Custom sheet metal fabrication is a fast growing industry involving the shaping of raw metal shapes into useful products through a procedural process. It involves cutting, shaping, modeling, and assembling raw materials to build a fully fabricated project. Over the last few decades, this industry has seen numerous developments especially with the introduction of modern metal fabrication equipment including welding tools, cutting equipment and furnishing technologies.

Sheet metal is basically metal that has been formed by industrial processes into thin flat pieces. It is a fundamental form of metalworking and can be structured, cut and formed into various shapes. Today, a number of industrial products are as a result of custom sheet metal fabrication. The thickness of the raw material can vary from 0.1 mm to a few inches depending on the fabrication need. Extremely thin sheets are known as foils or metal leaves, while pieces that are thicker than 0.25 inches are known as plates. Sheet metal comes in both coiled strips and flat pieces. A non-linear traditional measure referred to as a gauge is used to specify the thickness of sheet metal.

The most common material in custom sheet metal fabrication is steel, which often ranges from thirty gauge to seven gauge. There are, however, a number of metals that can also be formed into sheet metal for fabrication, including brass, aluminum, copper, tin, titanium, and nickel. Stainless steel is also a popular fabrication material known for its high quality and cost effective form with superior qualities compared to most other materials. It offers great resistance to corrosion and maintains a good degree of weldability and formability.  Aluminum is known for its flexibility and availability in a range of options. It is a perfect choice for industrial applications that require a high level of weather and chemical resistance. Aluminum is highly ductile and can be used for deep drawing. Rare metals like gold, platinum and silver are mostly used in the finishing of fabrication products for decorative purposes.

Custom sheet metal fabrication has proven very useful in a several industries including the automotive industry, aviation, building and construction, medical fields and other general architectures. Historically, the process was used in crafting of war items including building of plate armour that was worn by cavalry. The biggest improvements in the fabrication industry have been brought about by the invention of fabrication equipment including computerized numerical cutting tools, laser machines and deep cutting torches.