Sheets are really popular and can be used for many purposes in different industries worldwide. The process of choosing seems really easy at first but is actually very complex and it is important that a person has a good knowledge about the process to ensure that it is done correctly. If you want to purchase sheet metal for your use, it is necessary that you are aware of what characteristics to look for when you are searching. Various types of sheet metals in the market like HR sheet, cold rolled steel, cold rolled low carbon steel, etc. confuse the customers while choosing. So, there are many factors which needs to be considered before choosing a sheet metal.
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- Are you looking for strength?
If you are looking for sheet metal which you will use for decorative or protective purposes (maybe for cladding or building), then you do not need it to be strong. The strength of the metal is important if you are going to use it for bearing loads. A polished, smooth aluminium sheet might look attractive to you but it will not provide you tensile strength. Of Course unless you can form it into a profile, which will add much rigidity to it.
- Corrosion Resistance
Some metals which do not corrode are stainless, aluminium and copper, but they do develop an oxide film on their surface. But the cold rolled steel has a tendency to rust very quickly if not kept under protection. Another factor which needs to be kept in mind in this case is galvanic corrosion. This corrosion is a phenomenon in which if two dissimilar metals are kept side by side in contact with each other then the difference in their electrical potential makes one of the two metals corrode.
Read also – Difference Between Cold Rolling Steel, Hot Rolled Steel & Cold Forming Of Steel
- Appearance
If in the end you have decided to apply a plated, painted or powder finish, then it wouldn’t matter if the actual sheet metal doesn’t look good. But sometimes you can also choose a bare metal look for some applications.
- Weight
Weight is necessary to be kept in mind while choosing both mobile and fixed sheet metal. If you are using it in something which is mobile the weight needs to be lighter, for example, in trailer components. Moving the trailer consumes fuel, hence if the weight is less, less fuel will be required. And less weight also means more load. If you can manage keeping the weight down then it will also enable the slimming down of the supporting structure, which in turn means that you will need less metal elsewhere. Another thing which should be kept in mind along with weight is strength. The stronger the metals you are choosing the denser and heavier they will be. Aluminium is an exception as it is stronger compared to its weight.
- Formability
It is observed that some kinds of sheet metals are easier to bend than the others. You can take aluminium for example as most of its grades are very ductile. But stainless is totally opposite and cracks easily. Low carbon steels come somewhere in between. Any sheet material which can be easily formed is useful in steel trading company as they can be manufactured combining different types of pieces.
Read More – What Industries Use HR And CR Rolled Sheets And How?
