Materials & Finishes

Match Grade, Thickness, and Finish to the Job

We review material grade, thickness, formability, weldability, corrosion needs, appearance, inspection, and volume together—so your RFQ is based on what we can actually cut, bend, and finish. Child guides below cover each alloy family and finish path; this page is the selection framework our team uses when quoting.

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Thickness window

Typical fabricated sheet range 0.5–12 mm. Laser capacity extends thicker by material (SS to 20 mm, CS to 25 mm, Al to 16 mm).

Forming & welding

We flag bend-radius limits, grain direction, and weld process by alloy so enclosure and bracket geometry stays manufacturable.

Finish ownership

Deburr/grind/brush in-house. Coating, anodizing, plating, passivation, and marking run through qualified finishing partners.

Common sheet alloys we process

Use the table as a planning aid. Final grade selection should match corrosion environment, strength, weld process, and finish system—not price alone. Tell us the end-use environment in the RFQ so we can challenge mismatches early.

Family	Grades we see often	Typical use	Notes for fabrication
Aluminum	5052, 6061, 5754	Lightweight panels, covers, enclosures	5052 forms well; 6061 is stronger but less forgiving on tight bends—confirm temper and radius
Stainless	SUS304, SUS316, SUS430	Corrosion- or hygiene-sensitive housings	Springback and work-hardening affect bend plans; 316 for harsher chemistry; call out brush direction
Mild / carbon steel	SPCC/CRS, Q235, Q355	Frames, panels, structural sheet	Cost-effective with powder-coat readiness; protect cosmetic faces through weld and grind
Galvanized	SGCC, SECC	Corrosion-resistant panels and cabinets	Weld and finish strategy must account for zinc; discuss grind and recoat zones
Copper / brass	C1100/T2, H62	Conductive or decorative details	Softer alloys need careful nesting and handling; confirm thickness and cosmetic expectations

Selecting thickness and forming limits

Most fabricated parts we ship fall in 0.5–12 mm. Thicker laser cuts are possible within alloy limits (stainless to ~20 mm, carbon steel to ~25 mm, aluminum to ~16 mm), but bending, weld distortion, and hardware grip ranges change with thickness. As a planning rule, keep inside bend radius at least equal to thickness unless we confirm tooling for your alloy and temper.

Hole-to-bend clearance, minimum flange length, and relief size should be checked before you freeze the model. If left/right or mirrored parts share a blank, note grain direction and cosmetic face orientation so brushed or coated surfaces stay consistent across the lot.

State temper / hardness when it affects formability (especially aluminum and stainless)
Mark cosmetic vs hidden faces on the PDF
Call out critical flatness or gasket lands early
Share whether parts will be welded, riveted, or PEM-assembled after forming

Finish systems and ownership

In-house we handle deburring, grinding, brushing, and basic polishing so edges and weld zones are ready for coating or assembly. Powder coating, anodizing, plating, passivation, sandblasting, electropolishing, screen printing, and laser marking are coordinated through qualified finishing partners. Quotes list partner processes explicitly—we do not present them as wholly in-house lines.

Tell us color/system (e.g., powder texture and gloss), masking requirements, paint-free grounding pads, and whether hardware is installed before or after coating. Sequence mistakes are a common source of rework on multi-process OEM parts.

Finishing scope: Powder coating, anodizing, plating, passivation, sandblasting, electropolishing, screen printing, and laser marking are coordinated through qualified finishing partners—not represented as wholly in-house operations.

RFQ checklist for materials & finishes

Alloy grade, temper if applicable, and thickness
Alternate grades you will accept if primary stock is constrained
Finish system, color/texture, masking, and marking method
Corrosion or hygiene environment (indoor plant, outdoor, coastal, clean area)
Weld process preferences and cosmetic grind requirements
Inspection docs: material certs, coating reports, RoHS/REACH when needed

How this ties to process capability

Typical drawing-dependent tolerances remain laser ±0.10 mm, bend ±0.20–0.30 mm, and holes ±0.10–0.20 mm—confirmed against the alloy and geometry you send. Our ISO 9001:2015 flow supports IQC through OQC with CMM and standard metrology when specified. Prototype MOQ is one piece; lead times follow the same planning bands as our other fabrication pages (proto 3–12 days, small batch 10–15, production 15–25), adjusted for partner finish queues.

Browse the material and finishing guides listed after this section for alloy-specific detail, then email drawings so we can validate grade, thickness, and finish sequence before production.