in the UK

These particular sheet metal housing fabrications were made one batch of 200 parts. Some were produced in groups from the same sheets of metal to save materials. All folded on our Safan e-Brake CNC press brake and then TiG stitch welded together. The final operation after post weld cleaning up was to get them powder coated.

Folded sheet metal parts

We manufacture these parts in on batch and then complete the final welding and powder coating in smaller batches to help our customer. Feeding in regular drops of work to their production schedule.

Want to see hundreds of examples of sheet metal projects? Take a look at our Pinterest Boards for ideas on your next design.

Sub-contract sheet metal enclosures

If you have a job coming up that is going to need sheet metal housing fabrications please ask our team for help. Quote price options, design advice and material selection. Simply e-mail your requirement as a PDF, STEP, SAT, DXF or DWG file. If you only have a sketch that’s fine too.

With over 35 years of experience at V&F Sheet Metal we are here as a supportive partner for your sheet metal needs.

Looking for a sheet metal production company near me

Thursday, March 11th, 2021

Sheet metal production of mild steel brackets

On any one day I can view a wide range of sheet metal production from our factory. Having been a sub-contract sheet metal production company for over 35 years we have seen it all. Processing a wide range of material types and thicknesses is our strength. From thin spring stainless steel clips right up to thick aluminium plates and everything in between. Organising treatments and finishes for ferrous and non-ferrous materials. We can also help you with machined parts and silk screening. We always try and help our customers so they don’t have to shop around with so many suppliers. You may have an aluminium front panel that’s powder coated and silk screened, no problem. A mild steel chassis with tack welded sides and then zinc plated, no problem. A stainless steel angle bracket with machined countersunk slots, easy.

Sheet metal production of stainless steel trays

Sheet metal production of mild steel brackets

The photos you can see here are just typical of the variety of production we get involved with. They show mild steel brackets, stainless steel trays and mild steel welded fabrication assemblies. Volumes are 500 off, 25 off and 20 off. Again that’s just typical sheet metal production anywhere from just a few samples to many thousands can be handled here. With CNC punching, laser cutting and CNC bending all working together to produce accurate competitive sheet metal production.

Sheet metal welded fabrications

See something on our website that looks like a sheet metal product you need? Or alternatively on our Pinterest Boards. Give us a call and we will be more than happy to help support your production needs. If you already have drawings, all the better, send them to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will do the rest for you. Price break or material options investigated to produce the right price for you, ask for more details.

Stainless steel fabrications manufactured from sheet metal

Thursday, February 18th, 2021

Stainless steel fabrications

We have been manufacturing stainless steel fabrications for over 30 years. Utilising CNC punching and laser cutting processes to produce accurate flat blanks. These are essential if we are to manufacture the correctly sized finished parts. The stainless steel parts shown here have all been laser cut and CNC folded using our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. At this stage all the parts are waiting to be TiG welded together.

Stainless steel fabrications can come is a range of sizes and complexities. We can fold stainless steel sections up to 3M long, laser cut between 0.3mm and 6mm thick in a range of stainless steel alloys. Our Trumpf 3030 fibre laser machine can laser cut much thicker than this but we have decided not to in house due to weight handling issues. Having always worked on thinner gauges our CNC bending and CNC punch tooling is best suited to the thinner end of the fabrication spectrum.

Stainless steel fabricators

Looking for a supplier of your stainless steel fabrications?

Although stainless steel is a hard material to drill when it comes to laser cutting we have no problems. Fabrications in thin gauges can be successfully CNC punched and we have a large library of tooling to accommodate this. For thin and thicker gauges laser cutting is perfect. Fibre laser cutting stainless steel fabrications with either compressed air or nitrogen if perfect. The edge finish is often good enough to need no more de-burring. The parts shown here didn’t need to be de-burred after laser cutting.

Should you be looking for a flexible sub-contract supplier of your stainless steel fabrications please take a look at the services we can offer you. We have a comprehensive website with many examples of past projects to view, videos of sheet metal fabrication in production and design tips for new designs. We also have thousands of examples of sheet metal work on our Pinterest Boards.

Please send your design data whether it’s PDF, DXF, DWG, STEP or SAT files to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will be happy to help you with your next project.

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.

Laser cutting sheet metal fabrications in Hampshire UK 2021

Thursday, February 11th, 2021

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

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 production companies in the UK 2020

Tuesday, November 17th, 2020

Sheet metal production – small brackets

Sheet metal production of small brackets and plates.

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

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

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

Component 1

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

Component 2

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

Component 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is sheet metal fabrication – sub-contract sheet metal work?

Tuesday, October 20th, 2020

What is sub-contract sheet metal work fabrication?

