Secondary operations explained

Deburring / edge clean Quote add-on

Laser-cut edges are clean but can carry a fine burr or a little dross on the underside, and the very edge is sharp. Deburring removes that — we knock back the sharp edge and clean the profile so parts are safe to handle and ready to coat, paint or assemble. Tick it whenever the part will be handled by people or needs a tidy edge to seat against another part. It's the most commonly added operation and the cheapest.

Folding / bending Quote add-on · per bend

A press-brake fold turns a flat blank into a 3-D part — a bracket, tray, box, enclosure or panel return. On the form you enter the number of bends per part (a four-sided tray is four bends). A few things help us fold it right:

• Design the part as a flat pattern — or send the 3-D model and we'll develop the flat for you, allowing for material stretch at the bend.
• Hold holes and slots back from the bend line (about 2.5× thickness + bend radius) so they don't deform — see the design guide.
• Tell us the inside bend angle and which way it folds if it matters.

Countersinking Quote add-on · per hole

A countersink is a conical recess around a hole so a countersunk screw or rivet sits flush with the surface, leaving nothing proud. Choose it for panels, covers and anywhere a snag-free, flat face matters. On the form, enter how many countersunk holes there are per part. Tell us the fastener (e.g. M5 90° countersunk) so we cut the angle to suit.

Tapping / threading Quote add-on · per hole

Tapping cuts an internal thread directly into a hole so a bolt screws straight into the part — no separate nut needed. It's ideal in thicker material where there's enough wall for a few good threads. Enter the number of tapped holes per part and tell us the thread size (M4, M5, M6…). In thin sheet there often isn't enough material for a reliable thread — that's where threaded inserts come in.

Threaded inserts Quote add-on · per insert

PEM-style threaded inserts are press-in nuts or studs that give a strong, permanent thread in thin sheet that's too thin to tap. The insert is squeezed into a punched/cut hole and provides the thread. Choose these for sheet-metal enclosures, panels and brackets that need to bolt together repeatedly. Enter the number of inserts per part; tell us the thread and whether you want nuts (female) or studs (male).

Rivets / rivnuts Quote add-on · per rivet

Blind rivets permanently join two parts from one side — quick, strong and tamper-resistant. Rivnuts (rivet nuts) are similar to inserts but installed like a rivet, giving a threaded hole in thin sheet or tube where you can only reach one side. Use rivets for fixed assemblies and rivnuts where you need a thread but can't tap or press an insert. Enter the count per part.

Powder coating Quote add-on · choose a colour

Powder coating is a tough, even, baked-on colour finish — far more durable than spray paint and the standard way to protect mild steel from rust. We run a full powder line in-house for mild steel and aluminium, with a large RAL range. On the form you tick powder coat and pick a colour; metallic, textured and custom RAL finishes carry a small uplift. Good to know:

• Parts are usually deburred first so the coating keys cleanly to a clean edge.
• Coating adds a little thickness — flag any close-tolerance holes or mating faces you want left masked/uncoated.
• Stainless and brass are normally left bare or grained rather than coated; ask if you want a coloured finish on those.

From flat sheet to finished part

Put a few of these together and you go from a drawing to a ready-to-fit component without your job leaving the building: cut, fold, tap, deburr, powder coat — then collect in Andover or have it shipped. Fewer handovers means fewer delays and one point of contact.

If your team is welding the cut parts in-house, our sister company HF Welding Supplies explains the consumables worth keeping on the shelf, with online ordering or collection from the same Andover site.

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