Precision sheet metal tolerances

Typical Tolerances

Fifty years ago, "build-to-order" sheet metal tolerances were +/-.06" (1.5mm), primarily due to the
accuracy of the equipment. Today, normal production tolerances are around 10% of that. In
the following article, we are discussing tolerance ranges that are "reasonable" or "practical". If
tighter tolerances are needed, they can be achieved with dedicated tooling and special
processing.

The most significant improvement has been in the machinery. Some modern high speed
equipment can position within .004" (.10mm) and repeat within .002" (.05mm). Materials and
methods continue to play a role in the limits of precision, however. They greatly influence
practical considerations for tolerances between holes (hole-to-hole), between folds (fold-to-fold),
and so forth.

Hole Size

Holes are produced by mechanically pressing a punch tool through the sheet metal in order to rip
out a slug. When the punch retracts the slug remains stuck in the die tool and a hole is left in the
sheet metal. The size and shape of the punch and die tooling govern the size and shape of the
hole produced in the sheet metal. For strength, the punch tip must usually be at least as large as
the sheet metal thickness.

The die tool must be slightly larger than the punch to minimize tooling wear and to reduce the
pressure required to punch the hole (see Punching Force Calculation.) The die clearance is
generally about 10% of the material thickness. For example, the material is .100 aluminum and
the punch diameter is 1.000", the die diameter would be 1.010". The size of the hole on the punch
side will be the same size as the punch tool. The size of the hole on the die side will be the same
size as the die tool.

Except for tooling wear, there is very little variation from one hole to the next. DSM has an
extensive library of tooling, but we do not stock all possible tool sizes. We look to the engineers
and draftsmen to give us a tolerance range that allows us to use our existing tooling. When that is
not possible, a capital investment in new tooling is required. Generally speaking, +/-.003"
(.08mm) is a reasonable hole size tolerance. Keep in mind, however, that we are measuring what
will pass through the hole, not the "rim sizes" of the hole.

Hole to Hole

The accuracy of the distance from one hole to another hole is largely dependent upon the
machinery. DSM's equipment will hold better than +/-.005" (.13mm) with little difficulty. However,
each hole that is punched introduces stress into the sheet metal. If the part has many holes
closely spaced, the result can resemble a baker rolling cookie dough -- the sheet metal can be
expanded causing unwanted variation between holes. Whenever possible, engineers should
allow +/-.010" (.25mm) hole-to-hole. Resort to +/-.005 (.12mm) only when absolutely necessary.

Distance between hole should be +/- .010” tolerance but +/-.005 can be produced.
Hole to Edge

Because the profile (or edges) of the part are generally punched just like any hole, the same
considerations for hole-to-hole apply. When punching very near to an edge (less than 2X
material thickness) the edge will be pushed out by the stress of punching the metal. This edge
migration introduces variables in the accuracy of the hole location. Whenever possible, engineers
should allow +/-.010" (.25mm) hole-to-edge. Resort to +/-.005 (.12mm) only when absolutely
necessary.

Distance between hole to edge should have +/- .010” tolerance but +/-.005 can be
produced.

Hole to Fold

There are several variables introduced leading up to this stage in the fabrication process. The
part has been punched on a CNC Turret Press, sanded or tumbled to remove burrs, and is now
being bent on a Press Brake. The deburring process may remove .003" (.08mm) when cosmetic
appearance is a priority. Precision Press Brakes will position and repeat in less than .001"
(.025mm). Well trained and skilled operators will be able to load the parts for forming consistently
from bend to bend. Nevertheless, engineers must consider the natural variation in material
thickness (5% of nominal thickness), the +/-.005" (.12mm) from the turret press, the effects of
cosmetic graining, and the variation introduced by the press brake. Whenever possible, engineers
should allow +/-.015" (.38mm) hole-to-fold. Resort to +/-.010 (.25mm) only when absolutely
necessary.

Distance between hole to fold should have +/- .015” tolerance but +/-.010 can be
produced.

Fold to Fold

All of the considerations of "hole to fold" apply, compounded by the fact that multiple material
surfaces and thicknesses are involved. Whenever possible, engineers should allow +/-.020"
(.50mm) fold-to-fold. Resort to +/-.010 (.25mm) only when absolutely necessary.

