Sheet Metal Fabrication in Haverhill, Suffolk From Flat Sheet to Finished Part
Send us a CAD file or a hand-drawn sketch. We laser cut, punch, fold, fit PEM fasteners, weld and powder coat it on Piperell Way, then deliver it on our own lorry.
- Trading since
- April 1988
- ISO 9001:2015
- 12443-QMS-001, to June 2029
- Largest part on our paint line
- 3,000 × 1,500 × 600 mm
- Delivery
- On our own lorry
Follow a Part Through Our Factory
Every stage happens under one roof on Piperell Way, so there are fewer handovers and fewer lead times to stack up, and the people checking your drawing work beside the people running the machines.
The Machines on Our Floor
What runs each stage in our Haverhill workshop, and what it means for your part.
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Design
SolidWorks, Radan and CADMAN-B
Send a 3D model, a drawing or a sketch. We draw the flat patterns and suggest changes that make the part quicker to make.
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Laser Cutting
Amada laser, programmed in Radan
Clean profiles in mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium, from simple blanks to shapes like this sprocket. Acrylic too.
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CNC Punching
Amada EM MII electric turret punch
3,050 mm of X travel, so 10 × 5 ft sheets punch without repositioning. Louvres, upforms, countersinks and knockouts in the same set-up.
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Press Brake Forming
Amada HFE3i, Amada HFE 1003 and LVD PPEB
The HFE3i bends up to 3,000 mm at 130 tonnes, and its Digipro sensor measures each angle as the sheet bends.
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PEM Fasteners
PEMSERTER Series 2000
Self-clinching nuts, studs and standoffs pressed into thin sheet at a set force: often neater and cheaper than welding a nut on.
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Welding
MIG, TIG and spot welding
Brackets, frames, trolleys, cabinets and enclosures, welded by people who know how the parts were cut and folded.
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Powder Coating
Automated Gema line
Three-stage pre-treatment, then powder, for parts up to 3,000 × 1,500 × 600 mm.
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Assembly and Delivery
Our own lorry
Complete assemblies, delivered on our own lorry so painted parts arrive the way they left us.
Get It Right on the Drawing, Before Anything Is Cut
Most of a sheet metal part’s cost is fixed on the drawing. Our engineers will tell you where a different bend radius, a standard punch size or a PEM fastener instead of a weld would save time and money. If you’re starting from a sketch, we’ll draw it up in SolidWorks.
Four Rules From Our Own Bending Guide
- Make flanges long enough. At least four times the thickness, plus the bend radius.
- Keep holes clear of bends. Three times the thickness plus the bend radius away, or run the hole past the bend line.
- Use one bend radius throughout. Fewer tool changes on the press brake means a cheaper part.
- Bend across the grain where you can. Harder sheet can crack when it’s bent along the rolling direction.
Bend Calculator
Flat blank length from the bend radii and K-factors in our own bending guide.
Outside dimensions from 1 to 3,000 mm. The angle is how far the sheet is bent, from 1 to 135 degrees: 90 for a right angle.
Flat Length 77.3 mm
- Inside Radius
- 1.5 mm
- K-Factor
- 0.3794
- Bend Deduction
- 2.75 mm
- Shortest Flange
- 7.5 mm
- Hole to Bend
- 6 mm
A guide for drawing your part, using the K-factors DB Sheetmetals publishes for SolidWorks (measured on 90 degree bends). We check every flat pattern before anything is cut.
A Mustang Punched From 30,000 Round Holes
This panel, about 2,500 × 1,200 mm, was punched on one of our machines using nothing but round holes of different sizes: more than 30,000 of them, in about 30 minutes.
The same positional accuracy goes into every vent, louvre and fixing hole on your enclosures, and a saved program punches the thousandth panel the same as the first.
- 30,000+ Holes, all round, in different sizes
- About 30 min On the punch, start to finish
- 2.5 × 1.2 m The panel, about 2,500 × 1,200 mm
Electrical Enclosures, Data Racks, Cabinets and Frames
Mostly electrical and data metalwork, for customers in electronics, telecoms, automotive, retail and commercial work across the UK.
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Enclosures and Cases
Electronics enclosures, CAT5 metal cases, wall-mounted enclosures and potting boxes.
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Data and Telecoms Metalwork
IP-rated data rack cabinets, CAT5 metalwork and 2U and 3U blanking plates.
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Vent Panels and Grilles
Punched fan grilles, vent panels and louvred covers.
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Cut and Punched Blanks
Laser cut and punched blanks, washers and plates, flat or ready to fold.
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Frames and Welded Assemblies
Welded frames, battery racks, racking metalwork and vehicle lighting bars.
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Trolleys and Handling
Platform trolleys, battery trays and cable trays for data centres and desks.
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Cabinets and Furniture
Point-of-sale stands, tool cabinets, office desks and metal shelving.
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Bins and Hoppers
Recycling and waste bins, and seed hoppers for agriculture.
