How Are Sheet Metal Cabinets Made
Sheet metal cabinets are popular choices for kitchens, garages, workshops, and other areas that need durable storage. While they may seem simple, sheet metal cabinets require several manufacturing steps to go from raw metal sheets to finished products. Understanding how sheet metal cabinets are constructed provides insight into their strength, quality, and value.
Raw Materials
Sheet metal cabinets start as coiled sheets of steel, aluminum, or stainless steel. Common thicknesses range from 0.4 mm to 1 mm, with steel being the most popular. The gauge, coatings, and alloy will determine the metal’s strength, corrosion resistance, longevity, and price.
Shearing the Metal
The first step is cutting the coiled sheet metal to the required width and length for the cabinet components. This is done using a huge shear machine that uses reciprocating blades to slice through the coil cleanly and precisely. This shearing creates the flat pieces that will form the cabinet sides, doors, top, bottom, etc.
Bending into Shape
The sheared flat pieces then go through a press brake machine to bend them into the proper shapes. The press brake uses precision ground dies to make controlled bends and folds to form the cabinet sides, curves, notches, and profiles needed. Bending the sheets forms the box-like enclosures for the cabinets.
Punching Holes and Cutouts
Any holes, openings, or specialty cutouts need to get punched into the sheet metal components before final assembly. A punch press machine is utilized, with different punch and die sets, to create the precise holes and cutouts required for shelving, doors, drawers, louvers, handles, and hardware.
Assembly
The formed sheet metal components are now ready for assembly into a complete cabinet enclosure. Mechanical fasteners like nuts, bolts, and rivets are used to join all the parts together. Spot welding may also be used to fuse components for a solid bond and improve structural rigidity.
Adding Doors, Shelves, and Hardware
The basic cabinet shell or enclosure is now ready for finishing touches. Doors will get attached using hinges that allow for smooth opening and closing. Shelves and drawers can be slid into place and secured. Handles, knobs, locks, and any other hardware get installed as the final steps.
Finishing and Packaging
A powder coated or painted finish is commonly applied to sheet metal cabinets for aesthetics and protection. This can be a powder coating or wet spray painting process. Lastly, the fully assembled cabinets are packaged up, protected, and shipped out to retailers or directly to customers.
Durability and Strength
Understanding the steps to transform raw sheet metal into finished cabinets highlights the inherent durability and strength of these products. The steel or aluminum construction, reinforced joints, and powder coated finishes are built to last years of use and abuse. The manufacturing process results in cabinets that can securely store heavy tools, equipment, supplies, and more.
Sheet metal cabinets provide sturdy and reliable storage solutions. Knowing the stages of fabrication helps appreciate the skilled manufacturing that goes into quality sheet metal cabinetry. With attention to detail and craftsmanship, raw steel and aluminum is turned into rugged products designed to serve diverse storage needs for years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sheet Metal Cabinets
How is sheet metal cut and bent into shape?
Sheet metal is cut to size by large shear machines with reciprocating blades. It is then bent into shapes by press brakes that use male and female dies to make controlled bends and folds. This forms the cabinet components like sides, doors, tops, etc.
What machinery is used to make holes and cutouts?
Punch presses with specialty punch and die sets are used to punch holes and create cutouts in sheet metal cabinet parts. This allows for shelving, hardware, louvers, doors, and other custom features.
How are the sheet metal cabinet pieces joined together?
Mechanical fasteners like nuts, bolts, and rivets are commonly used to join the formed sheet metal components together into a cabinet enclosure. Spot welding may also fuse parts together for added structural strength.
How are doors, shelves, and hardware added?
Doors get attached to the cabinet box with hinges. Shelves and drawers slide into place and get secured. Handles, locks, and any other hardware are installed to finish off the sheet metal cabinet.
Why are sheet metal cabinets so strong and durable?
The steel or aluminum construction coupled with interlocking joints, reinforced corners, and powder coated finishes result in sheet metal cabinets that can handle heavy use and last for years.
What are some key benefits of sheet metal cabinets?
Benefits include durability, security, corrosion resistance, fire resistance, ease of cleaning, design flexibility with shapes and colors, and value relative to other cabinet materials.
What are common uses for sheet metal cabinets?
Typical applications include garages, workshops, laundry rooms, supply closets, industrial settings, outdoor sheds, kitchen pantries, lockers and more. They work well in utility areas that need strong and reliable storage.
What sizes and styles of sheet metal cabinets are available?
Sheet metal cabinets come in a huge range of sizes and configurations like single/double door, number of shelves, height, width, depth, etc. Styles like storage lockers, wardrobes, tool chests, cabinets with drawers are all available.
What types of sheet metal work best for cabinets?
Cold rolled steel and stainless steel are common choices. Aluminum provides corrosion resistance. Steel thickness typically ranges from 0.4mm to 1mm. Stainless steel offers the most durability but at a higher cost.