Distance between fold to fold should have +/- .020” tolerance but +/-.010 can be
produced.

Best Practice in Tolerance Specification

Although the machinery and tooling will repeat within .004" (.10mm), it is a mistake to simply
engineer all mating parts expecting +/-.005" (.13mm) accuracy. Such over kill forces additional
labor in sorting and inspection. The result of tolerances that are too tight is simply higher cost and
lower productivity. Correctly toleranced parts still have excellent fit and function, with the added
benefit of efficiency.
Aluminum

Pure aluminum is soft and ductile and most commercial uses require greater strength than pure
aluminum affords. So, strength is achieved by the addition of other elements to produce alloys.
Further strengthening is possible by means which classify the alloys into roughly two categories,
non-heat-treatable (alloyed with manganese, silicon, iron, and magnesium) and heat-treatable
(alloyed with copper, magnesium, zinc, and silicon).

Aluminum is available in a wide variety of alloys to meet specific applications. This article focuses
on the alloys commonly used by DSM in precision sheet metal.

1100-H14 (QQ-A-250/1d)
Commercially pure aluminum, highly resistant to chemical attack and weathering.
Excellent for chemical processing equipment and other uses where product purity is
important. Easily worked and welded, ductile enough for deep draws, but the lowest
strength aluminum alloy. Uses include light reflectors, decorative and jewelry parts, name
plates. Seldom used in precision sheet metal -- see 5052-H32.

3003-H14 (QQ-A-250/2c)
General purpose manganese alloy. Stronger than 1100 with same good formability and
low cost. Fine corrosion resistance and weldability. Used in stampings, spun and drawn
parts, mail boxes, cabinets, tanks, fan blades. For higher strength, consider 5052-H32.

5052-H32 (QQ-A-250/8d)
Main alloy is magnesium. Far stronger than any of the alloys described above, yet forms
well with reasonable inside bend radii. Corrosion resistance and weldability is very good.
Better salt water corrosion resistance than 1100. Used for electronic chassis, tanks,
pressure vessels and any number of parts requiring considerable strength and formability
at reasonable cost. Anodizing may be slightly yellowish.

6061-T6 (QQ-A-250/11d)
Alloyed with magnesium & silicon. Heat treatable to improve strength. A widely used
structural alloy for light to medium strength applications. Requires much larger inside
bend radii than 5052-H32, but can be formed. Combines good weldability, corrosion
resistance, and strength after heat treatment. Since it looses appreciable strength when
welded, the 5000 series alloys replace it in dump body and some marine applications.

Quick comparison chart

Alloy Yield Formable Weldable Corrosion Color code

1100-H14 17000 A A A+ WHITE

3003-H14 21000 B A A GREEN

5052-H32 28000 B A A PURPLE

6061-T6 40000 C A B+ BLUE

Minimum bend radius

When aluminum is bent around too small of an inside radius, cracking will occur. Cracking is most
pronounced when the bend runs parallel to the natural grain of the material (formed as the sheet
is rolled from molten ingot). It is generally a good idea to keep the inside radius at least equal to
the material thickness. The more the merrier!.

Min bend radii for thickness (in 1/32nds of inch):

ALLOY .032 .040 .050 .063 .090 .125 .190 .250

1100-H14 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6

3003-H14 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 8

5052-H32 0 1 1 2 3 4 8 12

6061-T6 2 2 3 4 6 8 18 32

Aluminum sheet vs steel sheet

The following table gives a quick point of reference when you need the approximate thickness of
aluminum sheet to use in replacing steel sheet. The designated aluminum thickness will give you
about the same stiffness. Or, putting it another way, the deflection will be about equal. As a rule
of thumb, plan on using an aluminum sheet about 40% thicker than steel. Since aluminum
weighs only 1/3 as much as steel, this means that the equivalent aluminum sheet will weigh only
half as much as the steel sheet it replaces.

