Rapid sheet metal fabrication can be a great option for quick-turn flat parts that require the prototype to be evaluated in its final metal material. These parts can be turned around in a week or less and can often be cost-effective enough to manufacture two or more prototype designs in parallel. Aluminum 5052 is the most common sheet metal material for rapid prototyping, but we also offers a variety of alloys including steels, copper, and stainless.
Rapid sheet metal parts have a comparable lead time to rapid CNC machined parts, but have a longer lead time than 3D printed parts. Much like CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication requires additional machine set-up and run time.