Our own range
Metal Pedestal Socket Boxes
Designed and made by us for 13 amp sockets in laboratories, schools, IT suites and workshops. 1.2 mm CR4 (DC01) mild steel with 20 mm cable entries and earth terminals, powder coated in RAL 9010 semi-gloss leatherette epoxy as standard. Other colours on request.
| Code | Type | W × D × H mm |
|---|---|---|
| 0213 data sheet PDF | Single-sided, single1 × 1 gang sockets | 92.5 × 82.5 × 82.5 mm |
| 0215 data sheet PDF | Single-sided, double1 × 2 gang sockets | 150.5 × 82.5 × 82.5 mm |
| 8235 data sheet PDF | Double-sided, single2 × 1 gang sockets | 92.5 × 165 × 82.5 mm |
| 8230 data sheet PDF | Double-sided, double2 × 2 gang sockets | 150.5 × 165 × 82.5 mm |
Powder Coating on an Automated Gema Line
We’ve powder coated in Suffolk for more than 30 years. Today every part runs through an automated Gema line that pre-treats it first, from one-offs to high volumes, our parts or yours.
- 3,000 × 1,500 × 600 mm The largest part the line takes
- 1,000 mm a minute Conveyor speed through the line
- 1
Degrease and Phosphate
Strips oil and conditions the steel so the powder grips.
- 2
Two Rinses
The second in pure demineralised water from our reverse-osmosis plant, for better corrosion resistance.
- 3
Dry-Off Oven
Every trace of water is driven off before any powder goes on.
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Electrostatic Powder
Gema guns charge the powder so it wraps evenly around the part. Overspray goes back to the recovery centre.
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Curing Oven
The powder melts and cures into a hard, even film. Negative-air seals at both ends keep the heat in.
Just Need Something Powder Coated?
We coat parts made elsewhere as well as our own. Send the size, the quantity and the RAL colour.
Haverhill Sheet Metal Specialists Since 1988
D.B. Sheetmetals started trading in April 1988, and in the years since there isn’t much in sheet metal we haven’t seen or made.
We also sponsor Halstead’s under-15 girls’ football team, and Year 10 engineers from Samuel Ward Academy have toured the factory and laser cut their own phone holders.
- 1988 D.B. Sheetmetals Limited is formed and starts trading in April.
- 2019 An automated Gema powder coating line goes in, in a converted warehouse on site.
- 2021 An Amada EM MII electric punch replaces the EM3510NT, and we announce an Amada HFE3i press brake.
- 2023 ISO 9001:2015 certification for subcontract sheet metal engineering.
- 2026 Recertified to ISO 9001:2015 until June 2029.
Join Our Metal Shop
We’re always glad to hear from sheet metal workers with press brake, CNC punching, laser cutting or manual machine experience. Time served or a college leaver who wants to learn on the job, the work is varied and covers every area of the shop.
Overtime rate, pension, bonus, life insurance and a medical cash plan, with pay reviews as your skills grow.
Before You Send a Drawing
Anything else, call us on 01440 706218.
What Do I Need to Send for a Quote?
Whatever you have: a 3D model, a 2D drawing or a photo of a hand sketch, plus the quantity, the material and the finish. If all you have is an idea, our engineers will draw it up in SolidWorks with you.
Do You Make One-Offs and Prototypes?
Yes. We make single prototypes, small batches and full production runs. Programs are saved, so a repeat order comes off the machines the same as the first.
What Materials and Thicknesses Can You Work With?
Mild steel, Zintec, galvanised steel, stainless steel and aluminium, and we laser cut acrylic too. Our published bending data covers mild steel from 0.7 to 10 mm, stainless from 0.9 to 3 mm and aluminium from 0.9 to 5 mm.
How Big Can a Part Be?
Our Amada EM MII punches 10 × 5 ft sheets (3,050 mm of X travel) without repositioning, the HFE3i press brake bends up to 3,000 mm long at 130 tonnes, and our paint line takes parts up to 3,000 × 1,500 × 600 mm. For anything bigger, call us before you finalise the drawing.
Can You Powder Coat Parts Made Elsewhere?
Yes. We take powder coating as a job on its own as well as part of a bigger project, from one-offs to high volumes. Send the size, the quantity and the RAL colour.
How Quickly Can You Turn a Job Round?
It depends on the job and what’s already on the floor, so put your date on the quote request and we’ll say whether we can meet it. Doing every stage in-house, and delivering on our own lorry, takes out the waiting between suppliers.
Does the UK Carbon Border Tax Affect Parts We Import?
It might. From 1 January 2027 the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) covers many imported iron, steel and aluminium goods, including fabricated articles under commodity codes 7308, 7326 and 7616. Importers at or above the £50,000 threshold have to register, report and pay, with the first returns and payments due on 31 May 2028. Whether a part is covered depends on its commodity code, so check with your customs adviser. Parts made here in Haverhill have a UK origin, so there are no CBAM returns, emissions data or carbon charges for you to manage on them. Read the GOV.UK summary.
Can We Open a Credit Account?
Yes. Fill in our credit account application (PDF) and email it to info@
Attach a Drawing, STEP File or Sketch for a Quote
Tell us how many, the material and the finish, and we’ll price it from your drawing. Or call 01440 706218 to talk about the job.
- Call01440 706218
- Email info@
dbsheetmetals.co.uk - Visit DB Sheetmetals Ltd
6-10 Piperell Way
Haverhill
Suffolk CB9 8PH
Want to buy on account? Download our credit account application (PDF). Quotations follow our standard conditions (PDF).