As discussed earlier the equipment of a sheet metal shop varies widely depending upon the size of the product and production quantities. The layouts also vary accordingly. A reasonably equipped sheet metal fabrication shop should have at least the following:

Primary Section

• Sheet stalkers
• Power Shearing Machine, 2.5 Mt length, Hand Shears
• CNC Turret Punch Press, 24 stations, Power Presses- 20T,60 T, Fly Presses

Secondary Section

• CNC Press brake 2.5 Mt length, Hydraulic press brake. 2.5 Mt, Folding machine 1.2 Mt
• Notching Machine, Clinching machine, Riveting machine, Hand Riveting equipment
• Work Benches 2Mt length, Fitter Hand Tool Sets,

Integration Section

• CO2 Welding, TIG Welding, Arc Welding, Spot welding, Resistance welding
• Welding Tables, Welding Jigs
• Deburring, Grinding, Sanding
• Inspection Tables, Inspection Tools

Finishing Section

• 7 Tank Pre-treatment
• Conveyorized Spray painting, Powder Coating booths
• Effluent Treatment Systems
• Plating Systems

Assembly Section

• Assembly tables
• Assembly Documents
• Assembly jigs
• Pneumatic Screwdrivers
• Cleaning Systems

Dispatch Section

• Packing
• Dispatch Documents
• Jib Crane or other lifting equipment
   

TYPICAL LAYOUT OF A SHEET METAL FABRICATION SHOP. MACHINES CAN BE MORE THAN ONE.

Production should be  planned based on firm BOM and BOQ along with formatted final drawings, not as-built drawings

Sheet Metal production initiation generally comprises of:

• Work Order Generation
• Production Flow path creation
• Man, and machine time planning
• Quality manual generation
• Inspection manual generation
• Dispatch document generation

The production begins with these documents. There must be periodic in-process quality checks and final quality checks before the product is certified for dispatch.