Sheet metal design guidelines

Sheet metal is available in standard thickness. *Manufacturer provides sheet thickness in gauge.
But sheet metal parts design is done considering sheet metal thickness in mm.

Sheet metal part selection is a critical part of product design. It has an impact of the sheet metal
part design as well.

You can decide sheet metal thickness and select the material in the following ways:

• Simulation studies.
• Past experience.
• Reverse engineer existing products.
• Experimental studies.

The section below contains examples of some design guidelines for sheet metal.

Minimum inside bend radius

Recommended inside bend radius for sheet metal parts should be equal to material thickness.

Figure 1 Sharp inside bend radius in sheet metal parts can cause material flow problems in soft material and fracturing in
hard material.
Minimum sheet metal bend length

The minimum recommended sheet metal flange length avoids cracks in the bending area. It shall
be equal to three times of sheet metal thickness plus bend radius.

Figure 2 Minimum recommended sheet metal bend length.

Minimum distance from extruded hole to part edge

If an extruded hole is too close to the part edge, it can lead to deformation or tearing of the metal.
It is recommended that the minimum distance between the extruded holes to part edge should be
at least three times the thickness of sheet metal.

Figure 3 If an extruded hole is too close to the part edge, it can lead to deformation or tearing of the metal.

Minimum distance between extruded holes

If extruded holes are too close it can lead to metal deformation, it is recommended that the
minimum distance between two extruded holes should be at least six times the thickness of sheet
metal.
Figure 4 If extruded holes are too close it can lead to metal deformation.

Minimum hole diameter

It is recommended that the diameter of the hole should be more than the thickness of the sheet
metal.

Figure 5 Small holes size in sheet metal requires smaller size punching tool which may leads to break during operation.
Maximum embossment depth

It is recommended that the maximum depth of embossment be less than or equal to three times
material thickness.

Figure 6 During this operation, stretching is the main deformation mode resulting in high tension. Thereby the metal is
subject to excessive thinning or fracturing.

Dimple feature design guidelines

Figure 7 Dimple feature design.

Louver feature design

The minimum distance between the louver feature and bending edge is maintained to avoid metal
deformation.

Figure 8 Louver design in sheet metal.

Curl feature guidelines

Curls are the most often used to remove a sharp untreated edge and make it safe for handling. It is
recommended that:

• The outside radius of a curl should not be smaller than two times the material thickness.
• A size of the hole should be at least the radius of the curl plus material thickness
• A bend should be at least the radius of the curl plus 6 times the material thickness from
the curl feature.
 Figure 9 The curl edge provides strength to the edge and makes it safe for handling.

Hem feature guidelines

Hems can be used to strategically double the thickness of metal in areas of a part which may
require extra support. It is recommended that:

• For teat drops hems, the inside diameter should be at equal to the material thickness.
• For open hem the bend will lose its roundness when the inside diameter is greater that
the sheet metal thickness.
• For bends, the minimum distance between the inside edge of the bend and the outside of
the hem should be 5 times material thickness plus bend radius plus hem radius.

Figure 10 Hems are most often used to remove a sharp untreated edge and make it safe for handling.
Bend relief guidelines

It is recommended that bend relief height is always more than 2 times of sheet thickness plus
bend radius.

Figure 11 Bend relief is provided at the end of the bending edge in sheet metal design to avoid any crack tearing in the
corner.

How to design a sheet metal enclosure

Step-1 Understand product design requirements.

The first step in sheet metal enclosure design is to understand product functional and aesthetic
requirements. These requirements will define enclosure specifications and acceptance criteria.

A product requirement can include the following points:

• Sheet metal enclosure application.

• Mounting requirements.
• Enclosure working conditions, minimum and maximum working temperature conditions,
corrosion resistance, vibration requirements etc.
• Size constraints.
• Aesthetic requirements.
• Parts that you want to enclose inside the sheet metal enclosure.
• Parts, connectors etc., to be exposed to a user.
Step-2 Sheet metal enclosure preliminary design.

After we finalize the enclosure design requirements, the next step is to start work on the
enclosure’s preliminary mechanical design.

1. Enclosure aesthetic design.

2. Assembly architecture design.

Designers create various design options to finalize the best product design.

Step-3 Enclosure detailed design and development.

Sheet metal enclosure detailed design and development process involves the following tasks:

➢ Material selection.
➢ Fastener selection.
➢ CAD modeling.
➢ Finishing operations.
➢ Assembly operations.

Material selection for sheet metal enclosure design.

