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    • History – How did we get here?
    • FAQ – Sheet Metal Work
    • How to contact us
    • 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
    • Guifil PE 6-16 CNC Bending
    • Haeger Bush / Stud Inserter
    • High speed sawing aluminium
    • Laser Cutting Sheet Metal Work
    • Power Press and press work
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    • Safan Guillotine and Cutting
    • Sawing angle, tube and bar
    • Spot Welding sheet metal
    • Stud Welding Sheet Metal
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    • Bend Table – Small Joggles
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CNC bending and foldingcnc punchengineeringEngineering and Sheet Metal Newslaser cuttingsheet metalSheet metal dataSheet metal fabricationsSheet metal facilitiesTrumpf manufacturing equipmentUncategorizedWelding

Stainless steel fabrications manufactured from sheet metal

Thursday, February 18th, 2021

Stainless steel fabrications

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 fabrications

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.

Manufacturing small sheet metal brackets in the UK

Friday, January 3rd, 2020

Manufacturing small sheet metal brackets in the UK

Manufacturing small sheet metal brackets in the UK

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

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

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

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

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

Stainless steel sheet metal brackets manufactured in Great Britain

Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019

Stainless steel sheet metal brackets

Stainless steel brackets

If you are looking for a supplier of brackets manufactured in Great Britain then you really should be talking to V and F sheet Metal. With over 30 years’ experience in manufacturing sheet metal brackets there’s nothing we haven’t seen before. From thick gauge aluminium angle brackets to support electronics rack mounted chassis to stainless steel top hat brackets. Mild steel, Zintec, galvanised steel you name it and we have worked with it.

Brackets manufactured in Great Britain

Stainless steel brackets

For brackets manufactured in Great Britain by a family owned British company we are the people to come and talk to. The stainless steel brackets shown here were from an order for one of our customers in Oxfordshire. All 3 types of brackets were laser cut, barrel de-burred to take away any sharp edges and then folded up on our CNC press brakes.

The design and order volume was all to suit our customer’s needs.

Stainless steel brackets

Stainless steel brackets

The advantage in using laser cutting machines, CNC punch presses and CNC press brakes is the flexibility they bring to manufacturing. We can change details to suit your needs from batch to batch. Be it hole sizes, bend lengths, bend angles or material thicknesses.

Perhaps you have a standard bracket but need a modified special batch for a new installation, give us a call and we can easily produce options for you.

With a wealth of manufacturing experience along with a large range of standard tooling we are your perfect partner when it comes to sourcing brackets manufactured in Great Britain.

Contact our estimate and programming team on 01489 57776, use the onsite contact form or send your drawings direct to us at sales@vandf.co.uk

We will be happy to produce some price options for you and help where we can to get your prices down.

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

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

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.

Sheet metal work manufactured in the UK

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.

CNC punched sheet metal components manufacturers

Monday, January 14th, 2019

CNC punched sheet metal components produced by V and F Sheet Metal

If you are looking for someone to produce your CNC punched sheet metal components we can definitely support you. From the smallest parts the size of a finger nail up to components the size of a 2.5M x 1.25M sheet. Using Trumpf CNC punch presses we can deal with all your CNC punching requirements. However, if your designs really do not suit CNC punching we also have a Trumpf fibre laser cutter. Working alongside our Trumpf CNC punch presses we really do offer the complete sheet metal processing service.

For lot’s of interesting examples of CNC punch presses in action take a look at our YouTube channel.

For a more in depth explanation of CNC punching and it’s uses take a look at this page.

Supported by using the latest Radan CAD/CAM sheet metal software. We are able to read your drawings and help you develop your sheet metal components ready for efficient manufacturing. If you already have a finished design for your sheet metal components please send your data to sales@vandf.co.uk. We can offer you price options to suit your purchase order batch needs. If you have a new design and want some help, call us on 01489 577786 and our engineering team will be happy to help.

