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Sheet metal in Steel A36 (structural)
Steel A36 (structural) is a proven choice for sheet metal: lowest-cost steel plate and structural shapes. On a representative bracket at 100 pieces it estimates at about $3.72 per part, with a lead time of 5–12 days. Typical tolerance is ±0.004–0.005 in (±0.10–0.13 mm) laser or punch.
- Per part
- $3.72
- Tooling
- None
- Lead time
- 5–12 days
Price it in A36
Bracket · Sheet metal
Order total $492
- Tooling
- None
- no hard tooling
- Piece price
- $3.72
- before setup + tooling
- Lead time
- 5–12 days
- to first production
Size
Drag a row to adjust · click to type
Width60.060.0 mm
Leg A (vertical)50.050.0 mm
Thickness2.002.00 mm
Quantity
Price per part falls as volume rises
Exact quantity100100 pcs
Material
Design checks pass
Open in builderBudgetary estimate for a representative part. Firm quotes come from principals after drawing review.
A36 vs other sheet metal materials
The same bracket at 100 pieces, priced in every material the process runs. 6061-T6 is the lowest all-in cost.
| Material | Per part | All-in | Weight | Tensile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum 6061-T6 | $3.68 | $4.88 | 37 g | 310 MPa |
| Aluminum 5052-H32 | $3.68 | $4.88 | 37 g | 228 MPa |
| Steel 1008 cold-rolled (CRS) | $3.72 | $4.92 | 108 g | 330 MPa |
| Steel A36 (structural) | $3.72 | $4.92 | 108 g | 450 MPa |
| Stainless steel 304 | $3.80 | $5.00 | 110 g | 505 MPa |
| Stainless steel 316 | $3.80 | $5.00 | 110 g | 580 MPa |
| Stainless steel 430 | $3.80 | $5.00 | 107 g | 483 MPa |
| Copper C110 (ETP) | $4.91 | $6.11 | 123 g | 290 MPa |
A36 at a glance
- Tensile strength
- 450 MPa71th pct
- Yield strength
- 250 MPa35th pct
- Density
- 7.85 g/cm³72th pct
- Elongation
- 23 %49th pct
- Relative cost
- $$$$$
Bars are relative to the strongest, densest or hottest material in the SSG library. Percentile vs all 48 materials.
Strengths
- Lowest-cost steel plate and structural shapes
- Welds with E70 filler; AWS D1.1 requires little or no preheat up to 3/4 in (19 mm)
- Laser, plasma and waterjet cut cleanly
- Available as plate, bar, beams, angles and channels
Watch for
- Loose chemistry and mill scale make it inconsistent for precision machining; use 1018 or 1045 bar
- Not heat-treatable for hardness
- Rusts bare; blast and coat for outdoor use
- Hot-rolled flatness and thickness tolerances are wider than cold-rolled
Finishes for this combination
Sheet metal design rules
About 1× material thickness, or the shop's standard tooling radius
Use a standard inside bend radius
Use the same inside radius on every bend
Keep one radius per part
At least 4× material thickness
Minimum flange length
At least 2.5× thickness plus the bend radius
Hole-to-bend distance
At least 1× material thickness
Minimum hole diameter
Relief width at least 1× thickness; length at least bend radius plus thickness
Add bend relief
Questions
How much does sheet metal in A36 cost?
For a representative part (l-bracket 50 mm × 70 mm legs, 60 mm wide, 2 mm thick, r2 mm bend, 4 × ø5.5 mm holes), SSG's estimator gives about $3.72 per part at 100 pieces. All-in with tooling and setup that is $4.92 per part. It is budgetary; principals quote firm prices from your drawing.
Is A36 a good material for sheet metal?
It is when you need lowest-cost steel plate and structural shapes and welds with e70 filler; aws d1.1 requires little or no preheat up to 3/4 in (19 mm). Watch for loose chemistry and mill scale make it inconsistent for precision machining; use 1018 or 1045 bar. Of 8 materials run in sheet metal, it ranks 4 on all-in cost for the same part.
What finishes work on A36 sheet metal parts?
Common options are bead blasted, vibratory deburr (tumbling), powder coat, e-coat (electrocoat), wet paint (liquid coating), zinc plating. The builder adds each finish's lot charge, per-part cost and days to the estimate.
What tolerance can sheet metal hold in A36?
Typical capability is ±0.004–0.005 in (±0.10–0.13 mm) laser or punch. Tighter tolerances are possible on called-out features at added cost; specify them on the drawing rather than as a blanket note.
Quote sheet metal in A36.
Upload your CAD or start from a template. The DFM check applies the rules above to your geometry.