What Is Metal Fabrication?
Metal fabrication is complicated and has a wide range of processes. Whether you would like something made as a once off, or you would like something mass produced, it's important that you to understand fabrication and the various processes that get into it.
Below can be an outline of the three main fabrication processes that are used for metal. You will see details about how these processes work and some of their primary uses. In addition to this, there exists a brief description of finishing touches and protective coatings that may be put on fabricated metal products. It is a guide in line with the practices of professional operators and should not be utilized as instructions for DIY jobs.
Cutting
Just as the name suggests, this fabrication process depends on cutting. It sounds heavy handed, yet it really is one of the more technical and accurate processes available.
The first variant of cutting techniques may be the physical shearing or sawing of metal, generally done by large machines, but it is also possible to accomplish manually. Furthermore, Silverline Structures is also possible to cut metal using Oxyacetylene or plasma torches to manually cut using heat.
The above methods have their place, however the most common method of cutting metals during fabrication is with CNC machining. These machines may use manual tools, laser cutting, or water jets. The desired design is programmed into the CNC machine and the metal is shaped by one of many aforementioned tools, into the shape specified by the computer design. As you can imagine, this method is particularly useful for intricate, or highly detailed projects.
Joining
This is one of the more commonly used ways of fabrication. Fabrication processes that fall under the broad group of 'joining' include welding, riveting or bonding with adhesives. In the event that you look around you at this time, you should be in a position to spot a number of items constructed using these procedures.
Welding, as you may already know, is joining two pieces of metal together using heat and a filler material. Riveting also joins two pieces of metal together, but with a metal rivet - no heat required. For a few items, additionally it is possible to use an adhesive glue to become listed on different components. Each of these methods have their very own strengths and weaknesses, so with regards to the task, a fabrication plant will recommend one of these methods on the others.
Bending
Bending, as Silverline Structures suggests, is really a fabrication process which involves bending metal in to the desired shape. While it is possible to do this manually, modern machinery has largely replaced the more traditional manual bending methods. The lack of joints could make items made by bending much tougher and more durable.
Final Touches
The final touches to any fabricated product are applied once all of the joining, cutting or welding has been completed. This can range between paint applied purely for aesthetic reasons, to protective coatings such as for example powder coating or sandblasting. In consultation with the maker, you should be in a position to find a coating that's befitting your purpose and budget.
To find out more about fabrication, or to have an item fabricated, you need to contact your nearest specialist workshop. They will be able to guide you through the fabrication process and turn out a quality finished product.