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Sheet Metal Prototyping Services
DEK offers cost-effective and high-quality sheet metal prototyping services for a variety of applications. With our efficient production and robust machining capabilities, from automotive to medical parts, we can ensure rapid delivery of high precision, highly accurate components, allowing you to iterate quickly and bring products to market faster.
- ISO 9001:2015 certification
- Short lead time and fast delivery
- Save you more than 60% of your costs
- Design flexibility and material variety
- Fast turnaround and complex geometries

introduction
Custom Sheet Metal Prototypes and Parts at DEK

DEK has advanced sheet metal fabrication processes to provide high precision prototypes or parts according to your project requirements, supporting simple bent sheet metal prototypes to complex mechanical assemblies.
DEK offers a full range of sheet metal fabrication services including bending, punching, embossing, drilling, lasering, pinning, and cutting of standard gauge metals. Sheet metal can be cut, bent, and stretched into virtually any shape, and is commonly used for prototyping and low volume production.
Not only do we produce durable end-use parts, but we also offer a wide range of materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, brass, copper, and more. In addition, we offer a variety of surface finishes, including anodizing, passivation, powder coating, and plating, to make prototypes and assemblies to your specifications for a variety of industries, such as automotive, aerospace, medical equipment, electronics, and robotics.

Aluminum Instrument Enclosure
Console Operator Enclosure
Metal Name Plate
Electronic Equipment Housing
Capabilities
Sheet Metal Prototype Capabilities
Bending & Forming
DEK provides quality service for both simple and complex bending, using electric and hydraulic bending machines to create V-, U-, and channel-shaped bends to your specifications, including tight-tolerance sheet metal parts.
We utilize the latest bending technology to achieve consistent accuracy and repeatability for all your bending needs. With no minimum order requirements, we can support individual prototypes or high volume production, offering you the most cost-effective pricing on the market.
Laser Cutting
DEK's laser cutting services offer cost-effective solutions for your manufacturing needs. Whether you are producing individual prototypes, small batches or large quantities, we can meet your diverse needs.
We offer a variety of material options including aluminum, steel, stainless steel, brass and copper. We utilize state-of-the-art laser cutting machines for high-precision cutting, drilling and engraving. In addition, we can perform post-processing such as coating and heat treatment as well as provide certifications or inspection reports such as raw material certificates, CMM, and FAIR measurement reports upon request.
Waterjet Cutting
DEK's waterjet cutting service uses high-pressure water and abrasives to quickly cut metal and plastic parts from sheet metal, accurately cutting sharp corners, holes and complex shapes with small internal radii.
Our advanced equipment and top-of-the-line technology can cut materials of different shapes, sizes and thicknesses with fast turnaround. Not only can we save time on your project, we can also ensure excellent surface results. Whether you need a single part, a batch of prototypes or mass production, DEK can provide a cost-effective solution.
Materials
Sheet Metal Prototype Material Options
Aluminum
Aluminum is easy to cut, bend, and weld, and DEK can customize aluminum enclosures in a variety of shapes, sizes, and configurations using different aluminum alloys, commonly known as the 3000 Series, 5000 Series, and 6000 Series, to meet the needs of different applications, and all of our products are ISO 9001:2015 certified.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel offers outstanding durability, corrosion resistance, and versatility.DEK manufactures a wide range of stainless steel enclosures with best-in-class technology, ideal for industrial equipment housings, medical device housings, and food processing equipment. Manufacturing stainless steel sheet metal prototypes or parts in bulk can reduce costs by up to 40%.
Titaninum
Titanium has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion and temperature resistance, making it ideally suited for the iteration of aerospace components, and DEK has the machining capabilities to produce high-quality, high-precision titanium sheet metal prototypes or parts for you, including fuselage structural components, engine parts, and spacecraft housings.
Brass
Brass has good strength, toughness and ease of machining, making it suitable for complex shaped sheet metal parts. In addition, brass has excellent electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance, making it an ideal choice for housings for connectors, switches and sensors, and DEK can provide you with a full range of brass fabrication services.
Copper
Copper has excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, making it ideal for electronic components and heat sinks. Copper is also highly malleable and can be easily shaped and molded during the fabrication process, making it an excellent material for sheet metal prototypes. DEK has the manufacturing capabilities to provide efficient solutions for your copper prototypes.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel has good strength, toughness and workability, which makes it suitable for all kinds of sheet metal processing. Through heat treatment, the hardness and strength of carbon steel can be improved to better meet the requirements of different applications. In addition, carbon steel has good weldability, which makes it easy to assemble complex structures, contact DEK to get your quote!
Industries
