Sheet metal stock is initially acquired in a flat form and undergoes a sequential transformation process involving cutting and shaping to attain its final configuration. In a standard sheet metal project, the initial phase involves sheet cutting, employing equipment like shears, lasers, waterjets, plasmas, or punch presses to carve out internal apertures and peripheral contours, a process commonly referred to as blanking.

Subsequent to blank creation, sheet metal is reshaped utilizing various tools, predominantly brakes. These brake presses, available in manual or automated variants, employ die inserts to impart precise angular bends, transforming the two-dimensional sheet into intricate three-dimensional structures. This forming process can accommodate both straightforward bends for simple parts like brackets and intricate geometries necessitating custom die tools. Once the tooling is set up, the cost-effectiveness of producing additional sheet metal parts in series becomes significant, rendering sheet metal fabrication and forming an ideal solution for a wide range of production volumes, from low to high.