The sheet metal cutting process can be mainly divided into two types: manual and CNC. Manual cutting methods mainly include friction cutting, shear cutting, and melting cutting, while CNC cutting mainly includes melting cutting and friction cutting. We will talk about them separately below.

Hand Cutting

In friction cutting, the high-speed rotating grinding wheel contacts the sheet metal and uses friction to break the metal at the contact point into particles and break away to complete the cutting. Mainly used to cut straight shapes.

Shear cutting uses shear force to cut sheet metal into specific shapes. Mainly used to cut straight shapes.

Melt cutting uses handheld flame, plasma, and laser cutters to melt sheet metal to achieve cuts. Can be used to cut simple curved shapes.

They use the following general process:

1. To Draw Line,

Mark clearly according to the shape of the cut.

2. Fixed,

Secure the material to the cutting table.

3. Cutting,

Use a cutting machine to complete the cut along the drawn lines.

4. Process the cut surface.

There will be burrs on the cut surface that need to be removed by polishing.

CNC Cutting:

Melt cutting and water cutting are mainly introduced because it is the most automated.

They use the following general process:

1. Programming,

Use cutting programming software such as CAD to complete programming according to the shape of the material and the shape to be cut.

2. Import

Import the compiled program into the CNC center.

3. Fixed,

Secure the material to the cutting table.

4. Cutting,

The operator uses the control panel to switch programs and complete the cut.

5. Process the cut surface.

Cut surface roughness is affected by the cutting method and material thickness. Cutting parts with high precision requirements need to process the cutting surface.