Sheet Metal Gauge Thickness Table (Steel, Aluminum, Brass)

What is sheet metal gauge?

Gauge, commonly known as the American term, is a unit of diameter measurement that originated in North America and is part of the Browne & Sharpe measurement system.

The gauge number is larger, the diameter is smaller. It is also used to denote thickness after standardization.

In simpler terms, sheet metal gauge refers to “sheet metal thickness”. The higher the number, the thinner the sheet and vice versa, the lower the number, the greater the thickness of the sheet.

For example , 8 gauge sheet metal is thicker than 16 gauge sheet metal.

Gauges are not tied to standard measurement systems and are used to measure sheet metal thickness in inches or millimeters.

There are several measurement systems currently in use and the values ​​obtained vary according to the type of metal used.

The standard range of sheet metal gauges varies from 30 for the thinnest to 7 for the thickest.

When customizing metal parts, the metal fabricator will refer to the steel gauge chart.

When purchasing steel, it is essential to check the actual thickness with your supplier, especially if you are receiving polished or treated materials.

You can refer to the sheet metal gauge chart to get the exact sheet metal thickness.

Sheet Metal Gauge Table (inches, mm)

Steel Gauge Chart (Manufacturer Standard)

Unit: inch, mm

Galvanized Sheet Gauge Table (inches, mm)

Stainless Steel Gauge Chart (US Standard) (inches, mm)

Aluminum Gauge Table (inches, mm)

Brass Gauge Table (Brown & Sharpe) (inches, mm)

How to read the sheet metal measurement chart?

As shown in the sheet metal gauge chart, the gauge number corresponds to the thickness in inches and millimeters, respectively.

It is essential to note that various metallic materials correspond to different thickness values.

For example, a 16-gauge sheet metal made from steel would measure 0.0598 inches (1.5189 mm), while a 16-gauge sheet metal made from galvanized steel would measure 0.0635 inches (1.6129 mm).

What is the history of the meter?

The use of “GAUGE” as a thickness measurement dates back to the early days of the American Industrial Revolution.

Wire manufacturers looked for a way to quantify their products and the gravimetric method was the simplest solution.

However, this method created difficulties when buyers ordered a specific quantity of wire without specifying the diameter.

To solve this problem, wire craftsmen began reporting the diameter based on the number of times the wire was drawn. This is the origin of the GAUGE measurement system.

As each drawing reduced the wire diameter, the more times it was drawn, the smaller the wire diameter. As a result, the higher the GAUGE number, the smaller the corresponding wire diameter.

Steel mills eventually adopted a similar approach when rolling plates, as it was easier to weigh than to measure thickness.

Steel sheets could be sold based on the unit weight of the area, with thinner sheets weighing less per square meter.

Steel mills found it convenient to specify the thickness of their steel sheets using the GAUGE numbering system, which was based on the GAUGE numbering system used by the wire industry.

The origins of the GAUGE numerical system were influenced by the level of industrial development at the time.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, industrial standards in the United States were practically non-existent, so each manufacturer had to develop their own standards.

Over time, these standards became more consistent and the Unified Standard Wire Gauge (SWG), Steel Sheet Material Manufacturer's Standard Gauge (MSG), and American Wire Gauge (AWG) of nonferrous metals were established.

Wire craftsmen aimed to reduce the wire's cross-section as quickly as possible, but due to the limitations of material deformation, the amount of diameter reduction in a single pass was limited.

Over time, the wire industry determined the ideal number of times required to draw wire, resulting in the exponential decay curve seen in GAUGE numbers.

It is important to note that the same GAUGE number can correspond to different thickness values ​​for different metals.

For example, 21 gauge corresponds to a standard steel thickness of 0.0329 inches (0.84 mm), while it corresponds to a galvanized steel thickness of 0.0366 inches (0.93 mm) and an aluminum thickness of 0.028 inches (0.71 mm).

It is important to check the actual thickness with your supplier, especially if you are receiving polished or treated materials.

The same gauge value will correspond to different thickness values ​​for different metals. This is because the properties and characteristics of different metals affect their ability to be drawn or shaped into a specific gauge size.

For example, 21 gauge corresponds to a thickness of 0.0329 inches (0.84 mm) for standard steel, 0.0366 inches (0.93 mm) for galvanized steel, and 0.028 inches (0.71 mm) for aluminum.

It is important to consider the type of metal used when determining the appropriate gauge for a specific application, as this will affect the final thickness and weight per unit area of ​​the material.