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

Sheet metal fabrications

With over 30 years experience in sub-contract manufacturing there isn’t much we haven’t seen before. From laser cutting stainless steel plates for decking systems, CNC punching aluminium 19″ rack mount front panels to folding mild steel electronic chassis. Test us out and send us your drawings and our engineering will be happy to help you. Whether you only have a few simples hand sketches, 2D CAD data or 3D models we are happy to lend a hand.

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

Sheet metal fabrications

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

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

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

Tuesday, May 5th, 2020

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

There’s life at V&F

Starting up production

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, December 2nd, 2019

Sheet metal manufacturing of mild steel brackets

Are you based near the Portsmouth area?

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

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

Sheet metal manufacturing of ventilation grilles

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

Laser cutting mild steel brackets

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

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

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

Aluminium sheet metal fabrications manufactured in the UK

Thursday, October 31st, 2019

Trumpf 7036 CNC press brake folding aluminium sheet metal fabrications

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

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

Aluminium sheet metal blanks

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

aluminium sheet metal fabrications

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

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

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

Sheet metal work manufactured in the UK to your designs

Friday, February 15th, 2019

Have a design and want your sheet metal work manufactured in the UK? Come and talk to our friendly engineering team here at V and F Sheet Metal. We will be happy to help you with your new design ideas or review ways to save money on existing projects.

CNC punching brackets

Sheet metal work covers such a wide range of manufacturing techniques and materials. From the smallest spring clips through mild steel and stainless steel brackets right up to fully welded aluminium housings. From components just 0.3mm thick up to support brackets and mounting plates 8mm thick. They are all sheet metal work and we support our UK customers in all of these areas.

Spot welded bracket

I’ve shown just a few simple parts to illustrate how many production processes go into manufacturing sheet metal work. These parts are made from mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium. Some have been CNC punched and some laser cut. Some parts have been folded on CNC press brakes with standard V blocks. The stainless steel parts have also been formed into curved shapes with simple form tooling. And finally the mild steel brackets have been spot welded to spring clips.

Curved stainlees steel brackets

If you want to understand in more detail how we go about manufacturing sheet metal products please take a look at our page “What is Sheet Metal work and how is it made?”

You might like to view hundreds of past sheet metal projects for inspiration with your new sheet metal design, our Pinterest Boards are a great place to start.

Sheet metal work manufactured in the UK can be competitive with sheet metal work from the far east. If you have small batches, urgent turn around times or complex parts that you want to talk through in detail the UK is the place to look for you sheet metal work. With the right tooling and design ideas sheet metal work manufactured in the UK can be the perfect fit for your company.

Call us on 01489 577786 or e-mail your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will be happy to help you.

Sheet metal assemblies produced to your design in the UK

Thursday, January 3rd, 2019

Sheet metal assemblies manufactured to improve your competitive advantage.

Sheet metal assemblies

No matter what type of assembly work you are looking for we will be happy to help. From the simplest spot welded mild steel chassis with brackets right up to multi-part fabrications. We are happy to look at your designs and work with you to make them suitable for manufacturing.

We often help our customers to redesign an assembly to reduce costs. We are happy for part prices to come down if it means that our customers are more competitive. Working together as a team we all benefit. Sheet metal work is a fast moving and large subject to cover in a few posts. We have a more in depth article that might be of interest to you, “What is sheet metal work and how is it made?”

Our Pinterest boards have thousands of examples of past sheet metal projects, many of them are assemblies. Please take a look for yourself, I welcome any feedback or use them as a starting point for your own new designs.

In conclusion, we are here to support you with our experience in sheet metal design and manufacturing not just to make to your drawing. If you want to chat over some ideas you might have on your sheet metal assemblies just give us a call on 01489 577786 and we will be happy to listen.

Sheet metal fabrication company based in Hampshire Great Britain

Monday, December 24th, 2018

Sheet metal fabrication and metal work right on your doorstep

We have been manufacturing sheet metal work for our custmomers in Great Britain since the 1980s. Based in Fareham, Hampshire right next to the M27 we are perfectly located to service our customers in Hampshire and beyond.

sheet metal fabrication

Whether you want small mild steel boxes manufactured to your own design of you would like us to help you with development we are ready. Using Radan CAD/CAM software to control our CNC punching and laser machines we can cope with the simplest mild steel box right up to fully welded sheet metal fabrications.

Welded mild steel boxes

Both of the housings you can see here have been TiG welded and were still waiting to be cleaned up. The larger boxes would eventually be powder coated and the smaller zinc plated and colour passivated.

We have been supporting companies in Great Britain for many years with projects just like these. Small batches and special projects right up to many thousands of parts at a time. These sort of projects are just what we are here to help you with. We have plenty of other examples of sheet metal fabrications on our Pinterest Board.

