thin sheet metal cutting method

[GabiM]

Hello,

I would like to find a way of cutting 2 mm from small AL sheet metal with 0.5 mm thickness.
Could you advise me towards a method of doing it (preferably a cheap one)? As a note, I have 6.000 parts so I need something else then tin snips.

P.S I have attached also a picture.

Thank You for the support

 

[SincoTC]

With six thousand parts to trim, make a simple fixture to hold the parts repeatably in the correct position on a laser cutter would probably be the best way, with no distorion, bending or burring of the thin material and if both the cuts line up horizontally it may be possible to cut both lugs at once. I suspect water-jet on unsupported material of that thickness may be a problem

Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK

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[mcgyvr]

I would look into a fixture to support the ends to prevent distortion during material removal and grinding the material away then deburring. A fixed surface grinder should do the job.

Or fixturing/milling in a CNC machine with an end mill/deburring.

A fine abrasive chopsaw.

 

[mcgyvr]

It all comes down to what tools you have at your disposal.

 

[eromlignod]

Go to McMaster-Carr and take a look at their 86745T51 hand shear. It costs around $400, but would probably pay for itself in the time you would save over screwing around with other methods on 6000 parts.

Don
Kansas City

 

[NickE]

I second the advice of the shear. Really there is no better way to cold cut that many parts.

Did someone forget to put the trim details into the die that made those?

I would tool this, O1 will work fine, design a fixture and two complementary shear cutting edges, use around 0.0015 -> 0.0020 inches clearance, btwn the "punch" and "button". You could easily shear that thin of material with an air over oil type actuator. Heck being that its Al you might even get away with just using air.

good luck!


Nick
I love materials science!

 

[ajack1]

I would agree with Nick a simple press tool would do the job, in a small fly press.

 

[pierdesign]

specialty manufacturers of PCB mount EMI shielding cans regularly stamp thin gauge odd metals. They use very close fit dies, usually custom made, as are either the stamping machines or they modify stock machines to suit.

Also, sheet spring manufacturers do this on their 4-slide machines.

 

[MadMango]

Are the parts anodized?

If the parts are already formed, a shear might not be the best method. I agree with mcgyvr that a grinding operation may work the best. It all depends if you can fixture it so it does not deform. If the parts are still in the flat state, then a shear operation would be an effective rework. At .5mm thickness, you can probably stack them 5 high.

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