CNC punching plastic coated steel

CNC punching plastic coated steel

CNC punched sheet metal components

CNC punching with cut blanks

CNC punching in Great Britain

CNC punching in Great Britain

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

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

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

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 workers in Hampshire Great Britain

Thursday, November 29th, 2018

Sheet metal workers in Hampshire Great Britain using the latest CNC controlled equipment.

Folded sheet metal angles

Folded sheet metal angles

Based in Hampshire on the M27 we are ideally placed to support companies along the south coast and with next day deliveries throughout Great Britain.

So many of our sheet metal projects start out by being either CNC punched or laser cut and this example is no different. Due to the accuracy and the speed that they offer sheet metal workers these processes are perfect for this type of component. Being relatively small, thin gauge and a batch of nearly 2000 parts it was perfect for our capacity.

Folding sheet metal work

Folding sheet metal work

Using a Trumpf 7036 CNC press brake to fold a component under 1M long is the best choice. It’s very quick and easy to set up. It’s very quick to run and has the accuracy demanded by our customers parts.

There are lots of opportunities to see the Trumpf 7036 in action on our YouTube channel.

All our manufacturing processes are supported by using Radan CAD/CAM sheet metal work and P4W production management software systems.

Sheet metal workers in Hampshire Great Britain

Sheet metal workers in Hampshire Great Britain

So in conclusion, if you have a sheet metal job that needs laser cutting / CNC punching or folding you need to give us a call. We will be more than happy to support you in the correct dimensions for your design to suit standard tooling and save you money. Call us on 01489 577786 or alternatively e-mail us on sales@vandf.co.uk for a quick quote.

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.

Sheet metal work from V and F Sheet Metal in Hampshire Great Britain

Monday, October 8th, 2018

Sheet metal work from V and F Sheet Metal

Sheet metal work projects featuring CNC punched motor end caps with folded tabs formed on the Trumpf 3000R punch press

Sheet metal work projects featuring CNC punched motor end caps with folded tabs formed on the Trumpf 3000R punch press

Whether you just want a few sheet metal prototypes for your new design or full production we are here to help you! We use CNC punching and laser cutting to produce accurate sheet metal blanks. Working with a range of CNC bending machines to produce work from the simplest single angle to complex electronics chassis components. Complimented by the latest in house welding equipment we can offer you a comprehensive manufacturing service.

We have an experienced team of skilled sheet metal workers able to turn their hand to all sorts of projects. From welding aluminium housings, folding stainless steel enclosures, laser cutting brass and copper electrical components. You name it and we have made it.

The image shown here is a CNC punched zintec treated mild steel bracket. Using a particularly clever piece of tooling on our Trumpf 3000R we were able to produce the folded flaps at the same time as punching. The Trumpf multi-bend tooling works with a range of materials and thicknesses. It saves a lot of time and produces a very consistent bend.

So if you have a new sheet metal work project and you want some prices, please give us a call. We are always happy to look at current parts and offer advice to save you money. Perhaps we can look at manufacturing using a different process to save money or improve quality. Give us a try on 01489 577786 or sales@vandf.co.uk

Advantages and disadvantages of plastic coated materials

Monday, July 16th, 2018

Plastic coated materials

This was an interesting little job I saw in the workshop today and gives me the chance to talk about the pros and cons of pre-coated materials. The customer wanted us to produce a batch of 300 electric motor covers. These were made from mild steel with zinc coating on the underside. The top face has a thick white plastic coating bonded to it and on top of this sits a low tac 4 thou (0.1016mm) peelable protective film. This film actually stays in place throughout the entire cutting and manufacturing process and remains there whilst the components are being transported to the customer. It is only removed at site after delivery, by the customer.

Plastic coated flat blank

Plastic coated flat blank

The flat blanks here were punched out using our Trumpf 3000R punching machine. This is obviously slower than using our Trumpf fibre laser but unfortunately pre-coated materials such as highly reflective pre-anodised reflector material, pre-painted material or plastic coated material (as seen here) are not suited to laser cutting.

