By means of a wide variety of techniques, sheet metals can be given all sorts of complex hollow shapes and sections. The equipment used for this type of work ranges from simple hand tools to elaborate power operated automatic machinery.

Sheet metal work usually starts with a basic preliminary operation such as cutting, slitting, perforating, etc., performed with tools that exercise a shearing action. Many kinds of shearing devices are available for these purposes. These may be simple hand shears, which are scissor like cutting tools of various shapes and sizes, or hand operated bench shears for heavier gauge materials.

There are several kinds of power driven shearing machines. In general, such machines comprise of a fixed blade and a moveable blade. The term ‘punching’ refers to operations performed with the aid of a punching machine or press, and comprising blanking ( the shearing of a metal blank from the sheet ), piercing ( the cutting of a hole in the metal article with tools fitted in the machine ) and clipping ( the removal of surplus metal).

A wide range of shaping operations coming under the heading of folding and bending are done on presses and similar machines, as well as such operations as stamping, crimping, beading, seaming and grooving etc. These processes are used for the shaping or stiffening of metal sheets, the forming of tubular sections of circular or other shape and numerous other purposes.

Cylindrically shaped items such as tubes can be produced on a roll forming machine. Press forming operations include cupping, which is the conversion of a blank into cup form, and embossing, by which a particular design can be produced on a partly finished component.