According to recent data, the sheet metal industry is valued at around $265 billion worldwide. Whether you work in manufacturing, construction, home improvement, or technology, this material is likely a critical part of your job performance.
You may be wondering about the trends and technology that are causing this industry to evolve in the coming years. That’s what we’re going to talk about here today! Read on for some sheet metal industry forecasts for the coming years.
What Do People Use Sheet Metal For?
There are a lot of uses for sheet metal. The most common include:
- Flooring and siding for buildings
- HVAC and furnace ducts
- Electronic sheet metal enclosure casings (for computers, tablets, Smartphones, etc)
- Home features like awnings and soffits
- Irrigation pipes
- Stovepipes
These are but a couple of common uses, but it’s clear from these applications that sheet metal is essential to a huge variety of industries.
Additionally, sheet metal is used for a lot of storage purposes. Cabinets and bins are constructed from this steel, as are freezers, kitchen equipment for restaurants, and storage units for large industrial machines. These uses are notable because storing materials is important to every major US market as well as to individuals.
Sheet Metal Market Statistics 2020
Clearly, sheet metal is one of the most important materials in many American markets. Here are some sheet metal industry stats that will blow your mind!
- Between 2019 and 2025, the industrial sheet metal market is expected to grow by 5%
- The highest-paid sheet metal workers earn more than $80,000/year
- The industry employs 1,386.2 million people as of July 2020
- The U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy all offer sheet metal and welding careers
- Most sheet metal fabrication facilities (58,675 of them) are privately owned
The Latest Tech in the Industry
Like all industries, sheet metal fabrication is changing with every passing year.
One of the best recent developments is called ‘fiber optic laser cutting.’ This technology uses a high-energy laser beam to cut through galvanized steel and other materials at breakneck speed. It converts the energy that it produces into heat that cuts easily through the metal.
Plasma cutting is another way that sheet metal fabricators have recently optimized their operations. Sheet metal fabricators can use this method to cut through electrically conductive materials (like galvanized steel). They use a fast-functioning jet of hot gas that has been electrically ionized to do this.
Finally, CO₂ laser cutting has made its way into the industry recently. This is another form of laser cutting that uses CO₂ when generating the beam. This is one of the fastest ways to cut steel and is incredibly precise.
Learn More
Now that you know all about the industrial sheet metal industry, it’s time to get information on more awesome topics. Contact us via our homepage with any additional questions that you may have about the use of sheet metal or about trends in the industry you work in.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!