In the informative article titled “The importance of part leveling in metal fabrication” on The Fabricator, the seemingly flat sheet metal and plate delivered to metal fabricators can be deceiving. What initially appears flat often loses its flatness during the fabrication process.
To understand this phenomenon, we need to consider the journey of raw materials before reaching the fabrication shop. Sheets and plates arrive from the mills in coils. Metal service centers uncoil, straighten, and cut these coils to length. Despite the appearance of flatness, the materials still contain internal stress, evident in their grain structure.
When thermal power sources like laser or plasma cutting machines are used to cut these materials, the stress is released, resulting in uneven parts. This holds true for both thin and thick metal parts and applies to both ferrous and nonferrous materials. The choice of assist gas, such as oxygen or nitrogen, also influences the process by introducing heat or gentler conditions, respectively, but stress release remains a factor.
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