Understanding Sheet Metal Work
From protective guards to custom panels and enclosures, sheet metal is everywhere in agricultural, industrial, and automotive applications. When standard parts don’t fit or aren’t available, having access to skilled sheet metal work means you can get exactly what you need—cut, folded, and formed to suit your project.
Wallace Heron provides in-house sheet metal services from our Pukekohe workshop. With a full guillotine and press brake setup, our team cuts and folds sheet metal by hand to produce practical, well-finished components. Whether it’s a replacement panel, a custom bracket, or a purpose-built enclosure, we deliver trade-quality results without the lead times of larger fabrication shops.
How sheet metal work works
Sheet metal fabrication involves cutting flat sheet material to size, then forming it into three-dimensional shapes through bending, folding, and shaping. The two primary machines involved are:
Guillotine – A guillotine uses a straight blade to shear sheet metal cleanly along a line. It’s used to cut sheets down to the required dimensions before forming. Clean, accurate cuts are essential for parts that need to fit together precisely.
Press brake – A press brake uses a punch and die to bend sheet metal along a straight line. By controlling the angle and position of each bend, complex shapes can be formed from a single flat sheet—boxes, channels, angles, and enclosures all start as flat material folded into shape.
The skill in sheet metal work lies in planning the sequence of cuts and bends, accounting for material thickness, bend radius, and how the finished part needs to fit. Experienced operators produce accurate, consistent results that assemble properly and look professional.
Common problems we see
Customers come to us with a range of sheet metal requirements. Some of the most common include:
Damaged or missing guards and covers. Machinery guards, engine covers, and protective panels get dented, corroded, or lost over time. Replacements may be unavailable or prohibitively expensive from OEM suppliers.
Custom enclosures and housings. Electrical boxes, control panel covers, and equipment housings often need to be made to specific dimensions. Off-the-shelf options rarely fit non-standard applications.
Brackets and mounting plates. When equipment needs to be mounted in a specific location or orientation, custom brackets solve the problem. A simple folded bracket can save hours of improvisation on site.
Repair panels and patches. For vehicles, machinery, or structures with localised corrosion or damage, a new panel section can be cut and shaped to fit, extending the service life without full replacement.
Our sheet metal process
When you bring a sheet metal job to Wallace Heron, we start by understanding what you need. For straightforward jobs, that might be as simple as dimensions and material thickness. For more complex work, we can look at the application, discuss options, and advise on the best approach.
Once requirements are confirmed, we select the appropriate sheet material—typically mild steel, galvanised steel, or aluminium depending on the application and environment. The sheet is then cut to size on our guillotine and formed on the press brake to achieve the required shape.
For jobs requiring holes, notches, or additional features, we complete these in-house as part of the process. The finished component is checked for accuracy and fit before handover.
Internal link opportunity: Where fabricated brackets or frames are needed alongside sheet metal components, our Welding & Fabrication service can produce structural elements that integrate with your sheet metal parts.
Custom panels, guards, and enclosures
One of the most common applications for sheet metal work is producing custom panels and enclosures. These include:
- Machinery guards and safety covers
- Electrical and control panel enclosures
- Engine and belt guards
- Access panels and inspection covers
- Duct sections and transitions
- Tool trays and storage boxes
Because we work from flat sheet, there’s flexibility in dimensions and design. If you have a specific size requirement or need to match an existing component, we can produce exactly what’s needed rather than forcing a compromise with standard parts.
Internal link opportunity: Where sheet metal components require machined fittings—such as threaded inserts, precision holes, or mounting bosses—our Precision Machining service ensures accurate finishing.
Why material choice matters
The sheet material used affects durability, corrosion resistance, and suitability for the application. Common options include:
Mild steel – Strong, economical, and easy to work. Suitable for most structural and mechanical applications. Can be painted or powder-coated for corrosion protection.
Galvanised steel – Zinc-coated for corrosion resistance. Ideal for outdoor or agricultural applications where exposure to moisture is expected.
Aluminium – Lightweight and naturally corrosion-resistant. Used where weight matters or where the environment demands resistance to rust.
We can advise on the best material for your application based on where and how the component will be used.
Bring your sheet metal jobs to Wallace Heron
If you need custom sheet metal work without the delays and minimum orders of larger suppliers, Wallace Heron offers a practical local solution. Our workshop handles one-off jobs and small runs with the same attention to quality, and our experienced team can advise on design and materials to get the best result for your project.
Internal link opportunity: Where your sheet metal components need to be welded into assemblies or joined to structural frames, our Welding & Fabrication team can complete the work in-house.
Sheet Metal Work — Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
Do you offer mobile sheet metal services? All sheet metal work is carried out in-store at Wallace Heron in Pukekohe. We are not a mobile service. Our guillotine and press brake equipment is workshop-based, allowing us to produce accurate, consistent results with proper quality control.
What materials can you work with? We work with mild steel, galvanised steel, and aluminium sheet. Material choice depends on the application—we can advise on the best option for durability, weight, and corrosion resistance.
What thickness of sheet can you cut and fold? Our equipment handles a range of common sheet thicknesses used in general fabrication, automotive, and agricultural work. If you have a specific requirement, get in touch with the details and we’ll confirm our capability.
Can you make one-off parts or do you only do large orders? We’re happy to produce one-off components. Unlike large fabrication shops with minimum order requirements, we regularly handle single items—replacement guards, custom brackets, and individual panels are all part of our daily work.
Can you replicate an existing part if I bring it in? In most cases, yes. If you have a damaged or worn component, we can measure it up and produce a replacement. Bringing in the original part—or accurate dimensions—helps ensure the new piece fits correctly.