Part material selection ensures product quality and reliability. The following factors affect
the selection of the type of material:

➢ Material strength.
➢ Corrosion resistance.
➢ Enclosure weight constraints.
➢ Assembly process: Steel is easy to weld compared to aluminum.
➢ Cost: Lower material cost result in low product cost. That means more satisfied
customers. This factor needs to be taken more seriously at the design stage.
➢ Thermal and electrical conductivity: Cooper and aluminum electrical and thermal
conductivity are very high.

Detailed sheet metal enclosure design (CAD modeling).

During detailed enclosure design following activities are performed on CAD software.

➢ Mounting arrangement: We can use fasteners, metal/plastic brackets etc. See

How to join sheet metal parts: sheet metal joining techniques.
➢ Cutout for connectors and user interfaces.
➢ Cutout for ventilation and heat dissipation: Heat dissipation is becoming very
challenging due to electronics and electric products. Ventilation holes in the
enclosure ensure proper heat dissipation. Simulation studies help in
manufacturing the first-time right product.
➢ Ensure joining operations and assembly fasteners: Various sheet metal joining
options such as PEM clinching (see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL8IvKLWkyI&ab_channel=PennEngineering%C2%AE ), fasteners,
welding fasteners, riveting nut, studs and standoff are available to assemble.
 ➢ Design verification for assembly and manufacturing: The manufacturing team
should review the product design considering part manufacturing and assembly.

Define finish operations.

Product final finish operations affects sheet metal enclosure aesthetics and corrosion
resistance. The following points are considered during the final selection.

➢ Sheet metal material.

➢ Required corrosion resistance.
➢ Product aesthetics requirements.
➢ Conductivity requirements.

The following list is the commonly used finish operations on sheet metal parts.

Power coating: Power coating is applied electrostatically and cured under heat to flow the powder
and form skin.

Chromate conversion coating: It is a type of conversion coating used to passivate (see the following
note) zinc-plated steel, aluminum, copper, silver, magnesium and tin alloys.

**Passivation is a chemical treatment for stainless steel and other alloys that enhances the
ability of the treated surfaces to resist corrosion.

➢ There are many benefits of passivated equipment and systems:

➢ Passivation removes surface contaminations.
➢ Increases corrosion resistance.
➢ Reduces the risk of product contamination.
➢ Allows you to extend system maintenance intervals.

Anodizing: It is an electrolytic process for producing thick oxide coatings on aluminum and its
alloys, magnesium and titanium materials. Anodizing improves surface resistance to wear and
corrosion. It adds a decorative layer to the material.

**What is the difference between plating and anodizing?

In simple words, Plating is a thin coating of a metal on another metallic substance, for
example, silver plated cooper. While anodizing changes the surface of a metal through an
electrochemical process without changing the composition of the metal. The most
commonly used plating metals are nickel, chromium, tin, cooper, silver and gold. While for
anodizing, it only could be used on metal.

Step-4 Prototype development and verification.

Prototyping

After finalizing product design, the next step is sheet metal prototyping. Prototyping ensures the
designed part will meet required expectations.
Verification.

Prototype parts are verified and tested as per product functional, aesthetics, and assembly
requirements.

Step-5 product validation testing.

A product requires validation testing as per its functional requirements. The validation teams can
do these tests on prototypes if production and prototyping parts are similar.

Step-6 Production ramp-up and product launch.

** A ramp-up is a significant increase in the level of output of a company's products or

services. A ramp-up typically occurs in anticipation of an imminent increase in demand.
While it is generally a feature of smaller companies at an early stage of development, a
ramp-up can also be undertaken by large companies that are rolling out new products or
expanding in new geographies.

Engineering design process: An overview.

How to join sheet metal parts: Sheet metal joining techniques.

Sheet metal operation is crucial part of the sheet metal fabrication process. Joint reliability
depends on type, sheet metal material, and manufacturing process.

1.- Factors affecting the selection of type sheet metal joint.

Selection of the type of sheet metal joint has an impact on product design, manufacturing cost,
assembly process, joint reliability, and performance. The following factors affect the selection of
the sheet metal joining processes:

• Required joint type: permanent or temporary joint.

• Product application.
• Assembly process.
• Material type.
• Sheet thickness.

2.- Various types of sheet metal joining techniques.

The following types of sheet metal joining techniques are available to join sheet metal parts. Each
joining method has its advantages, limitations and applications.

• Screw joints.
• Rivet joints.
• Clinching joint.
• Welding joint.
• Folding / TAB sheet metal joints.
• Adhesive bonding.

