Exploring Various Types of Sheet Metals with JMH Sheet Metal
Established in 1972, JMH Sheet Metal has grown into a cornerstone of the HVAC ductwork fabrication and installation industry. Located in Farmingdale, Long Island, JMH Sheet Metal specializes in the creation of ductwork using materials such as galvanized steel, black iron, stainless steel, and aluminum. Over the years, the company has been recognized for its commitment to quality and service, delivering projects ranging from $25,000 to over $10 million. With a team of more than 100 professionals supported by comprehensive benefits, apprenticeship training, and a strong sense of community, JMH Sheet Metal continues to set industry standards in both craftsmanship and client satisfaction.
Sheet metal is any type of metal or metal alloy that goes through various manufacturing processes which yield a flat, relatively thin sheet product (ranging in thickness from plate to foil). One of the most common types of sheet metal, aluminum, is abundant, low-cost, and easy to fabricate in various thicknesses and dimensions. Featuring superior thermal and electrical conductivity and an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, aluminum sheets are utilized in applications spanning electrical equipment, cookware, and auto parts.
Manufacturers create aluminized steel by hot dipping a cleaned steel sheet in a bath of aluminum-silicon alloy. Such a coating eliminates the need for painting, as it has a finished appearance. The resulting sheet offers excellent corrosion resistance, extreme heat-reflectivity, and the strength of steel. This makes it ideal for water heaters, furnaces, and fireplaces, as well as auto parts such as mufflers. Given the high temperatures they are subjected to, kitchen appliances and implements often use aluminized steel as well.
Stainless steel sheets come in a number of varieties, including austenitic, ferritic, and martensitic. 300 series non-magnetic austenitic stainless is the most common and pairs low carbon levels with high chromium and nickel levels. This makes the material corrosion resistant and highly formable. 400 series ferritic stainless steels are non-heat-treatable and magnetic, and contain between 11 and 30 percent chromium and minute amounts of (or no) nickel. This makes the sheet metal common in non-structural uses where corrosion resistance is the priority. Uses include aesthetic detailing and seawater applications. Also corrosion resistant, martensitic stainless steels contain chromium and have no nickel. Their strength and hardness can be fine-tuned, depending on the heat treatment they go through.
Stainless steel sheets may be cold rolled, with this added process involving a cooling down at room temperature. This creates a smoother finish and allows for tighter dimensional tolerances as the sheet metal forms. It also adds as much as 20 percent more strength, compared with hot-rolled steel. Common use cases include metal furniture, aerospace structural components, and auto parts.
Pre-plated steel is galvanized, or hot dipped in zinc, which adds a protective, anticorrosive coating. The subsequent process of annealing, or heating and cooling slowly, eliminates internal stresses. This boosts ductile qualities and makes it softer. It’s easier to work and fabricate with. Among the common uses of galvanized steel are water pipes, roofs, staircases, fences, and automobile bodies.
Galvalume is a galvanized steel alloy combining zinc, aluminum, and trace silicon. This is more corrosion-resistant and durable than normal galvanized steel, and is common on roofs and other outdoor applications where exposure to the elements is of primary concern.
A sheet metal product with advanced capabilities, titanium combines a superior strength-to-weight ratio and extreme resistance to corrosion. Easily recyclable and biocompatible, the product is commonly used in crafting medical equipment and aviation parts, as well as construction elements.
Technicians create high-strength steel, of the type common in plates for aeronautical and armored military uses, by alloying steel with strengthening elements such as manganese, copper, and carbon.
Featuring low zinc levels, brasses yield sheets easy to weld, braze, and cold work. When copper is added, the metal forms a patina, or protective oxide layer on the surface that safeguards against corrosion. This attractive feature makes it ideal for consumer-facing applications such as architectural elements.