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Hardware That Can Be Plated

Hardware Lengths

Material Thickness vs Shank Numbers

Special Cases

Prototypes are riveted by punching, laser cutting or drilling a hole in sheet metal, and then using a handheld pneumatic rivet tool to insert and secure the rivet, which fastens prototype sheet metal parts together. Riveting can be used as an alternative to welding and clinching or when very high strength is required. We use different rivet systems such as pneumatic rivet setting tools are used at Rapid Sheet Metal. Solid rivets, pop rivets and rivnuts are common types of rivets that Rapid Sheet Metal implements into sheet metal prototype parts. The Cleco system is often used to fixture parts that will be riveted together. Cleco holes can be left or filled dependent upon the end users requirements.

We cater to the electronics, medical, lighting, dental, audio and consumer industries as well as defense contractors that need MIL Spec required welds and others that require custom metal weldments. Complex to simple fabricating of many types of custom or prototype weldments is our specialty. We offer various plating options including silver, nickel, bright tin, matte tin and lead mixes. We also offer a variety of powder coating colors as well as silk screening, both completed in-house. Our weld processes include Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG), Resistance Spot Welding, MIL Spec Certified Welders. Complicated designs, tight tolerances and small quantities are always warmly welcomed.

Custom tooling is commonly used in the sheet metal prototyping phase of the product development cycle when off the shelf tooling is not available. Our in-house tooling group specializes in all custom prototype tooling needs. We have custom tools for punching and press brake bending and custom prototype form tools to create embossed shapes. These custom tools are typically made of steel, and we create custom tooling using different types of processes, mostly wire EDM and CNC machining. Custom tooling elongates lead time, so allow for an additional week when planning your development process.

Working from your supplied 3D CAD data, we use press brakes to form your prototype sheet metal parts to the desired bend. We can form prototypes up to 60″ in length. Our press brake operators average over 20 years experience each, which translates into the forming of “impossibly difficult” sheet metal parts as a standard occurrence. We stock a wide variety of American and European style tooling, enabling the forming of complex features.

Punching requires more setup time than laser cutting, but production per piece is faster. This saves cost on higher-part volumes, but generally is more expensive for low volume runs. Punching also enables the creation of 3D features such as louvers and embossments at the punch press. Perforation patterns are better suited to be produced on a punch press as the holes can be clustered which means it is less likely that the 2D flats will “oil-can” or bend in the flat creation.

Laser cutting generates the first 2D flat of the sheet metal fabrication. Turnaround time for laser cutting is faster than punching, saving you time on shorter runs, and is more precise and consistent cut than mechanical cutting.