For more examples of sheet metal fabrications please follow the link to a more expansive Blog post.

Once you know what you want to have manufactured you just need to call our sheet metal fabrication team on 01489 577786 for assistance. alternatively you can e-mail us at sales@vandf.co.uk and we will sort out your 2D or 3D data.

Sheet metal manufacturing projects produced during November 2018

Monday, November 26th, 2018

Sheet metal manufacturing projects can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so let’s take a look.

mild steel formed brackets

When creating a a complex shape with curves in sheet metal a form tool can sometimes be a solution. Being able to press a shape in one operation will always save production time and therefore money. Working with the customer we were able to construct a form tool created from laser cut laminates. Saving the cost of expensive solid tooling is always a good idea. With the ability to make changes to shapes and tooling this is a powerful technique for small batch sub-contract engineering.

zintec folded brackets

Some sheet metal manufacturing projects are perfect for us. Using CNC punching and CNC bending these thin gauge zintec brackets are a typical sheet metal project. Apply our latest manufacturing processes we soon had these parts sorted. The biggest advantage for us is the ability to change design details whenever needed without tooling costs. A simple change to either a CNC punch of bend program that can take just a few minutes is all that’s needed.

Welded and zinc plated sheet metal manufacturing projects

Welded and zinc plated fabrications

This sheet metal project was a collaboration with the customer. They free issued the machined solid steel blocks and pins. We manufactured the mild steel plates with our laser cutter and then welded them together. We also organised to have the finished assembly zinc plated.

If our recent sheet metal manufacturing projects have whetted your appetite then please feel free to explore our website further. You may however already have a sheet metal project in mind, please call us and we will be happy to help you.

Welded stainless steel tubular fabrications manufactured in Great Britain

Wednesday, February 6th, 2019

If you are looking for sheet metal fabrications manufactured in Great Britain then V and F Sheet Metal should be able to help you. Having over 30 years manufacturing experience in many different industries we have seen most design problems and solved them for our customers in Great Britain.

These particular components illustrated in these photos were stainless steel parts used to construct parts benches to be installed in Sussex.

Stainless steel welded fabrications

These welded fabrications were manufactured from 316 stainless steel square tube and formed 316 stainless steel sheet. The tubes were simply sawn to length with holes drilled to line up with wooden park bench slats. The laser cut curved sheet metal sections had holes to line up with posts fixed in the ground. The curved shapes were created by using one of our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. Programming them to make a series of small bends makes it easy to simulate any curve radius up to 180 degrees (semi-circle). As well as creating curves by multi-bends we can roll sheet metal sections using our manual and power rollers. If the volumes are high enough we can also construct form tools which can then be used to press out the curved shape in one operation, saving time and money.

Welded stainless steel tubes

All parts were TiG welded together and then cleaned up smooth before being polished ready for installation.

Stainless steel fabrications manufactured in Great Britain

Stainless steel tube sawed to length

For more fabrications manufactured in Great Britain why not take a look at our Gallery Pages or our Pinterest Boards. They both demonstrate the flexibility of sheet metal fabrications and the wide range of shapes and sizes that can be created. Using ferrous and non-ferrous metals we can cope with most commercial grades of material and welding processes that you will need.

We are always happy to chat through your fabrication design ideas and offer a hint or two to speed up production and save you money. Call us on 01489 577786 or send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk for a full price estimate for your sheet metal fabrication project.

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

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

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

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

Here at V and F Sheet Metal we specialise in batch production of sheet metal fabrications. From our factory in Fareham, Hampshire we supply sheet metal work right across the UK. We can support you with your new designs by producing prototypes. We can also produce small batches of sheet metal components and then where needed larger volumes. With over 30 years experience in sub-contract sheet metal manufacturing there isn’t much we haven’t seen before or made. From small batches to high volumes and from components just a few mm across to 3M long profile sections.

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

Zinc plated mild steel sheet metal brackets

If you want to see lots more examples of sheet metal fabrication please take a look at our Pinterest Boards. We have 1000’s of examples of sheet metal components, laser cut, CNC punched, CNC folded and welded.

Please take a look at our sheet metal fabrications blog post for more information.

If you are looking for a company to supply sheet metal fabrication in the UK V and F Sheet Metal are the people to contact on 01489 577786. Alternatively you can always e-mail us your drawing data and our engineering team will be happy to advise on your designs or produce estimate options. We can open PDF, STEP, SAT, IGES, DXF and DWG drawing files. If you only have a template to copy we can cope with the as well and produce you a dimensioned drawing if needed.

