Sheet metal is one of the most versatile and widely used construction materials, with applications in just about every industry imaginable from mining, construction, farming, catering, hospitality, shipping, manufacturing, aviation, medical and transport.

But sheet metal isn’t only used in industrial situations – we find it in many domestic applications too, such as a metal surround on a kitchen bench top, in a home appliance or as a unique punched metal screen used as an interior design feature.

As a product however, sheet metals (including stainless steel, steel, mild steel and aluminium) do provide a host of advantages whether it’s for engineers, contractors or even the man-in-the-street. Let’s take a look at some of these advantages:

• Sheet metal has a low weight to thickness ratio, which means it’s easy to transport and easy to work with.
• Sheet metal is extremely strong and durable, making it the ideal high-strength material in a diversity of applications from harsh agricultural environments (e.g. sheep feeders and wheat bins) and high traffic environments (e.g. stair treads or metal scaffold planking) to extreme temperatures (e.g. industrial washing machines and ovens).
• Sheet metal is malleable, which means it can be formed, cut, bent or stretched into just about any shape, allowing sheet metal fabricators to offer their customers highly specialised solutions and custom-designs to meet just about any specification.
• Sheet metal can also be repaired relatively easily, which makes it a practical choice in many different applications.
• Its relatively low cost is also an advantage in both one-off design situations and in situations involving large quantities for mass production.

Technological advancements in the equipment used for cutting and forming sheet metal have also led to greater use of the material in a vast number of different applications. For example, Computer Numerical Control or CNC machining which involves using computers to control machine tools has enabled far greater precision than was ever possible through manual machining and sheet metal fabricators can now produce complex shapes – even repeatedly – accurately, quickly and cost-effectively.

One sheet metal fabricator in Perth that has seen significant growth in the use of the material is WA Steel, a company with over 30 years’ industry experience specialising in a range of metal fabrication. They recently moved to modern new premises in Bassendean where their state-of-the-art workshop with 2500m² of floor space including a 10 tonne overhead crane (with 8.5 metre hook height) and the complementary nature of their metal fabrication capabilities means they can offer clients highly specialised sheet metal solutions for both light and heavy fabrication projects. Visit their website or call them on 08 9377 3778 for expert help on any steel fabrication challenge.