Metal fabrication is the production of metal structures by bending, cutting, and assembling processes manually. It’s a value-add process involving the production of mechanical elements, machines, and construction materials from different raw components. There are many types of metal fabrication processes. For instance, the production of car wheels and hubcaps is often done on a CNC machine. This allows for the exact diameter, length, and surface texture of the metal parts that will be installed on a car.
The other popular metal fabrication processes include forging, drilling, riveting, stamping, turning, and baking. In forging, metal fabricators cut and shape a block of steel until it becomes smooth and rounded. Once the metal is shaped, it is then given an additional welding heat to bond the two together. This type of fabrication requires a lot of skill and experience because cutting out the individual pieces of raw material is very difficult. After the entire block has been shaped, the individual pieces are put in a pressurized environment and are pressed against each other to form a part, such as a valve or wing.
Welding is another common metal fabrication process used in manufacturing. Unlike shaping, cutting, and forming, welding does not require the use of a machine. Instead, a welder applies force into a piece of metal and shapes it by bending it into the desired shape. The processes used in welding are often seen in aerospace and automotive manufacturing. Because these types of fabrication requires precise angles and sizes, it is often used in conjunction with other fabrication methods.
The final step in metal fabrication is cutting. When a piece of fabricator’s design needs to be finalized, this is often done using a CNC machine. A cutter is used to cut out a specific area of a fabricator’s design or to create a unique product. This final step often incorporates painting or powder coating to further protect the fabricator’s creation. Many companies rely on a combination of these final processes to assure that their metal structures are made to exacting standards and can stand the test of time.
All of these processes used in metal fabrication lend themselves to customization. Some companies have found that combining these three fabrication steps offers a faster way to create their custom metal fabrication products. Because the final products formed using only two specific processes, they can be produced more quickly than if each of those processes were used individually. They also have the added benefit of allowing a fabricator to control materials used in the fabrication process.
These final steps in metal fabrication allow fabricators to create products quickly and with less effort than they might be able to on their own. These techniques allow them to make designs that are unique and tailored to a client’s exact specifications. They are also able to offer designs and construction methods that are not feasible for other firms or to other kinds of metals. When these processes are used, it allows a company to make products that will stand the test of time and will last for many years to come.