Sheet metal aluminium fabrications produced in Great Britain 2017

Thursday, July 20th, 2017

Typical aluminium fabrications produced in 2017 by V and F Sheet Metal

Folded aluminium sheet metal fabrications

Whether it’s TiG or MiG welding we can supply your sheet metal aluminium fabrication needs. Producing all our sheet metal blanks from the best CNC punching and laser cutting machines enables us to produce very accurate weld joints. This saves time and money when it comes to welding and reduces the amount of cleaning up that has to be carried out after welding.

TiG welding aluminium housings

If you are looking for aluminium housings, boxes or enclosures we can help. Using Radan CAD/CAM software to plan out the exact fit of the parts to save time in production. We can build in location tags and slots to simplify assembly and ensure the correct alingment of fabrications.

Welded sheet metal fabrications

Along with aluminium fabrications we can also weld stainless steel, mild steel, zintec, galvanised steel and brass. Take a look through our website recent fabrication projects, blog posts and galleries to see just how many people we help with their products.

So if you need aluminium fabrications to complete your products and you want to purchase them from a supportive supplier in Great Britain why not contact us on 01489 577786.

Sheet metal fabrications in the UK 2017

Thursday, April 20th, 2017

We have been busy manufacturing many sheet metal fabrications in 2017 from our base in Fareham, Hampshire. These sheet metal fabrications have a wide range of uses for many of our customers in the UK. This blog post features sheet metal fabrications used to build industrial light fittings, centrifugal blood testing equipment, heating chassis and oil pumping control housings.

Sheet metal blanks waiting to be folded up

A quick look at the range of components that were fabricated recently show that we are always laser cutting and CNC punching sheet metal work. Whether it’s stainless steel, aluminium alloys or any of the many types of steel and it’s treated derivatives we can cope with it.

Laser cutting sheet metal work

Laser cutting is a modern way of producing sheet metal fabrications. It produces highly accurate blanks in a range of materials and thicknesses without the need for expensive tooling. Linked and driven by Radan CAD/CAM software the component blanks that are laser cut are ready for bending without further processing.

Sheet metal work

Many sheet metal fabrications have folded features which we carry out on our CNC press brakes. We have a range of 7 CNC press brakes and the one featured here is a 3M long machine. This Safan e-Brake 3M CNC press brake has 100 tons of electrical force and was installed brand new in 2016. Sharing CNC bend tooling with our 3 Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes enables us to be very flexible when it comes to work load production planning. These sheet metal fabrications were laser cut from 3mm zintec and have several 90 degree folded produced during the same bending cycles.

Spot welded sheet metal fabrications

Spot welding is a cheap and easy way to join 2 of more sheet metal components together. Using spot welding is particularly useful with ferrous materials and internal components that do not have a cosmetic appearance. If a good cosmetic appearance is required sometimes swivel spot welding tips can be used. If this still isn’t good enough then a post spot welding cleaning up is required. Either disc grinding or orbital sanding will remove all evidence of any spot welding if required.

If you want to know more about sheet metal work and how it’s made follow this link to our specific web page.

If you have sheet metal fabrications that you need to have manufactured please give us a call on 01489 577786. Alternatively you can send us a e-mail with your requirements and we will be happy to help you.

Sheet Metal Projects in March 2017 from V and F Sheet Metal

Monday, April 10th, 2017

Sheet Metal Projects in March 2017 from V and F Sheet Metal

Laser cutting sheet metal work

Again, this month we have been busy laser cutting sheet metal projects. From small clips and angle brackets in 0.7mm stainless steel to 6mm thick mild steel and 5mm thick aluminium and everything in between. One particular project was interesting when we were asked to laser cut replica sword blanks to be used in film work. You just never know what’s coming next in sub-contact engineering.

New machine starts work straight away

We were really pleased to have another brand new Trumpf 7036 CNC press brake join the ranks of bending machines we use here in Fareham, Hampshire. There were so many bending sheet metal projects in March 2017 that the new machine helped with. Having already used two of the these machines before we had all the old CNC programs ready to go as well as the tooling. With the purchase of new tooling to expand our tooling library the machine was up and running the same day it was delivered.

Formed sheet metal chassis

These formed sheet metal chassis are just typical sheet metal work that we make for out UK based customers and were just another one of the sheet metal projects in March 2017 that were completed in the UK.

If you are looking for a new sheet metal worker then please take a look at our website and the services we can offer you. We are constantly investing in new technology to help improve the manufacturing processes we can offer you. From the latest CAD/CAM software (we have Radan 2017) to a brand new Trumpf 7036 CNC press brake (installed March 2017), these are exciting times.

If you have a set of drawings you want us to review for you please send them through to sales@vandf.co.uk. We are happy to offer alternative prices even if it’s just a costing exercise to check that your current supplier to competitive. Perhaps you want to have a chat to check out your designs are suitable for manufacturing. Our manufacturing team is here waiting to help you, call us on 01489 577786.

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