Since there is a great raise in population and the improvement of people’s living standard, we are facing more and more serious resources and energy pressure and risk in nowadays. With the development and popularization of modern technologies, you can always find new interesting inventions and adorable things you want to get, more and more vehicles on the streets. Indeed, those inventions and things will bring your plenty of happiness and take good advantage of science or even help to make life easier. However, they all lead to another issue for all human beings, energy, which is a heavy task for living.
Background, Development and Future Prospects of New Energy
Under the big pressure of resources and energy, scientists are constantly trying to find an alternative for energy. In 1981, United Nations defined what is new energy: To modernize the development and utilization of traditional renewable energy sources based on new technologies and materials, to replace fossil energy sources with inexhaustible and circumscribed renewable energy sources with limited resources and environmental pollution, focusing on the development of solar, wind, biomass, tidal, geothermal, hydrogen and nuclear energy (atomic energy). Generally speaking, conventional energy refers to energy sources that are technically mature and have been utilized on a large scale, while new energy sources usually refer to energy sources that have not yet been utilized on a large scale and are being actively researched and developed, which as well bring us fresh and possible chances for clean and renewable energy.
Some renewable energy utilization technologies have made great strides and formed a certain scale worldwide. The utilization technologies of biomass, solar energy, wind energy, as well as hydroelectric power and geothermal energy have been applied. The overall low proportion of renewable energy in primary energy is related to the importance and policies of different countries on the one hand and the high cost of renewable energy technologies on the other hand, especially solar energy, biomass, wind energy, etc., with high technical content. According to the IEA’s forecast study, the cost of renewable energy generation will drop significantly in the next 30 years, thus increasing its competitiveness. The cost of renewable energy use is related to various factors, so the results of cost projections are somewhat uncertain. However, these projections show a decreasing trend in the cost of renewable energy technologies.
Pros and Cons for Sheet Metal Fabrication Service
Sheet metal fabrication is comprehensive cold processing technology on thin metal sheets (normally the thickness is under 6mm), including cutting, punching, bending, welding, riveting and forming(for the outer sheet for automotive.
Comparing with other cutting processes, sheet metal cutting technology had properties of high speed, high accuracy and wide applicability. The cutting gap is thin, with lower deformation and noise. During the process, no need for special molds. Just fixtures are okay, which also lowers the cost for mass production and even short run or prototypes. The biggest advantage of sheet metal fabrication is that it is suitable for small-lot, multi-variety production. Stamping is a representative method of plasticity processing and is suitable for mass production of many parts of the same shape, but because of the need to make dies for each product, the price of the product can be very high unless it is produced in large quantities.
In this regard, sheet metal processing uses common equipment for all processes, such as “punching”, “bending” and “welding”, and also uses common tooling for bending processes. As a result, we can respond flexibly to design changes in addition to small-lot and multi-variety manufacturing. In addition, the combination of “punching,” “bending,” and “welding” can produce complex shapes from a single sheet, which is an advantage.
On the other hand, the disadvantage is that the parts are machined one by one, so if a large number of identical parts are made, it takes a lot of time to produce them. In particular, welding is not suitable for mass production because a large part of it depends on the craftsman’s skill and not everyone can process it.
How to Combine Sheet Metal and New Energy Vehicles
Sheet metal parts have a wide and diverse range of applications. In particular, they are widely used in industrial products, factory production equipment, food manufacturing equipment, etc. Sheet metal parts are used as brackets, covers, chassis, rails, and other parts of various sizes. In addition, box-shaped parts such as switchboards and boxes also use sheet metal parts. Sheet metal parts, which can be flexibly manufactured using common equipment and common molds, are easy to manufacture in small quantities and in wide varieties and are an integral part of equipment design. Since sheet metal services has above mentioned advantages and wide application, it could be nice chance to adapt more sheet metal service in new energy development.
As a means of transportation, automobiles emit a large amount of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur oxides, hydrocarbons, lead compounds and many other air pollutants every day, which is an important source of air pollution, seriously harming human health and the ecological environment. Energy conservation and emission reduction is the eternal theme of the development of the automotive industry, and constantly strengthening energy conservation and emission reduction has become an urgent need for China’s economy to achieve good and rapid development.
In developed countries, automobiles determine the demand for oil and are also a key factor affecting greenhouse gas and harmful gas emissions, and achieving environmental protection goals requires reducing oil consumption and gas emissions from automobiles. But on the other hand, automobiles are a pillar industry and a basic means of transportation, and governments need to maintain the development of automobiles to promote economic development and the welfare of the people. The development of energy-efficient and environment-friendly vehicles can reduce oil consumption and protect the atmosphere while maintaining the growth of automobiles, so governments generally see the development of energy-efficient and environment-friendly vehicles as an important part of their energy and environment policies and the sustainable development of the automotive industry.
Sheet Metal Services You Can Find in Turnkey
As one of our advantages, Turnkey is able to offer a wide range of sheet metal services which can meet almost every industry. Here are some main sheet metal materials which customers mainly use.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is a material that is mostly used on products that have a need for corrosion resistance and cleanliness. The representative material for sheet metal is SUS304, which has the characteristics of being easy to purchase on the market, excellent corrosion resistance, and easy processing such as cutting, bending, and welding. 2B material is generally used in SUS304; if surface gloss is required, it can be specified as “mirror material”. “Single-sided 4K mirror”. In addition, SUS430 is mostly used for water parts and is commonly used in kitchen equipment and architectural sheet metal.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel in sheet metal processing is usually used differently depending on the processability and the state of surface treatment. The most popular SPCC is a material that is inexpensive and easy to work with, but it is prone to rusting, so some surface treatment, such as painting or plating, needs to be applied after processing. The SECC of galvanized steel is sometimes called “bonde”. It is easy to paint and has a good coloring effect, so it is a material that can be easily used in the next process, such as painting in control panels. SGCC of hot-dip galvanized steel has high rust resistance, so it is recommended for outdoor use and other products that require rust resistance.
Aluminum Alloy
Aluminum has a low specific gravity and easy thermal conductivity, making it ideal for products that require lightweight or good heat dissipation. The commonly used aluminum alloy for sheet metal parts is A5052, but compared to other materials, sheet metal processing is more difficult. For example, aluminum alloys do not absorb laser light easily, so laser cutting requires higher laser power than stainless steel or carbon steel. Specifically, in the case of carbon steel, a 3kW fiber laser machine can process up to a 22mm plate thickness, but a 6kW fiber laser machine is required to process the same thickness of material in aluminum alloy.
In addition, the thicker the plate, the easier it is to break when bending, the higher the thermal conductivity, and the higher the technical requirements for welding. Material and processing costs can be high, so it is best to use the material where it is really needed.
If you are not sure about which is the best material to choose for your sheet metal project, our professional project engineer will support you whenever you need us. Turnkey can be your best supplier for sheet metal projects ever!