Approximate stiffness equivalence:

Steel LB/SF Steel Thick Alu Thick Alu LB/SF

.975 .024 .032 .452
1.22 .029 .040 .564
1.47 .035 .050 .705
1.80 .044 .063 .890
2.44 .059 .080 1.13
2.56 .062 .090 1.27
2.86 .070 .100 1.41
3.66 .089 .125 1.76
4.88 .119 .160 2.25
5.49 .134 .190 2.68
7.33 .179 .250 3.53
Aluminum sheet thickness tolerances

During the rolling process that produces the sheet stock, a certain amount of "bowing" occurs in
the rollers. This results in the sheet being slightly thinner at the edges than at the center of the
sheet.

Aluminum thickness tolerances:

Thickness 36" Sheet 48" Sheet

.018-.028 .002 .0025

.029-.036 .002 .0025
.037-.045 .0025 .003
.046-.068 .003 .004
.069-.076 .003 .004
.077-.096 .0035 .004
.097-.108 .004 .005
.109-.125 .0045 .005
.126-.140 .0045 .005
.141-.172 .006 .008
.173-.203 .007 .010
.204-.249 .009 .011

Aluminum temper designation

Aluminum is specified with a 4 digit alloy followed by a temper designation. For example, 5052-
H32 indicates an aluminum/magnesium alloy that has been strain hardened and stabilized by low
temperature heating and is 1/4 hard.

-H Strain hardened (cold worked) with or without thermal treatment.

-H1 Strain hardened without thermal treatment.

-H2 Strain hardened and partially annealed.

-H3 Strain hardened and stabilized by low temperature heating.

 A second digit denotes the degree of hardness.
-Hx2 = 1/4 hard.
2nd Digit -Hx4 = 1/2 hard.
-Hx6 = 3/4 hard.
-Hx8 = full hard.

-O Full Soft (annealed).

-T Heat treated to produce stable tempers.

-T1 Partially solution heat treated and naturally aged.

-T3 Solution heat treated and cold worked.
-T4 Solution heat treated and naturally aged.
Partially solution heat treated and artificially aged.
-T51 Stress relieved by stretching.
-T5 -T510 No further straightening after stretching.
-T511 Minor straightening after stretching.
-T52 Stress relieved by thermal treatment.
-T6 Solution heat treated and artificially aged.
-T7 Solution heat treated and stabilized.
-T8 Solution heat treated, cold worked, and artificially aged.
-T9 Solution heat treated, artificially aged, and cold worked.

Effects of alloying elements

Series Main Alloy Effect of Alloying Element

Unalloyed aluminum is highly corrosion resistant, low strength, workable,
1000 none (99% alu)
conductive. Non-heat-treatable.
2000 Copper Gives strength, hardness, machinability. Heat-treatable.
3000 Manganese Adds moderate strength, good workability. Non-heat-treatable.
5000 Magnesium Moderate to high strength. Corrosion resistant. Non-heat-treatable.
Magnesium &
6000 Increases strength, formability, corrosion resistance. Heat-treatable.
Silicon
7000 Zinc For greatest strength. Heat treatable.
Steel

Steel sheet is commonly categorized as either "hot rolled" or "cold rolled" and by varying the
amount of carbon, the manufacturer can produce a wide range of material characteristics. Tool
steels have a much higher carbon content than the mild steels used in sheet metal work.

The hot rolling process is generally less expensive, but results in a surface slag that is not always
acceptable. Pickled and Oiled Hot Roll Steel has had most of the mill oxide removed and has a
better surface appearance.

Cold roll steel is commonly used in precision sheet metal applications due to its excellent surface
condition, material consistency, and accuracy in thickness.

ASTM-A366 specifies a cold roll steel with a maximum carbon content of .10 for improved
welding and forming. It is soft enough to bend back on itself in any direction without cracking.
Typical applications include refrigerators, ranges, washing machines, auto and truck bodies,
signs, panels, shelving, furniture, and stamped parts.

One main advantage of steel over aluminum is the ease of resistance spot welding. Steel also
has a lower cost per pound than aluminum, although adding corrosion protection (plating and
painting) may consume a great deal of the cost savings over aluminum.

Steel sheet is available in a wide range of pre-finished products, including galvanized, paint
primered, and fully painted. DSM generally works with bare steel sheet and plates the finished
part to assure that all perforations and bends are adequately covered.