Industries We Severed
Automotive
DEK has extensive experience in automotive prototyping and custom parts manufacturing, including body frames, roof panels, bumpers and mirror housings.
With DEK's quality services, you can launch products faster, reduce risks and streamline production processes. We are ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 certified and provide 24/7 engineering support.
- 100% Quality Assurance
- Global Delivery
- Experience and Expertise
- Precise Assembly
Medical
DEK has expertise in medical device prototyping and custom parts manufacturing, including medical device housings, drug storage cabinets, stands and frames, mobile medical equipment and surgical instruments.
We produce prototypes and parts on-demand at affordable prices, speeding time-to-market, reducing risk, and streamlining the manufacturing process. ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485 certified.
- Production-grade Materials
- High Precision Components
- Rapid Production of Complex Devices
- CMM Quality Control
Aerospace
We have extensive experience in the production of aerospace prototypes, including airframe structural components, engine housings, landing gear supports and interior trim. You can get high quality customized aerospace prototypes and custom parts from DEK.
We produce on demand with cost-effective prices, and get to launch faster, reduce risk, and streamline the production process. ISO 9001:2015, AS9100:D certified.
- Complex Geometries
- Tight Tolerances
- Strict Quality Inspections
- Multiple Material Options
Electronics
We have specialized in manufacturing electronic device prototypes for many years, and you can get high-quality custom electronic prototypes and custom parts from DEK, including electronic device housings, control panels, heat sinks, brackets and frame parts.
We manufacture on-demand at competitive prices and can launch products faster, reduce risk and streamline your supply chain. ISO 9001:2015,IATF 16949:2016 certified.
- Prototype & Complete Manufacture
- Final Product Testing & Inspection
- Dedicated Packaging & Prompt Delivery
Robotics
We have extensive experience in robot prototyping, including robot frames, robot housings, articulated mounts, rails, drive assembly housings and heat sinks. You can get high-performance robot prototypes and customized parts from DEK.
We produce on-demand at cost-effective prices, helping you launch products faster, reduce risk, and streamline production. ISO 9001:2015 certified.
- Huge production capacity
- Complex robotic prototyping
- High precision and tight tolerances
- Combination of rapid prototyping and digital manufacturing technologies
Why Choose Our Services
One-stop production of high-quality prototypes saves you time and money
Engineering Capabilities
Rapid Production
Surface Finishes
Quality Control
Precision Assembly
Packaging and Shipping
Our Ordering Process
Send RFQ
Send RFQ with 2D/3D drawings and detailed requirements via Email or online form.
Review & Quote
Our Engineer team will review every drawing carefully and provide an accurate quote within 6 hours.
Confirm Order
Confirm the quote, details and delivery schedule, then sign the contract.
Production
Arrange production process, start programming and machining.
Quality Control
Strict quality control during production and final inspection.
Packaging & Shipping
Pack the parts, attach part identification labels, and start shipping.
Send RFQ 222
Review & Quote
Confirm Order
Production
QC
Delivery
FAQ
Sheet Metal Prototype Buying FAQs
Get An Accurate Quote For Your Next Projects
No matter your project is complicated or simple, no matter is metal or plastic, you will get an accurate quotation within 6 hours.
Get A Quote TodayTECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW
Knowledge of Sheet Metal Prototype
What is Sheet Metal Prototyping?
Sheet metal prototyping is the use of sheet metal fabrication processes to create a preliminary physical model with the basic shape, structure and functional characteristics of a product during the product design and development stage.
Sheet metal prototyping refers to the creation of a prototype by bending, stretching and cutting metal until the desired product is formed. Metals commonly used for sheet metal prototyping include aluminum, copper, stainless steel, steel and zinc. Sheet metal prototyping creates durable parts, making it ideal for prototypes that have been tested for durability.
Sheet Metal Prototyping Process
- Design: Use the software to draw the part drawings and determine the shape and size.
- Material Selection: Choose the appropriate sheet metal material (such as stainless steel or aluminum).
- Cutting: Cut the material into the desired shape by laser cutting or shearing.
- Forming: Process the cut material into a three-dimensional shape by bending or stamping.
- Joining: If there are multiple parts, use welding or bolts to join them together.
- Surface Treatment: Finished products are cleaned and painted to improve appearance and durability.
- Inspection: Check the dimensions and function of the finished product to ensure that it meets the design requirements.
- Adjustment: Optimize and adjust the design according to the inspection results.
Alternatives to Sheet Metal Prototyping
3D Printing: Using additive manufacturing technology, prototypes of complex shapes can be produced quickly, suitable for small batch production and customization needs.
CNC Machining: computer numerical control machining can handle a wide range of materials, suitable for the production of precision parts, especially hard materials and complex shapes.
Injection Molding: suitable for mass production of plastic materials, making complex shells and structural parts, high efficiency and low cost.
Vacuum Forming: using heated plastic plates pressed on the mold to produce parts, low cost, high efficiency, can make large parts.