Types of sheet metal and their properties

If you’re not experienced in the use of sheet metal, and you’re approaching a project that requires its use, it could be difficult to know where to start. The fact that there are so many types, all with different properties, makes it an incredibly versatile material that has uses across endless applications. However, it also means that choosing the correct product may take a bit of research.

There are generally three types of metal used for sheet work – all with their own unique benefits and drawbacks that see them used in particular areas. You’ll find varying levels of typical sheet metal traits such as formability, weldability, corrosion resistance, strength, weight and cost.

Read on to find out which is best for your next project.

Steel

Grouping all steel sheet metal into one group is slightly disingenuous, as there are many different steel alloys each developed for their individual strengths - for example, stainless, mild, and galvanised. Saying this, it is the most widely-used metal for sheet work.

The most widely used subset of steel is Austenitic steel – a non-magnetic, highly formable and corrosion resistant alloy that is made up of high levels of chromium and nickel, as well as low carbon, giving it fantastic all-round usability.

Other popular alloys include Martensitic and Ferritic, both renowned for anti-corrosion properties - with the former magnetic, and latter non-magnetic. Ferritic has great aesthetic properties as well as high resistance to seawater, while Martensitic is developed to be heat-treatable while still heavily corrosion resistant.

Aluminium

Extremely popular in manufacturing, aluminium offers an incredible strength-to-weight ratio that provides an effective, strong material while being light and easy to install. Traditionally it offers great workability as well as strong conductivity, meaning you can often find it in electric overheads and transmission cables.

Aluminium can also be moulded into alloys to provide different benefits, with some being used in kitchen utensils and others in trucks and buildings.

Brass

The main reason that people like to use brass is because of the aesthetics – designers and artists alike have used the material for thousands of years due to its likeness to gold.

Other qualities of the material make it useful for aesthetical purposes, such as the ability to cold work it due to its malleability, and the fact it reacts to form a protective oxide layer called patina that prevents further erosion.

Click Metal for your Sheet Metal Needs

For your comprehensive sheet metal needs, why not check out Clickmetal? Not only do we stock a huge range of quality sheet metal products, but we can cater to all of your metal requirements ranging from bars to plates to mouldings.

Give a member of our friendly team a call on 01794526090, or browse and buy our sheet metal online!