Folding up the blanks

Folding up the blanks

For this job 0.9mm mild steel was used but with the coating on it measures 1.2mm. The coating is very durable and tough with a leatherette finish. It would be a good coating to use for something such as a radiator cover. Another advantage is that it is relatively cheap as it bypasses the need for another process such as powder coating. However, unlike powder coating it does leave exposed edges so is only suitable for interior settings.

Protective film partially removed

Protective film partially removed

Need to contact us?

Take a look at our website for more insights into past and recent sheet metal projects and the help we can give you with your designs. There’s also a useful section dedicated to our plant list and detailed help on tooling.

If you are looking to purchase metal work in Great Britain, then do it it’s easy! No complications with language problems or expensive shipping costs. Just pick up the phone and talk to us on 01489 577786. Alternatively send us your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will produce some estimates for you.

Electric motor covers

Electric motor covers

Basically if you want to have sheet metal work produced in the south of England we would be more than pleased to help you.

Phew what a scorcher! But our team are still carrying on!

Wednesday, July 4th, 2018

What a scorcher!

I don’t know about you but I enjoy this lovely weather on the rare occasion it comes our way in England! I might even get my shorts on and lounge around in the garden with a nice cold drink at the weekend. But like many of us, our team of dedicated staff find it no joke trying to work in this heat in the office and on the shop floor! No air conditioning here!

Folding with a Safan CNC press brake

Folding with a Safan CNC press brake

However despite the heat, we’re trying to make the best of it and push on through the heat to bring you the best in manufacturing design and production from our company in Fareham, Hampshire. We usually post about our very latest engineering projects to give you an idea of the sheer range of metal work components we’re able to produce using our up to date plant list and tooling. However today I’ve just posted up a few photos of the members of our team hard at work despite the hot weather!

CNC folding with Trumpf 7036 press brakes

CNC folding with Trumpf 7036 press brakes

Need some advice?

We have an experienced team of staff here, both on and off the shop floor. Please don’t hesitate to send us your drawings and we will quickly be able to see if we can help. Email us at sales@vandf.co.uk or give us a call on 01486 577786 if you are still not sure and we can talk through all the options.

Folding up of components

Folding up of components

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

Wednesday, March 7th, 2018

Spot welding

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

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

Spot welding bay

Spot welding bay

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

Spot welding electrodes

Spot welding electrodes

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

Spot welded bracket

Spot welded bracket

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

Cluster tool and CNC punching sheet metal components

Tuesday, February 13th, 2018

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

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

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

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

Radan image of ventilation slots

Radan image of ventilation slots

NEST image of cluster tool

NEST image

Close up of NEST image

Close up of NEST image

Punched component

Punched component

Chassis in production

Chassis in production

Manufacturing a Sheet Metal Stainless Steel Guide Plate with tapped holes

Tuesday, January 9th, 2018

Stainless Steel Guide Plate

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

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

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

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

Stainless steel Guide plate

Stainless steel Guide plate

Stainless steel Guide plate program

Stainless steel Guide plate program

TAPPING EXPLODED TOOL

TAPPING EXPLODED TOOL

TAPPING CROSS SECTION

TAPPING CROSS SECTION

CNC punching the guide plate

CNC punching the guide plate

CNC punched nest of guide plates

CNC punched nest of guide plates

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

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.

Sheet metal fabrication in the UK

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

aluminium fabrications

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

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

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 housings folding with our Safan CNC press brake

Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017

Folding sheet metal housings using our Safan e-Brake CNC press brake


Fast Tube by Casper

Take a look and see how easy it is for us to produce sheet metal housings. With standard CNC press brake tooling this job took under 10 minutes to CNC program and tool up. A couple of minutes to fold the first sheet metal housing and make a few corrections to the sizes and angles. Then we were off on a batch of 100 units. The ability to move from job to job in a short time makes this method of sheet metal work very flexible. Keeping set up times down to the minimum help reduce prices.