Steel sheet tolerances

The following table shows the commercial quality gauge thicknesses. DSM generally purchases
"HCQ" (Half Commercial Quality) which tightens the tolerance range on each gauge by
approximately 50%. Note that some gauge thicknesses actually overlap in decimal range.Steel
sheet thickness tolerances:

gauge Nominal Max Min LB/SF

10 .1345 .1405 .1285 5.625
11 .1196 .1256 .1136 5.000
12 .1046 .1106 .0986 4.375
14 .0747 .0797 .0697 3.125
16 .0598 .0648 .0548 2.500
18 .0478 .0518 .0438 2.000
20 .0359 .0389 .0329 1.500
22 .0299 .0329 .0269 1.250
24 .0239 .0269 .0209 1.000
26 .0179 .0199 .0159 0.750
 28 .0149 .0169 .0129 0.625

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel does rust, but in a minuscule amount compared to steel sheet. This is
accomplished by alloying elements like nickel to reduce the amount of iron exposed on the
surface. There is a variety of stainless steel alloys. This article focuses on those alloys commonly
used in sheet metal applications.

Stainless steel alloys

Alloy Characteristics
NOT FOR SHEET METAL. For use in automatic machining applications (screws). Corrosion
303 resistant to atmospheric exposures, sterilizing solutions, most organic and many inorganic
chemicals; most dyes, nitric acid and foods.
The most widely used of the stainless steel and heat resisting steels. Offers good corrosion resistance
to many chemical corrodents as well as industrial atmospheres. Has very good formability and can
304
be readily welded by all common methods. ASTM A240 Cold rolled, annealed and pickled.
Finishes: 2B, #3, and #4.
Better corrosion and pitting resistance as well as higher strength at elevated temperatures than T304.
316 Used for pumps, valves, textile and chemical equipment, pulp & paper and marine applications.
ASTM A240 Cold rolled, annealed and pickled. Finishes: 2B, #3, and #4.
Heat-treatable stainless used widely where corrosion resistance is not severe (air, fresh water, some
410 chemicals). Frequently used in cutlery. This series is martensitic (magnetic). ASTM A240 Hot
rolled, annealed and pickled. Finishes: Dull

Stainless sheet thickness tolerances

During the rolling process that produces the sheet stock, a certain amount of "bowing" occurs in
the rollers. This results in the sheet being slightly thinner at the edges than at the center of the
sheet.

Stainless thickness tolerances:

Thickness 36" Sheet 48" Sheet

.017-.030 .0015 .002
.031-.041 .002 .003
.042-.059 .003 .004
.060-.073 .003 .0045
.074-.084 .004 .0055
.085-.099 .004 .006
.100-.115 .005 .007
 .116-.131 .005 .0075
.132-.146 .006 .009
.147-.187 .007 .0105

Stainless sheet surface finishes

Sheet stock from the rolling mill is available in several finishes. To protect the finish, a static
adhering PVC film may be applied. DSM normally handles "2B bare" and grains or polishes the
part after all perforation is completed.

Stainless sheet finishes:

Finish Description

#1 Hot rolled, annealed and pickled.

#2D Dull cold rolled, annealed, and pickled.

#2B Bright cold rolled, annealed, and pickled.

#3 Grained 100-120 grit.

#4 Grained 150-180 grit

BA Bright Annealed -- highly reflective.

Theoretical gauge thickness

The emphasis on theoretical is due to the fact that most rolling mills (manufacturers of sheet
metal) will maximize the square footage and minimize the thickness.

Note that nonferrous gages (aluminum) are not the same as ferrous gages (steel & stainless)!

