Sheet-metal construction is useful for products that need large panels or enclosure surfaces without the weight and material usage associated with machining equivalent geometry from solid stock.
Forming Metal
From Flat Sheet to Finished Geometry
Sheet metal can be cut, punched, bent, formed, joined, and finished to create three-dimensional structures.
Sheet metal fabrication encompasses many processes used to produce panels, covers, boxes, brackets, and industrial equipment structures.
Cabinets
Lighting and Electronic Control Enclosures
Larger lighting systems may use separate cabinets for supplies, controls, terminals, communication hardware, or switching components.
Metal cabinets are one application of fabricated sheet-metal construction.
Sheet-Metal Components
Brackets, Covers and Mounting Plates
Sheet metal parts can serve as internal mounting plates, optical shields, fixture brackets, covers, cable supports, electronics trays, and structural reinforcement.
Custom Fabrication
Fabricating Around the Complete Assembly
Broader custom metal fabrication can combine sheet processing with additional welding, machining, hardware insertion, finishing, and assembly.
Cutouts & Openings
Planning for Connectors, Optics and Service Access
Panels can include openings for switches, connectors, cable entry, windows, vents, displays, fasteners, hinges, and service access.
Those locations should be coordinated with internal electronics and wiring before the enclosure layout is finalized.
Joining
Building the Final Enclosure
Sheet-metal components can be assembled using fasteners, tabs, inserts, hinges, welding, and other joining methods appropriate to the product.
Serviceable assemblies should provide access without requiring unnecessary disassembly of the complete lighting system.
Selection