Okuzeka
Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · Manufacturing Processes

Sheet metal

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

nounCommon term

In mechanical engineering, sheet metal means: Metal made into thin, flat sheets, usually less than about 6 mm thick, and the parts made from it by cutting, bending and joining.

In Turkish: sac, sac metal, ince levha

How it is used

Used for enclosures, panels, brackets, ducts and car bodies. Typical processes are laser cutting, punching, bending on a press brake and welding. Sheet metal parts are designed in CAD with a flat pattern, and the thickness and bend radius are specified.

Example sentences

  1. The cover is made from 1.5 mm galvanized sheet metal.

  2. Send the flat pattern to the sheet metal shop for laser cutting.

Common collocations

  • sheet metal part
  • sheet metal fabrication
  • bend radius
  • press brake
  • flat pattern
  • weldingJoining metal parts permanently by melting them at the joint, often with a filler metal, so that they become one piece when they cool.
  • CADShort for computer-aided design: software used to create 3D models and 2D drawings of parts and assemblies, such as SolidWorks, CATIA, Siemens NX or AutoCAD.
  • assemblyA group of parts joined together to form a unit, or the process of putting parts together. A smaller unit inside it is called a subassembly.
  • corrosionSlow damage to a metal caused by a chemical reaction with its environment, such as water, air or chemicals. Rust on steel is the most familiar example.

More terms: Manufacturing Processes

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: