Which metal should your sheet metal or laser cut part be made in?

Choose stainless steel 304 for parts that must not rust, 316 for salt water and chemicals, mild steel for low-cost parts that will be painted, and aluminium for light parts. Brass and copper are for looks, electricity and heat, and we laser cut plate up to 60 mm thick in steel, 40 mm in aluminium and 15 mm in brass or copper.

Sheet metal materials at a glance: six metals compared

The thickness is the most we laser cut in one pass. A thin sheet that will be bent has its own limits, so we confirm those from your drawing.

Know the metal? Send your drawing for a price

Stainless steel 304 or 316: pick 316 only for salt and chemicals

Stainless steel is the choice when a part must stay clean and rust free without a coating. Both grades look the same, cut the same and bend the same.

• 304 is the everyday grade. It suits housings, covers, kitchen fittings and most outdoor parts in Singapore.
• 316 has a little molybdenum added, which helps it resist salt and chemicals. Pick it for parts near the sea, by a pool, or wiped down with strong cleaners.

Stainless steel takes more force to bend than mild steel and springs back a little more, so we allow for that when we set the bends. It welds well, which is how the hinges went onto this stainless steel housing.

Not sure if you need 316? Tell us where the part goes

Mild steel: the strong, low-cost choice that needs a coating

Mild steel is the cheapest of the six, and it bends and welds easily. That is why most brackets, frames, base plates and machine guards are made in it.

Its one weakness is rust. Bare mild steel rusts quickly in Singapore’s warm, humid air, so plan a finish from the start: a primer, then paint, or another coating we confirm with you. It is also magnetic, which matters for some fixtures and sensors.

Painted bracket or frame? Send us the drawing

Aluminium: the light choice that does not rust

Aluminium weighs much less than steel and forms a thin protective skin, so it resists rust without paint. It suits covers, trays, panels, enclosures and anything carried or mounted overhead.

It bends more than steel under the same load, so a part that carries weight may need a thicker sheet. Softer grades such as 5052, which the tray below is made in, bend easily. Some harder grades can crack on a tight bend and need a wider one, so name the grade if your drawing has one. Aluminium can be welded, though it takes more care than steel, so screws, rivets or slots are often simpler. The tray needs none: its dividers slot into notches cut in the sides.

Light part that must not rust? Ask us about aluminium

Brass and copper: for looks, electricity and heat

Brass and copper cost the most of the six, so pick them for what only they do.

• Brass has a warm gold colour that suits name plates, trims, signs and decorative parts.
• Copper carries electricity and heat better than any other metal here. It suits electrical bars, earthing parts and heat spreaders.

Both are soft, so they bend easily but scratch and dent easily too. Bare brass and copper darken over time, so ask about a clear coat if the shine must last. Both reflect laser light and carry heat away fast, which is why our laser cutting limit for them is 15 mm rather than 60.

Brass or copper part? Send the drawing and we confirm

Thick plate or thin sheet: plate stays flat, sheet is bent

Every part starts as a flat shape cut by a laser built for metal. What happens next depends on the thickness.

• Thin sheet is cut, then bent. The outline, holes and slots are cut while the sheet is flat, then a press brake folds it into a bracket, tray or enclosure. Our guide to sheet metal bending explains how.
• Thick plate is laser cut and stays flat. Base plates, flanges, gussets, mounting plates and spacers are cut straight from plate up to 60 mm thick in steel. They can be welded or bolted into a frame afterwards.

Where a part crosses from bendable sheet to flat plate depends on the metal, the bend and the size. Send the drawing and we tell you which way it is made.

See what we cut and bend in metal

Sizes, bend limits and finishes: send the drawing and we confirm

The largest part, the thickest sheet we can bend, the tightest bend and the finish all depend on the metal and the shape, so we confirm them for each job. Send a drawing or 3D model (STEP, DXF or PDF) with:

• the metal, and the grade if you know it;
• the thickness and the overall size;
• the quantity;
• the finish: bare, primed and painted, or ask us for another;
• the dimensions that must be exact.

A person reads every drawing and replies with a price, plus anything that should change before cutting. Collect the parts from our Bendemeer studio in Singapore, or have them couriered islandwide.

Send your drawing for a price

Not sheet or plate: machine it, print it or engrave it

A solid part with thick sections or precise pockets is better machined on our CNC machines. A small metal part with curves in every direction suits metal 3D printing. For a name or logo on a finished metal part, or for laser cutting acrylic, wood and leather, see our laser cutting and engraving service.

Not sure which process fits? Ask us