Carbon, galvanized or stainless steel, or aluminum: which metal to choose

The first question is not the metal but where the part is going to live. A sign inside an air-conditioned office, a pierced panel on a terrace that takes sun and rain, and an equipment cover facing the sea ask for different things. Indoors and dry, almost any well-finished metal works. Outdoors, rain, humidity and salt air look for any unprotected edge.

So when you ask for a quote, tell us whether the part goes indoors, outdoors, by a pool or facing the sea. With that we recommend the material.

It is the starting point for most parts: it cuts, bends and welds easily, and it is painted in the color you choose. Its weak point is that, unprotected, it rusts. The paint protects it, and good paint depends on how the surface is prepared before it goes on.

For a part outdoors, painted carbon steel works if it is checked and touched up in time. Cut edges and welds are the first places rust appears, so they are worth a look at every check.

Galvanized steel comes with a coat of zinc. The zinc corrodes before the steel and protects it even where there is a small scratch. It is a good option for parts that will be outdoors and are going to be bent or bolted. One detail to keep in mind: on the edge the cut leaves, the steel is exposed, and that edge deserves paint or a touch-up.

Stainless steel and aluminum behave well near the sea. Stainless can stay unpainted, with its own sheen, and is chosen for parts that are touched, cleaned often or live in damp places. Aluminum is light, which helps when the part hangs high up or has to move, like a door or a lid.

When metals are combined, watch the bolts and the joints: two different metals in contact, with moisture, can corrode the weaker one. The fasteners have to resist as much as the part.

Cutting is only one stage. You can ask for cutting only, cutting and bending, or cutting, bending and painting; in our plant the part can also go through welding and, if it has lighting, electrical assembly. The material decides which finish makes sense: carbon steel is almost always painted, while stainless can be delivered as it is.

The thickness is set by what the part has to do: a decorative panel does not ask for the same as a bracket that carries weight. We keep sheets of each material in stock; if the thickness you need is not there, we confirm it before quoting. If you do not know which to ask for, tell us what the part is for and we set it with you.