Fabricated Assemblies

High-quality metal sheet fabricated assemblies designed for durability and precision.
  • Custom-built for diverse industrial needs
  • Expertly engineered for superior strength
  • Precision-crafted to ensure a perfect fit

Overview of Sheet Metal Fabricated Assemblies

Sheet metal fabricated assemblies combine precision engineering with robust construction to create versatile components for a wide range of industries. These assemblies are meticulously crafted from high-quality metal sheets using advanced fabrication techniques, ensuring strength, durability, and dimensional accuracy. From automotive parts to industrial equipment and household applications, they are designed to meet specific requirements while offering excellent performance under demanding conditions. With the ability to customize designs, sheet metal fabricated assemblies provide reliable solutions tailored to your exact needs.

Free Design Review for Sheet Metal Fabrication Assemblies

Take advantage of our 30-minute virtual meeting with a sheet metal applications engineer to refine your project. This session is ideal for addressing your questions and ensuring your design aligns with production needs.

Material suitability for application

Optimizing design for cost-effectiveness

Improving strength and durability

Best fabrication techniques for accuracy and minimal waste

Applications of Fabricated Assemblies

Our online sheet metal assembly service allows you to create functional, end-use products delivered in just days. With each project, you receive design for manufacturability (DFM) feedback and expert-level support, ensuring your design is optimized for production. A wide range of finishing options is available to meet your aesthetic needs.

Fabricated assemblies are commonly used for:

  • Low volume, end-use production
  • Product testing and qualification
  • Pilot runs
  • Functional prototyping

Accepted File Format and Configuration

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Sheet Metal Fabricated Aseemblies Materials

Our material comparison tool offers detailed information on sheet metal types and thickness ranges, including common materials found in fabricated assemblies. These include:
  • Aluminum 5052-H32
  • Low carbon steel CR 1008
  • Stainless steel 304/304L
  • Stainless steel 316/316L
  • and so on
Our materials are selected for their outstanding formability, weldability, and resistance to corrosion, even in demanding environments. In addition to standard options like aluminum, steel, and stainless steel, we offer pre-plated steels such as galvanized or galvannealed materials, ideal for rivet-based assemblies due to their pre-treated coatings. All materials are available in industry-standard thicknesses to ensure seamless integration into your final assembly.

Assembly Construction Guidelines

Customizing your assembly design can involve various considerations. For your project, keep in mind the following:

Maximum size for assembly (after full construction): 1194mm x 991mm x 914mm (47 inches x 39 inches x 36 inches).

Formed features

  • Large radius bending using bump forming or roll-forming techniques for functional or aesthetic purposes.
  • Linear bending (via press brake) with tooling options ranging from .010 inches to 1 inch (0.254mm to 25.4mm).
  • Punch-formed features such as louvers, ribs, and dimples for added functionality and design detail.

Machined Features

Post-processing CNC machining enables the addition of features often required for more complex geometries, which are difficult to achieve through laser cutting, punching, or press brake forming alone. This process allows for precise incorporation of design elements such as:
  • Pockets for component placement or material removal.
  • Holes, cutouts, or other features that may be at risk of deformation during forming.
  • Flange length reduction for improved part functionality or assembly fit.

Inspection reporting options

  • Material and/or finishing certifications are available upon request.
  • Inspection documentation, including First Article Inspection, is provided for all parts and assemblies.
  • Every part is inspected for dimensional and visual accuracy according to Protolabs work standards before shipping.
*Please request these certifications before placing your order, selecting from the options shown on your online quote.

Available Methods for Assembly

  • Hardware insertion
  • Welding (seam, tack, stitch weld techniques)

  • Riveting (solid and pop rivets)

Tolerances

Typical sheet metal tolerances apply to assemblies. For more details, please review our design guidelines. If you have specific tolerance questions, including stack-up and fitment concerns, we recommend scheduling a design review with our engineers.

Hardware Insertion Guidelines

An extensive stocked library of fasteners is available, featuring brands such as PEM and Southco.

Examples of Available Hardware Types to Customize Your Project

  • Self-clinching standoffs
  • Miniature self-clinching nuts
  • Self-clinching micro pins
  • Self-clinching flush nuts
  • Thin sheet non-flush studs
  • Self-clinching nuts
  • Flush-head pins
  • Self-clinching blind fasteners
  • Flush-head studs
  • Panel fasteners

File Formatting

  • Recommended: Include any hardware in your 3D CAD model as separate solid bodies from the main sheet metal body. Use industry standard hardware part numbers when possible (e.g., CLS-M6-1).

  • Alternatively, you can upload your CAD file without hardware and provide a separate 2D drawing that specifies the types and locations of the hardware.

Design Guidelines

  • For inserts to grip the sheet metal correctly, the material of the hardware insert must have a hardness equal to or greater than the material into which it is inserted. Further details on hardware and material compatibility can be found in our Design for Manufacturability Toolkit.

  • View our design tips on effective hardware integration covers hardware use cases and part placement considerations.

Welding Guidelines

Welding is used to join or fuse metal components into their final assembly form, with our most common capabilities being gas metal arc welding (MIG) and gas tungsten arc welding (TIG).

Design Guidelines

  • The minimum material thickness for welded assemblies is 0.042 in. (1.07mm) to prevent warping or “oil canning.”
  • The maximum material thickness is 0.250 in. (6.35mm) for welded assemblies.
  • Always specify welding location requirements on your 2D drawing to ensure accurate assembly.
  • Avoid specifying a particular welding method unless functionality requires it.
  • When welding multiple geometries, ensure material types are consistent across parts.

If flexibility in joining is needed, consider riveting, a technique where components are joined using rivets.

Lead Time: Welding adds 1 business day to your project.

KingStar Mold’s Finishing Options for Sheet Metal Assemblies

Anodizing

(Electro)plating

Wet Painting

Masking

Part marking

Passivation

Powder Coating

Zinc/Tin Coating