The Safan e-Brake CNC press brake has 100 tons of folding force and a 3M long bed. It works perfectly with our Trumpf 3030 fibre laser machine. The laser can cut up to 3M long and the press brake can fold up to 3M long.

If you have a sheet metal project that requires folded components we have the perfect machines for the job. Whether you have small brackets and angles which suit our 3 Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. If you have components up to 3M long then our Safan e_Brake is the machine. Give us a call on 01489 577786 or send your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk and our engineering team will be happy to help you.

What is sheet metal fabrication and where can I buy it?

Thursday, April 6th, 2017

So what is sheet metal fabrication and where can I buy it?

Sheet metal fabrication is a term that covers a wide range of manufacturing activity. For us here at V and F Sheet Metal it can range from laser cutting and CNC punching ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Bending and forming the sheet metal blanks into a range of shapes and sizes. Inserting captive fasteners to aid assembly. Welding and cleaning up to powder coating, zinc plating and anodising to name but a few processes.

Laser cutting sheet metal work

Laser cutting sheet metal work

Using laser cutting is a very flexible tool when it comes to producing sheet metal fabrication blanks. With a fibre laser we have the ability to not only cut traditional ferrous and non-ferrous metals but also yellow metals such as copper and brass alloys. We use a Trumpf 3030 3KW fibre laser for all our laser cutting needs and its a very versatile machine.

Bending sheet metal fabrications

Bending sheet metal fabrications

Nearly all our sheet metal fabrications that are not simply flat will be folded on one of our 7 CNC press brakes. This range of machines allow us to efficiently bend components from just a few mm wide to 3000mm long. CNC press brakes are an effective way of folding sheet metal fabrications with standard tooling. They enable CNC programs to be written and then used again and again for future batches without wasting any time. Today’s CNC press brakes are fast, very accurate and easy to set up. They are suitable for prototypes, small batch work and higher volume sheet metal fabrication.

Spot welded sheet metal fabrications

Spot welded sheet metal fabrications

Spot welding and conventional TiG and MiG welding techniques are used to produce sheet metal fabrications. We can weld steels, stainless alloys, brass, aluminium alloys, zintec and galvanised steel. Most commercial welding techniques can be used to produce your sheet metal fabrication work including stitch, tack and seam welding.

Sheet metal brackets

Sheet metal brackets

The manufacture of small sheet metal brackets is a speciality for us here at V and F Sheet Metal. With laser cutting and CNC punching feeding our wide range of CNC press brakes a day doesn’t go by when we are not making sheet metal brackets.

Formed sheet metal chassis

Formed sheet metal chassis

Although most sheet metal folding consists of tight bends produced in simple V bend tooling there are times when larger curves are needed. We have a range of in house tooling that can be used to produce your sheet metal fabrication profiles and these chassis nicely demonstrate this feature.

Sheet metal housings

Sheet metal housings

Here’s a typical example of sheet metal fabrications manufactured by us in 2017. They are made from 1.2mm thick 1050a aluminium alloy, they have been CNC punched, had the sharp edges de-burred and folded on on of our Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes. They are waiting to be tack welded together before going off to be powder coated.

CNC punching machines

CNC punching machines

CNC punching has been the main manufacturing technique we have used for producing sheet metal blanks for years now. With the ability to produce complex shapes in a range of metals and form interesting shapes such as dimples, ventilation louvres, threaded holes etc. they are the main stay of our sheet metal fabrication. Now that we also have a laser cutting machine they is virtually no shape we cannot produce.

Sheet metal folding facility

Sheet metal folding facility

We are very proud to now have 3 Trumpf 7036 CNC press brakes, one was newly installed in March 2017. With our 4 other CNC press brakes this provides a wide range of processing ability and capacity to cope with small and large batch of sheet metal fabrication folding.

