Sheet metal parts and CNC machined parts are typically made from a variety of materials and finishes, including stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, bronze, titanium, and various alloys. The most common finishes for sheet metal parts include powder coating, anodizing, plating, galvanizing, and painting. CNC machined parts can also be finished in a variety of ways, such as polishing, sandblasting, and buffing. Depending on the application, additional treatments and coatings may be used to enhance the performance and appearance of the parts.
HY metals is your best supplier of custom sheet metal parts and machining parts with more than 10 years of experience and ISO9001:2015 cert. We own 6 fully equipped factories including 4 sheet metal shops and 2 CNC machining shops.
We provide professional custom metal and plastic prototyping and manufacturing solutions.
HY Metals is a grouped company providing one-stop service from raw materials to end use products.
We can handle all kinds of materials including Carbon Steel, Stainless steel, Tool steel, Brass, Aluminum, and all kinds of machinable plastic.
Material and Finish for Sheet Metal Parts
For a rough classification, sheet metal materials mainly include Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Aluminum Alloy and Copper Alloy 4 major categories.
And sheet metal finishes mainly include Brushing, Polishing, Electroplating, Powder coating , Painting and Anodizing.
Carbon steel is one of the most commonly used materials in sheet metal fabrication. It is much stronger than Aluminum and much cheaper than Stainless steel.
But steel is obviously easy to rust. Then a coating finish will be necessary for steel parts.
Sheet Metal Parts from carbon steel with Zinc plating
Zinc plating，Nickel plating and chrome plating is commonly used on steel sheet metal parts for anti-corrosion purpose. Sometimes the plating also plays a decorative role.
Stainless steel with 2B finish, just keep the raw material finish.
Sometimes to get a cosmetic surface, we will do brushing finish on stainless steel sheet metal parts.
Sheet Metal Parts from carbon steel with Powder coated Yellow
Powder coating is a kind of epoxy resin coating, its thickness always between 0.2-0.6mm,which is much thicker than plating layer.
Powder Coat finish is suit for some outside sheet metal parts which are not sensitive to tolerance and want to get customized colors.
Stainless steel has a better rust resistance ability, widely used in automation equipment, Medical device, kitchen wares and many kinds of outdoor brackets, shells.
Stainless steel parts usually no need any finish, just keep the raw material with 2B finish or Brushed finish.
Stainless steel with different brushed finish effect
Aluminum alloy is widely used in aerospace and shells of some equipment to reduce weight and get good rust protection.
At the same time, aluminum alloy also has a very good coloring ability when anodizing.
You can get any beautiful color you want on your aluminum sheet metal parts.
Custom sheet metal parts with different finish
Table 1. Common Material and Finish for sheet metal parts
Sandblasting and anodizing finishes on aluminum extruded tubes.
Sandblast finish can cover the material defects or tooling marks of machined parts. Anodizing can get the anti-corrosion ability and same time get the ideal color for aluminum parts.
So sandblasting+ anodizing is a very perfect finish option for almost all the cosmetic aluminum parts.
| Materials |
Thickness |
Finish | |
| Cold rolled steel | SPCC
SGCC SECC SPTE Tin plated steel |
0.5-3.0mm |
Powder coating
(Custom colors are available) Wet painting (Custom colors are available) Silkscreen Zinc plating (Clear,Blue,Yellow) Nickel plating Chrome plating E-coating,QPQ |
| Hot rolled steel | SPHC |
3.0-6.5mm |
|
| Other mild steel | Q235 |
0.5-12mm |
|
| Stainless steel | SS304,SS301,SS316 |
0.2-8mm |
2B Finish raw material,
Brushed raw material Brush, Polishing Electro-polish Passivate |
| Spring steel
Suit for spring clips |
SS301-H,1/2H,1/4H,3/4H |
|
None |
| Mn65
|
|
Heat treatment | |
| Aluminium | AL5052-H32,
AL5052-H0 AL5052-H36 AL6061 AL7075 |
0.5-6.5mm |
Clear chemical film
Anodizing, Hard anodizing (Custom colors are available) Powder coating (Custom colors are available) Wet painting (Custom colors are available) Silkscreen Sandblasting Sandblast+ Anodize Electroless Nickel plating Brush, Polish |
| Brass | Widely used in
Electronic components, conductive connection parts |
0.2-6.0mm |
Tin plating
Nickel plating Gold plating Raw material finish |
| Copper | |||
| Beryllium Copper
Phosphor copper |
|||
| Nickel silver alloy | Electronic shielings |
0.2-2.0mm |
Raw material |
Material and Finish for CNC Machined parts
The commonly used materials for CNC machining parts including Steel, Stainless steel, Aluminum, Brass, and all kinds of machinable plastic material.
CNC parts usually required a tight tolerance, so the coating layer is not allowed too thick.
Electroplating for steel and copper parts , anodizing for aluminum parts are the most popular finishes.
Custom CNC machined parts with different finishes
Sandblasting and anodizing finishes on aluminum extruded tubes.
Sandblasting and anodizing finishes on aluminum extruded tubes.
Sandblast finish can cover the material defects or tooling marks of machined parts. Anodizing can get the anti-corrosion ability and same time get the ideal color for aluminum parts.
So sandblasting+ anodizing is a very perfect finish option for almost all the cosmetic aluminum parts.
Copper parts with nickel plating finish
For copper alloy parts, the most commonly used surface treatment is tin plating and nickel plating.
Table 2. Common Material and Finish for CNC machining parts
| Plastic and Finish | Metal alloy | Finish | |
| ABS |
Aluminum alloy |
Al6061-T6,AL6061-T651 | Deburr, Polish, Brush |
| Nylon | AL6063-T6, AL6063-T651 | Anodize,Hard anodize | |
| PC | AL7075 | Sandblast | |
| POM(Delrin) | AL1060,AL1100 | Electroless nickel plate | |
| Acetal | AL6082 | Chromate/chrome chemical film | |
| PEEK | Stainless steel | SUS303,SUS304,SUS304L | Passivate |
| PPSU(Radel® R-5000) | SUS316,SUS316L | As machined | |
| PSU | 17-7 PH, 18-8 PH | As machined | |
| PS | Tool steel | A2,#45,other tooling steel | Heat treatment |
| PEI(Ultem2300) | Mild steel | Steel 12L14 | Nickel/chrome plating |
| HDPE | Brass | As machined | |
| PTFE (Teflon) | Copper | C36000 | Nickel/Gold/Tin plating |
| PMMA(Acrylic) | Zinc alloy | As machined | |
| PVC | Titanium | 6Al-4V | As machined |