Material thickness:

ALUMINUM STEEL

(mm) (inches) Gage (inches) (mm)

5.827 .2294 3 .2391 6.073

5.189 .2043 4 .2242 5.695

4.620 .1819 5 .2092 5.314

4.115 .1620 6 .1943 4.935

3.665 .1443 7 .1793 4.554

3.264 .1285 8 .1644 4.176

2.906 .1144 9 .1495 3.797

2.588 .1019 10 .1345 3.416

2.304 .0907 11 .1196 3.030

2.052 .0808 12 .1046 2.657

1.829 .0720 13 .0897 2.278

1.628 .0641 14 .0747 1.897

1.450 .0571 15 .0673 1.709

1.290 .0508 16 .0598 1.519

1.151 .0453 17 .0538 1.367

1.024 .0403 18 .0478 1.214

0.912 .0359 19 .0418 1.062

0.813 .0320 20 .0359 0.912

0.724 .0285 21 .0329 0.836

0.643 .0253 22 .0299 0.759

0.574 .0226 23 .0269 0.683

0.511 .0201 24 .0239 0.607

0.455 .0179 25 .0209 0.531

0.404 .0159 26 .0179 0.455

0.361 .0142 27 .0164 0.417

0.320 .0126 28 .0149 0.378

0.287 .0113 29 .0135 0.343

0.254 .0100 30 .0120 0.305

0.226 .0089 31 .0105 0.267

0.203 .0080 32 .0097 0.246

0.180 .0071 33 .0090 0.229

0.160 .0063 34 .0082 0.208

0.142 .0056 35 .0075 0.191

Hole size

What is the minimum hole size? The material thickness and hardness limits the size of the hole
we can punch. In mild steel, we can go down to the material thickness as the smallest hole -- the
smallest CNC punch tooling we have is .031" (.79mm). (see Theoretical Gage Thicknesses and
Sheet Metal Materials)

What is the maximum hole size? Tricky question. If multiple hits are allowed, we could CNC
punch out a hole 50" x 72" (1270mm x 1828mm). The largest single CNC tool we can hold is 3.5"
dia (88.9mm). The CNC equipment can press up to 30 tons (see Punching Force Calculation), so
the material thickness and hardness create another limit.

Punching force calculation

How to calculate punching force in tons

Punching force = 25 x Land distance x Material thickness x Material factor x Shear factor

Note: 1 Ton = 8.90 kN. 1kN = .112 Tons

Station Size & Land Distance

The larger the perimeter of the cut hole, the larger the tonnage required.

Shape "A" Dimension "Ld" Land Distance

A=Diameter Ld= 3.14 x A

A=B x 1.414 Ld= 4 x B

A=sqrt(B x B + C x C) Ld= 2 x (C + B)

A=C Ld= 2 x C - 2 x B + B x 3.14

A=2 x C Ld= 3 x A
Material factor

The higher the shear strength of the material, the higher the tonnage required.

Material Factor
Aluminum 3003-H14 .30

Aluminum 5052-H32 .38

Aluminum 6061-T6 .50

Copper .57

Brass 260-HH .70

Mild Steel 1.00
Cold Drawn Steel 1.20
Stainless Steel 304 1.40

Tempered Spring Steel 4.00

Material thickness

The thicker the material, the higher the tonnage required.

ALUM. ALUM. STEEL STEEL

(mm) (inches) Gage (inches) (mm)
2.54 .100 10 .134 3.40
2.29 .090 11 .119 3.02
2.03 .080 12 .104 2.64
1.63 .064 14 .074 1.88
1.27 .050 16 .059 1.50
1.02 .040 18 .047 1.19
0.81 .032 20 .035 0.89
0.64 .025 22 .029 0.74
0.51 .020 24 .023 0.58
0.38 .015 26 .017 0.43

Shear factor
The face of the punch tip may be ground flat, roof-topped, or concave to reduce the amount of
tonnage required.

Size & Shape Factor

0.0 Flat 1.00
.062" (1.6mm) Concave .30
.125" (3.2mm) Concave .55
.250" (6.4mm) Concave .60
.438" (11.1mm) Concave .75

Hole-to-fold

How close can a hole be to a bend? The hole can be right in the middle of a bend, but it will be
distorted as the material stretches during forming. In general, the edge of the hole should be at
least 2 material thicknesses away from the start of the inside bend radius

Distance between hole to fold should have atleast 2 times the material thickness.

Flange size

What is the smallest flange width? The quick answer is to keep the inside of the flange at least 3
times the material thickness + the inside bend radius. We don't like to do it, but we can "coin"
flanges as small as 1.5 times the material thickness in thin ductile material (brass, mild steel,
etc.).

Flange width should be atleast 3 times the material thickness + bend radius.