Sheet metal blanks waiting to be folded up

Sheet metal blanks waiting to be folded up

Just another day at V and F Sheet Metal, a range of fabrication sizes and volumes waiting to be folded up. We have a team of people who CNC program parts for laser cutting, CNC punching and CNC bending. We also have to keep production moving with the correct materials, gasses and customer data. You can be sure that we keep a close eye on all work going through our factory to see where we can improve processes and suggest ideas to our customers to save time and money.

What is sheet metal fabrication

Welding sheet metal

What is sheet metal fabrication? Well this has to be it. A mild steel fabrication that has been CNC punched, de-burred and folded up on a CNC press brake. The curved end caps have been rolled up and then all the joints and been seem welded together. The final fabrication was then clean us using a range of hand tools to produce a smooth outer surface.

This blog post is only a quick survey of the techniques used in manufacturing sheet metal fabrications. For a more in depth study why not read our “What is sheet metal work and how is it made?” pages.

What is sheet metal fabrication? Still want to see more examples, why not take a look at our Pinterest Boards for thousands of examples of sheet metal fabrications.

Very fast CNC punching of sheet metal brackets from V and F Sheet Metal

Monday, February 13th, 2017

If you want to see just how fast a Trumpf CNC punch press can produce sheet metal blanks for brackets then take a look at this video.


Fast Tube by Casper

These galvanised mild steel brackets used in the building trade are typical of the work that we produce on our CNC punch presses. The ability to punch out parts and send them straight down the machine chute into a collecting bin is really helpful when processing large volumes of work. Running 2 of these machines in our factory here in Hampshire, UK enables us to be very flexible when it comes to your rush jobs or trying out new prototype parts. CNC punching of sheet metal brackets is not the only way we can manufacture these parts. We also have a Trumpf 3030 fibre laser machine to offer the complete sheet metal cutting package. The laser is perfect for thicker gauges and those awkward shapes that would need special tooling on a CNC punch press. If you get the chance please have a look at our gallery pages.
We have a large range of past sheet metal projects that should help to illustrate the range of services we can offer you.

When offering a sheet metal manufacturing service in the UK it’s all about flexibility. The ability to offer different solutions for your purchasing needs when you need them. Being able to quickly take your CAD data and come back with quotes and design options. Basically being able to speak your language, understand your needs and save you time and money.

If you want to learn more about the way we go about CNC programming these machines please follow this link.

If you have a live project that needs manufacturing, give us a go. Call us on 01489 577786 and our engineering team will be happy to take you call. If you already have drawings or 3D data then please send them to sales@vandf.co.uk and we will take a look for you.

Sheet metal work with pressed inserts for quicker assembly

Sunday, January 1st, 2017

Sheet metal work with pressed inserts really does speed up your assembly times saving you money. Pressed inserts can also offer a more reliable method of servicing sheet metal parts for break downs and regular service inspections.

Black anodised angle brackets

Black anodised angle brackets

Black anodised aluminium angle brackets are typical of the sheet metal work containing pressed inserts that we produce for our UK based customers. These angle brackets have had mild steel zinc plated bushes inserted after the bracket have been treated with an anodising and black dye process. The brackets are used by an electric motor company in one of their pumping units and we normally manufacture them in batches of 100 at a time. The bushes are used to replace M4 nuts in assembly and speed up the time taken to screw them into their pump chassis. The principle can be applied to any fixing bracket whether it’s mid steel, stainless steel or aluminium.

Sheet metal work with pressed inserts

Folded zintec sheet metal chassis panels

Here’s another simple folded chassis manufactured from 3mm thick Zintec, a form of zinc coated mild steel sheet. The chassis components have been laser cut and folded up using CNC production equipment for speed and accuracy. The bushes are again pressed in to speed up the assembly times of our customer once they take the parts from us. The chassis are powder coated and all the inserted threads are blanked off prior to powder coating to enable easy assembly for our customers.

