Choose the material.
Then send the job.
Material and gauge drive sheet metal cost, formability and what bend radii are realistic. Pick for the job first, then tell us what matters most. Here are the materials we fabricate most, and what a quote needs from you.
How we match material
We route each part to the fabricator in our vetted network with the right tooling for that material and thickness, so you get one quote and one point of contact. Your project manager confirms gauge and bend radii fit before the quote goes out.
Quality + Compliance
AS9100D Compliant · ISO 9001:2015 · ISO 13485 Compliant · ITAR Registered · NIST 800-171 Compliant
Sheet metal materials
Don’t see yours? Ask. The network covers far more.
- Material
- Where it fits.
- Aluminum 5052
- Forms clean. The enclosure default.
- Aluminum 6061
- Stronger. Needs larger bend radii.
- Cold rolled steel
- Economical brackets + chassis.
- Galvanized steel
- Corrosion resistance. Weld with care.
- Stainless 304 + 316
- Harsher environments.
- Copper + brass
- Conductivity for busbars + grounding.
What to send
Everything a sheet metal quote needs.
- STEP or DXF + print
- Model or flat for geometry. Print for tolerances.
- Material + gauge
- Alloy, temper, thickness.
- Hardware
- PEM part numbers + locations.
- Finish
- Powder coat, anodize, plating, color.
- Quantity + timing
- Prototype run, volume, deadline.
- Documentation
- Material certs, inspection, ITAR requirements.
Missing something?
Send what you have. We’ll ask for the rest. One project manager owns the job from flat pattern to finished part, so material, hardware and finish questions get settled before the quote goes out.
Sheet metal materials questions
5052 is the default for formed parts. It bends cleanly at tight radii and welds well. 6061 is stronger but can crack at tight bends, so it needs larger radii. Choose it for flat or lightly formed structural parts.
Cold rolled steel is the economical choice for brackets and chassis that get painted or powder coated. Galvanized adds corrosion resistance but needs care in welding. Stainless 304 and 316 suit harsher or washdown environments.
Ask. These are the materials we fabricate most, and the network covers far more. Your project manager confirms gauge and bend radii fit the part before the quote goes out.
A STEP or DXF and a print, the material and gauge, PEM hardware part numbers and locations, the finish, quantity and timing, and any certification, inspection or ITAR requirements. Send what you have and we’ll ask for the rest.
Keep going
More on how we source sheet metal parts.