Bend reliefs

Are bend reliefs required? Bend reliefs are cutouts or holes that are punched in anticipation of the
material tearing or ripping near an edge when the part is formed. Bend reliefs reduce the
propagation of stress cracking. By allowing the material to form without cracking, the accuracy
and consistency during production is improved. They also reduce the debur effort and reflect
good design practice. Use 1.5 times the material thickness for the size of the relief, and annotate
them as "NOT INSPECTABLE" features so QC personnel don't overkill the inspection.

Bend relief should be 1.5 times the material thickness & should annotate with
“ NOT INSPECTABLE” feature .

Plating

By using chemical reactions, metal parts can be coated to control corrosion, improve appearance,
and enhance durability. The following table is a quick comparison of some common plating
applications.
Quick comparison of plating types:

Applied On Purpose Specification

Durable decorative coating.
MIL-A-8625 TYPE II CLASS 1
Nonconductive. Available in many
Anodize Aluminum (NON-DYED 600mg/sf) OR CLASS
colors. Thickness build up: .00005" -
2 (DYED 2500mg/sf)
.0010"
Steel Thin decorative coating. Very little MIL-C-13924 CLASS 1 (ALKALINE
Black
(ferrous corrosion protection. Good on moving OXIDIZING) for plain steel. OTHER
Oxide
metals) parts. Should be oiled. CLASSES ARE AVAILABLE.
AKA Chem Film, Iridite, Alodine, etc.
MIL-C-5541 CLASS 1A (MAX
Aluminum Corrosion control or paint primer.
Chromate PROTECTION) OR CLASS 3 (MAX
(non ferrous) Conductive. Easily scratched. Normally
CONDUCTIVITY)
yellow. Specify CLEAR if needed.
QQ-C-320 TYPE I (BRIGHT) OR
Hard, durable, decorative finish. Low
Copper over TYPE II (SATIN) CLASS 1
Chrome coefficient of friction. Pretty, but
Steel (DECORATIVE). OTHER CLASSES
pricey.
AVAILABLE.
Used for undercoating, to eliminate MIL-C-14550 CLASS 0,1,2,3, or 4
Ferrous or
Copper buffing, to lubricate, to prevent case (APPLICATION DICTATES
nonferrous
hardening, to enable tinning, etc. WHICH CLASS TO USE)
MIL-G-45204 TYPE I, II, OR III
Conductive decorative corrosion CLASS 00 THRU 6 (APPLICATION
Gold nonferrous
resistance. Really pricey. DICTATES WHICH TYPE AND
CLASS TO USE)
nonferrous Decorative, durable, moderate corrosion
Electroless MIL-C-26074 GRADE A OR B
or Copper protection. Electroless can cover into
Nickel CLASS 1,2, OR 3
over steel tight corners.
nonferrous
Nickel or Copper Hard, durable, corrosion protection. QQ-N-290 CLASS 1 GRADE A-G
over steel
Stainless Removes iron from surface to reduce
Passivate QQ-P-35
Steel rusting.
QQ-S-365 TYPE I (MATTE) TYPE II
nonferrous
Decorative, conductive, corrosion (SEMI-BRIGHT) OR TYPE III
Silver or over
resistance, lubricity. (BRIGHT) GRADE A (WITH
copper flash
CHROMATE)
nonferrous MIL-T-10727 TYPE I
Tin or over Improves solderability & conductivity. (ELECTRODEPOSITED) OR TYPE
copper flash II (HOT DIP)
Corrosion control or paint primer.
Electro-deposited, does not cover well
on inside corners and closed hems. ASTM B633 TYPE II CLASS SC1
Zinc Steel
TYPE I (NO CHROMATE). TYPE II (THIN) UP
(YELLOW CHROMATE). TYPE III
(CLEAR CHROMATE).
Painting

Properly applied, paint is an excellent finish when considering cost, corrosion control, and
appearance. To minimize air borne pollutants, "powder coat" paints are becoming widely used.
Solvent based paints use a liquid to suspend the paint solids during application. The carrier
solvent evaporates, leaving the paint film behind. Powder coat paints, on the other hand, take
advantage of static electricity to cause the fine, dry powder of paint solids to cling to the part
being coated. Heat is used to liquify the power to form a film. As the part cools, the paint returns
to a solid.