We have a range of equipment designed to press these inserts into sheet metal quickly and without leaving any witness marks. We insert hundreds of thousands of bushes and studs every year and will have a solution to your sheet metal design needs.

Sheet metal work with pressed inserts can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and we have lots of examples in our Insert Gallery.

To really understand how we can help you with the vast array of bushes, studs and stand-offs that can be selected we suggest you give us a call and our engineering team will be happy to help. Alternatively, if you wish to send us your drawings we can check through them and suggest better alternative inserts when needed.

Sheet metal projects in August 2016, take a look and see what we get up to

Wednesday, August 24th, 2016

Sheet metal projects in August 2016

August 2016 laser cutting projects

Laser cut 5mm thick aluminium sheet metal project

Here’s a great example of a sheet metal laser cutting project we have produced for a customer of ours using 5mm thick 5251 aluminium alloy. These components were used to create an end cap for sections of aluminium extrusion on a building project. The Trumpf 3030 fibre laser cutting machine we use made quick work of these parts cutting all features with nitrogen for a clean edge with minimal de-burring needed on the reverse edges. You can see for yourself just how effectively the parts can be laid out on the sheet to get the best possible material use and cheapest price.

August 2016 manufacturing projects

Spot welded sheet metal assemblies manufactured in August 2016

Another sheet metal project that was manufactured in August 2016 was to make a series of zintec coated mild steel components and then spot weld them all together. These spot welded assemblies are used in an air conditioning unit and we often make in batches of 50-100 at a time. All the parts have been CNC punched, CNC bent and then spot welded to make up the fabricated assemblies and they are typical of the sheet metal projects we have manufactured during August 2016.

sheet metal projects August 2016

Zinc plated sheet metal working project August 2016

These zinc plated components have been laser cut from 3mm thick mild steel and formed to shape using standard CNC press brake tooling. We used oxygen as the cutting assist gas on these parts as any sign of edge oxidisation will have been removed in the zinc plating treatment process during the first acid dip stage.

All these sheet metal projects were manufactured during August 2016 in our factory in Fareham, Hampshire, UK. If you have a sheet metal project that you want to review or perhaps a new sheet metal project that you wish to have an estimate for costing then please give us a call on 01489 587776 or send our sheet metal engineering team your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk. We can accept DXF, DWG, PDF, STEP and SAT files direct from your design department.

CNC punched sheet metal Basingstoke

Monday, August 22nd, 2016

CNC punched sheet metal work in the Basingstoke area of Hampshire

CNC punched zintec coated mild steel

CNC punched zintec coated mild steel

If you are looking for a sheet metal working company to manufacture components for you and you need to have work CNC punched then V and F Sheet Metal are just the people to talk to. With 2 Trumpf CNC punch presses they can handle small batch work and design prototypes, special projects, repeat batches and higher volume CNC punching. Working with a huge range of ferrous and non-ferrous materials, many from stock,they can provide you with the advice you need to improve your designs to tailor them to CNC punching and save you money. These zintec coated mild steel sheet metal brackets are typical of the work V and F Sheet Metal CNC punch out everyday of the week,

CNC punched plastic coated aluminium sheet metal

CNC punched plastic coated aluminium sheet metal

Here is a typical sheet metal project being CNC punched in aluminium with a plastic peelable protective film. The plastic film can be left on the components right through the sheet metal manufacturing and even into your own assembly processes. Working alongside the 2 Trumpf CNC punch presses is a Trumpf 3030 3KW fibre laser cutting machine which is the perfect partner when it comes to producing sheet metal work projects. Offering the facility to cut thicker materials and shapes without special tooling the 2 processes offer the perfect combination of production for sheet metal projects.

If you are looking for a responsive sheet metal worker in Hampshire please give V and F Sheet Metal a call or send your drawings to sales@vandf.co.uk

Looking for sheet metal workers in the Chandlers Ford area?

