thin sheet metal cutting method
thin sheet metal cutting method
(OP)
Hello,
I would like to find a way of cutting 2 mm from small AL sheet metal with 0.5 mm thickness.
Could you advise me towards a method of doing it (preferably a cheap one)? As a note, I have 6.000 parts so I need something else then tin snips.
P.S I have attached also a picture.
Thank You for the support
I would like to find a way of cutting 2 mm from small AL sheet metal with 0.5 mm thickness.
Could you advise me towards a method of doing it (preferably a cheap one)? As a note, I have 6.000 parts so I need something else then tin snips.
P.S I have attached also a picture.
Thank You for the support





RE: thin sheet metal cutting method
With six thousand parts to trim, make a simple fixture to hold the parts repeatably in the correct position on a laser cutter would probably be the best way, with no distorion, bending or burring of the thin material and if both the cuts line up horizontally it may be possible to cut both lugs at once. I suspect water-jet on unsupported material of that thickness may be a problem
Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK
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RE: thin sheet metal cutting method
Or fixturing/milling in a CNC machine with an end mill/deburring.
A fine abrasive chopsaw.
RE: thin sheet metal cutting method
RE: thin sheet metal cutting method
Don
Kansas City
RE: thin sheet metal cutting method
Did someone forget to put the trim details into the die that made those?
I would tool this, O1 will work fine, design a fixture and two complementary shear cutting edges, use around 0.0015 -> 0.0020 inches clearance, btwn the "punch" and "button". You could easily shear that thin of material with an air over oil type actuator. Heck being that its Al you might even get away with just using air.
good luck!
Nick
I love materials science!
RE: thin sheet metal cutting method
RE: thin sheet metal cutting method
Also, sheet spring manufacturers do this on their 4-slide machines.
RE: thin sheet metal cutting method
If the parts are already formed, a shear might not be the best method. I agree with mcgyvr that a grinding operation may work the best. It all depends if you can fixture it so it does not deform. If the parts are still in the flat state, then a shear operation would be an effective rework. At .5mm thickness, you can probably stack them 5 high.
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