Sunday 8 June 2014

Whenever In Need For Sheet Metal Los Angeles Should Be Thought Of First

By Sally Delacruz


Sheet metal is an industrial product made from various metals into thin, flat pieces. It is an essential raw material in most fabrication process of many other pieces of equipment. It can be made into many different shapes of different sizes. The thickness can vary a lot depending on the purpose it is meant for. Those pieces that are too thin are referred to as foils while those with thicknesses wider than six millimeters are referred to as plates.

The gauge is a traditional, non-linear measure that is used to measure the thickness of sheets. The thickness decreases with the increase in the number of the gauge. Gauge measurements commonly range from about gauge 8 to gauge 30. To get all gauges of sheet metal Los Angeles companies are worth visiting. However, the gauge measurement differs between sheets that have iron in them and those that lack iron.

Since this product has several applications in different settings, it is also made from many different metals. Some of the most commonly used metals include brass, aluminium, titanium, tin, steel, copper, iron, bronze, and nickel. Silver, platinum, and gold are used to make sheets for decorative use. They are sold as coiled strips or flat pieces. Coiled strips are formed by running the sheets through roll slitter machines.

Almost all industries make use of sheet metal. Any use of the sheets is determined by the material it is made from. The commonest uses include making of medical tables, airplane wings, cabinets, auto bodies, horse tack, utensils, casings, and rooftops for various buildings. Laminated steel cores or materials that have magnetic permeability like copper or iron metals are used to make transformers and electric devices.

In building, steel sheet is preferred more than other materials. This is due to its high quality and cost effectiveness. There are three main grades of stainless steel in use, that is, 316, 304, and 410. Grade 304 is the most common of all the other grades. It has an outstanding level of resistance to corrosion and maintains formability and weldability quite nicely. The level of corrosion resistance and strength of grade 316 at higher temperatures is however higher than that of grade 304. It is therefore used more in manufacture of pumps, chemical equipment, valves, and marine applications.

Aluminium is also a commonly used metal because of its cost effectiveness, wider range of options, and high level of flexibility. It comes in four major grades, that is, 6061-T6, 5052-H32, 3003-H14, and 110-H14. Grade 1100-H14 comes as commercially pure form of aluminum. It has the highest resistance to weather and chemicals. Its high ductility allows deep drawing and welding although it has low strength. Common applications are in jewelry and light reflectors.

In Los Angeles, this industry creates a lot of revenue to the local government. Most of the raw materials used in the industry are mined locally while the final products are consumed locally or exported to foreign destinations. Workers in this industry are referred to as tin knockers or tin bashers. Several hundreds of people are employed annually into this industry in different positions.

The material used to make sheet metal determines the cost. Cost also gets affected by finish, quality, size, grade, and thickness. Prices also differ a lot in different places worldwide.




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