Monday, May 16th, 2016

Looking for sheet metal workers in the Chandlers Ford area?

Sheet metal components

Sheet metal components

Here at V and F Sheet Metal we support companies right across Hampshire UK with a comprehensive sheet metal fabrication service. With customers regularly delivered to in Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Southampton and Winchester as well as next day overnight small packet and pallet deliveries right across the UK. If you have a one off sheet metal work project you need assistance with or a more regular production requirement we will be happy to help you. Contact our engineering team for advice of designing for efficient manufacturing of sheet metal components. Want to pop in and discuss your needs or see in more detail the services we can offer you, just give us a call.

Sheet metal parts

Sheet metal parts

The 2 parts shown here are just typical of the many thousands of items we manufacture every month from our 13,000 sq. ft. factory in Fareham, right on the M27. Using the very latest CNC punching and fibre laser cutting production processes to produce sheet metal blanks quickly and accurately to a price that you need. Along with 6 CNC bending machines, up to 3M long and 100 tons force, we have great flexibility when it comes to that rush job you just have to get out.

Have a sheet metal project you need help with? Call us on 01489 577786 or e-mail you drawings to sales@vand.co.uk

Pressing in studs with fly-presses

Saturday, May 14th, 2016

Flush head studs inserted into sheet metal products

Fly-presses in action

Fly presses in action

We use flush head studs to provide a permanent stud (male thread) into a range of sheet metal materials and thicknesses. They might be aluminium, stainless steel but by far the most popular are mild steel and zinc plated studs. They come in a range of lengths from 6mm up to 50mm and from M2.5 to M8, other sizes can be achieved by special order. They act as a permanent screw thread in place of a screw for assembling components and are often used for an earth point in electrical cabinets and electronics chassis and gear trays. The example show here is of a light fitting gear tray and the studs are used a fixing positions for a lighting ballast.

Lighting gear trays with flush head studs

Lighting gear trays with flush head studs

The studs are often pressed in with our Haeger bush and stud inserter machine. It can cope with all studs, bushes, stand-offs and tank bushes. In this case we are showing one of our fly-presses being used to insert M3 x 18mm mild steel zinc plated flush head studs.

If you have a sheet metal component design and you are not quite sure what you need please just give us a call and we will be more than happy to help you with finding the right insert to suit you. Call us on 01489 577786 or send us your designs to sales@vandf.co.uk

Rolled mild steel sheet metal rings

Thursday, April 7th, 2016

Rolling mild steel rings

Rolling mild steel rings

A simple rolled mild steel ring for a light fitting manufactured from 0.9mm thick material. This simple component has been CNC punched from sheet metal, rolled into a ring and then stitch welded at the joints to produce a circular band. Once the bands were all welded together they were then welded to a perforated disc to produce a vented top panel for a high bay light fitting. If you look carefully at the picture you can see small tabs on the edges of the rings which have been designed to engage in slots on the perforated rings to speed up welding alignment. You will see this technique again and again in our blog posts as it’s such a powerful way of ensuring accuracy in welding and speeding up production rates without costing a lot of money.

Perhaps you have a sheet metal projects that is welded together from several parts and this technique could save time and money. We are always keen to help you and would be happy to take a look at your design and see if we can save you money. Please call us on 01489 577786 or send your designs to sales@vandf.co.uk

Sheet metal bushes

Tuesday, January 26th, 2016

Sheet metal panels with knockouts and bushes

Sheet metal panels with knockouts and bushes

Sheet metal bushes inserted in mild steel panels

Here I have found a large mild steel panel with electrical conduit knock outs pressed in by a CNC punch press and bushes being pressed in on a fly-press. We have used a fly-press in this instance to insert the bushes because the panels were quite large and the bushes were M10 which was just too big for our Haeger bush inserter to cope with.

If you are looking for any sheet metal panels with hank bushes inserted please give us a call or send over your drawings and we will be happy to advise you on bush styles and produce some prices for you.

Batch Manufacture of Sheet Metal Products

Friday, January 15th, 2016

Batch Manufacture of Sheet Metal Products

Batch Manufacture of Sheet Metal Products

Batch Manufacture of Sheet Metal Products

With a wide range of modern sheet metal manufacturing equipment V and F Sheet Metal can offer you batch manufacturing from simple one offs, new design prototypes and special small volume projects to repeating batches and larger call offs. Using CNC laser cutting with a Trumpf 3030 fibre 3KW laser and 2 Trumpf CNC punch presses we can process most sheet metal products in ferrous and non-ferrous sheet from just a couple of parts from an off cut of sheet to high volumes using many tons of material. Along with 6 CNC press brakes from 600mm right up to 3000mm long we can cope with most sheet metal work you can throw at us. All programming is carried out with the latest Radan sheet metal software allowing design options to be investigated before cutting any sheet, saving you time and money once in production.

Whether you want a small batch of 25 parts called off from a larger volume or a 5000 batch made in one go, give us a call and we will be happy to help you with your sheet metal requirements.

Sheet metal sections in Hampshire

Thursday, January 14th, 2016

From 0.3mm tin plated mild steel to 10mm stainless steel thick and from just a few mm across to 3M long V and F Sheet Metal can fold sheet metal sections in their factory in Fareham, Hampshire, UK. With 6 CNC press brakes ranging from 600mm Guifils and 1000mm Trumpf 7036 machines right up to 3000mm Safan e-Brake (new in 2015) V and F can cover all your sheet metal folded section needs.

For more information on sheet metal work and how it’s made take a look at our in depth web page.

We also have a range of fly presses with specialist form tooling for that unusual shaped bracket, give us a go and we are sure we will be able to help you.

Sheet Metal Work with Pressed Inserts

Wednesday, January 13th, 2016

Mild steel chassis with bushes and studs

Mild steel chassis with bushes and studs

Mild steel chassis with bushes and studs

Great example of sheet metal work with pressed in bushes, studs and stand-offs. All parts are mild steel and zinc plated and will be powder coated on the final finished sheet metal components. These chassis sections are typical of the many designs we manufacture using a range of bushes, studs and stand-offs to make our customers lives a lot easier when it comes to assembling their products. The inserts are very robust and can cope with being degreased and the over temperatures involved with powder coating.

Sheet metal work with hank bushes

Sheet metal work with hank bushes

Sheet metal work with hank bushes

A range of Hank bushes inserted in a zintec chassis panel using our Haeger bush inserter machine. Bushes range form M2.5 to M12 in mild steel zinc plated and stainless steel and for a wide range of material sheet thicknesses. As shown here they can be inserted on both sides of the sheet and very close to each other if requited making them a versatile alternative to tapping threads or using separate nuts in assembly. We have inserted millions of hank bushes over the years and still find them to be the best most robust solution to having a captive thread in a sheet metal work design.

Mild steel panels with flush head studs

Mild steel panels with flush head studs

Mild steel panels with flush head studs

We use flush head studs in a range of sizes, lengths and materials in hundreds of different sheet metal panels. The sheet metal work shown here is typical of the front panels we would make for people with flush head studs. We simple laser cut or CNC punch a hole in the sheet wherever the stud is needed and press the studs in place. If the studs head has to be completely invisible on the front face the a weld stud is used but if a small witness is not important then the pressed in studs are the best solution being cheap to buy, quick to insert and very accurately positioned as they have the hole predefined +/- 0.1mm by laser cutting or CNC punching.

If you have a sheet metal work project that needs bushes, stand offs or studs please give us a call and we will be happy to help. There are also a whole range of more specialist inserts that we can press into to speed up your assembly times and we are happy to discuss your needs and advise where needed.

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