Designing sheet metal components requires more than whipping up a CAD drawing that looks right on screen. The smallest design decisions can have a major impact on manufacturability, production costs, and the performance of your finished product. So, you need to consider sheet metal fabrication requirements early on in the design process to avoid unnecessary revisions and delays.

These are four of the most common pitfalls you want to steer clear of:

Overlooking Material Selection

Choosing the wrong sheet metal material can affect the durability, corrosion resistance, weight, and performance of your final product. During the design stage, you need to consider factors such as the operating environment, required strength, and finishing processes to ensure you select the right option.

Using Unnecessarily Complex Designs

Overly intricate parts often increase production time and manufacturing costs without providing you with any additional value. By simplifying shapes, reducing the number of bends, and using standard dimensions wherever possible, you can speed up the fabrication process while still ensuring it’s cost-effective and easier to repeat by leading fabricators such as dkmsheetmetal.co.uk.

Ignoring Bend Radius Requirements

One of the most frequent design errors is specifying bend radii that are too small for the chosen material. Tight bends can cause cracking, distortion, or inconsistent results during sheet metal fabrication.

Placing Features Too Close to Bends

On the subject of bends, holes, slots, and cut-outs that are positioned too close to a bend can become distorted during the forming process. This may affect the assembly, appearance, or overall strength of your component.