Several brands of powder coat are available (Morton, Tiger Drylac, Spraylat, HB Fuller, Cardinal,
O'brien to name a few).

The following comparison of materials is taken from an O'brien catalog.

The ranking system: 1=NOT RECOMMENDED, 2=FAIR, 3=GOOD, 4=VERY GOOD,
5=EXCELLENT.

Quick comparison of powder coat materials:

Aromatic Aliphatic TGIC

Epoxy Hybrid
Urethane Urethane Polyester
Hardness 5 4 3 3 4
Flexibility 5 5 5 5 5
Overbake Stability 2 3 2 5 5
Exterior Durability 1 1 1 5 5
Corrosion Protection 5 4 3 3 4
Chemical & Solvent
5 3 3 3 3
Resistance
Ease of Application 4 5 4 4 5

When the part cannot be heated as required in the powder coating process, water based paints
may be an option. A wide variety of films are available, but generally lack the abrasion resistance
and toughness of powder coatings.

Traditional petroleum solvents are still in use, but require extensive air filtration equipment to
prevent VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) pollution of the atmosphere.

Screen Printing

Sometimes called "silk screening", this process is used to paint lettering and graphics on the
panels, chassis, covers, and brackets.

The operator, using a wiping paddle, presses the ink through a fine screen mesh to apply it to the
work piece. The screen mesh is stretched tightly around a frame, which is raised and lowered to
align with the work piece.
To prepare the screen mesh (so the ink only goes where it should) it is completely sealed with a
photo-resist. A high contrast master art film layout is used to expose the photo-resist, which is
then removed by rinsing. Most of the screen mesh remains sealed after exposure. Only the
desired lettering, lines, and graphics are open to pass the ink to the work piece.

The screen mesh, typically a high quality stainless steel cloth, can be reused many times for
various projects by rinsing to remove all of the photo-resist. The art film master is kept on-file for
preparing the screen frame for the next batch of parts.

The Pantone Color Chart is an excellent reference for specifying shades & hues. Each color of
ink must be applied separately and requires its own art film master and screen mesh setup.

The preparation of the art film (produced with a Line-o-type film printer) can take advantage of a
variety of CAD and Graphics software. A camera can be used to "shoot" a cut & paste layout. We
can also design an art layout from just a concept sketch or outline.

The inks used are generally epoxy based and will adhere to virtually any clean, dry surface
(anodize, chromate, zinc, paint, plastic, etc.). Rough surfaces (highly textured paint) can make it
very difficult to apply fine detail.

Drafting

Revision control: Always show a revision level on the print. Change the revision every
time the drawing is changed! Even if all you did was fix a spelling error, change the
revision of the print! The effort will reduce brain damage in the long term.

Title blocks & borders: At a minimum the title block should include the part description,
part number, revision, and cad file name. Engineering & design authority, where used,
and other routing and control info is recommended. The border around the print should
be "gridded" in alphanumeric zones to facilitate telephone conversations. It is much
easier to say "See the hole at zone A-5?" than it is describe it as "The hole on the side...
no, the other side...".

Views and projections: When drafting side, top, left, right, bottom views, etc. use the
"fish bowl" rule. Imagine your part resting in the bottom of a bowl and you are looking
straight down at it. If you push the part to the right, it would move up the bowl and rotate
to reveal what should be drawn as a side view. Push it left, up, or down to imagine the
correct orientation of other views.

Tolerances: Don't over do it! Be generous! Be kind! See Sheet Metal Tolerances. Show
tolerance notes for "hole size", "hole-to-edge", "hole-to-hole", and "hole-to-fold" or "fold-
to-fold". The "X.XXX=+/-.005 or X.XX=+/-.020" is better than nothing, but leaves much to
be desired.

Geometric dimensioning: This is a good thing, if it is properly drafted. It is an excellent

method of showing important relationships between holes or bends and so forth. It helps
inspection by showing how the holes will be used. This method of dimensioning requires
much greater effort on the part of the draftsman and engineer, but it can contribute to
cost effective design and production