2.1 Screw joint in sheet metal.

Screw joint is a type of temporary joint. Screws, bolts, nuts, studs, and standoff are used for
fastening sheet metal parts.

Machine screws

Machine screws have an application where we require multiple assemblies and disassembly
operations. These screws require additional hardware such as clinch, riveted, or welded nuts on
sheet metal parts.
 Figure 12 Temporary joint using machine screw.

Self-tapping screws

Self-tapping screws are a low-cost solution for the one-time assembly on sheet metal parts. They
require a pilot or extruded hole on one of the sheet metal parts.

Figure 13 Self-tapping screws

Selection of the type of screw / fasteners for sheet metal joint.

• The following factors affect the selection of the type of screw to joint sheet metal parts:
• Sheet metal material: Experts recommend self-tapping fasteners for hard materials (CRCA,
SS), whereas machine screws are the best choice for softer materials such as aluminum.
• Sheet thickness: Self tapping screws require larger sheet thickness to engage recommend
number of threads.
• Assembly approach: Machine screws have an application for multiple assembly and
disassembly of the product, whereas experts recommend self-tapping for one time
product assembly.
• Cost constraints: Machine screws solution is costlier than self-tapping screws.
• Structural requirements: Machine screws provide high clamping force compared to self-
tapping screws.
Advantages of screw joints in sheet metal:

• Temporary joints.
• A blind joint is possible.

Figure 14 Example of a blind joint.

• A wide variety of fasteners are available for various applications.

• Highly reliable compared to other sheet metal joining techniques.
• Easy to assemble.

Disadvantages of screws joints in sheet metal:

• Machine screws require additional fasteners such as a nut and a standoff.

Figure 15 A standoff is a double-ended threaded fastener used to set a distance between two parts.
Typical standoffs: female/female, male/female and male/male.

• Gaskets and washers are required to achieve a waterproof joint.

Rivet joints.

Riveting is a type of permanent joining operation. It requires adjacent holes in the sheet metal
parts.
 Figure 16 Parts of a rivet.

The rivet installation process involves placing the rivet inside the punched/drilled hole in the sheet
metal parts. Afterward, the rivet mandrel is pulled against the rivet head using a riveting machine.

It results in diametrical expansion of rivet pin against sheet metal part and rivet head.

Types of rivets.

We classify rivets into the following types according to rivet structure and the installation process.

Figure 17 Types of rivets.

1. Solid or round head rivets.

2. Semi-tubular rivets.
3. Oscar rivets.
4. Blind o pop rivets (commonly used in the sheet metal industry)
5. Drive rivets
6. Flush type rivets.

Advantages of riveting in sheet metal parts.

• Low operational and material costs.

• Blind joints are possible.
 • Part disassembly can cause minor damage to the part.

Advantages of riveting in sheet metal parts.

• Higher stress concentration near the riveted area.

• The riveting set up is required.
• Sheet metal clinching joint.

Sheet metal clinching joint

Figure 18 Clinching joint.

A clinching joint is a type of permanent sheet metal joining operation using cold forming
operation. It created a button-type positive connection between two or three layers of sheet
metal.

Clinching operation has application to join different material and sheet thickness parts.

Advantages of clinching joints

• Additional fasteners are not required.

• Permanent joint.
• Low operational cost.
• Can join different materials and different thicknesses parts.

Disadvantages of clinching joint

• High initial setup cost.

4.- Welding joints

The following welding techniques are used to joint sheet metal parts.

• MIG.
• TIG.
• Arc welding.
• Gas welding.
• Spot welding.

You should consider the following points during the selection of welding operations for an
application:
 • Sheet metal material.
• Sheet thickness.
• Final finish requirements.
• Airtight or waterproof requirements.
• Working temperature range.

Advantages of welded joints in sheet metal.

• Permanent joint.
• Create leak proof joints.
• High load-carrying capacity.
• Welding of complex shapes is possible.

Disadvantages of welding joints in sheet metal

• Material properties changes near the welded area.

• Welded joints are difficult to inspect.
• Welding in thin materials can cause warping and burn-through.

5.- Folding / tab joint in sheet metal

Folding or bending tabs is an economical way of making permanent sheet metal joints.

We can do this process on sheet metal bending machines

Advantages of folding joint.

• Additional fasteners are not required.

• Low cost and reliable permanent joint.
• Joining dissimilar materials.

Disadvantages of folding joint.

• Can achieve waterproof joints.

• Require a relatively long joint area to achieve the required strength.