Explore the Benefits of Metal Fabrication Services
There are things that have to take place before we see things come to a point of reality. For instance, central heating and air conditioning systems. What we may see as a central HVAC system being installed in our homes or places of business, there is a lot of other work that happens first with the metal fabrication services.
When you hear the words, ‘metal fabrication services’ it doesn’t sound like something you would be exposed to every day, but it is. At some point in your day, anything you do, including eating, going to school or work, and even recreational activity, there were metal fabrication services involved at some point. If the glass, paper, and plastic industries have used metal fabrication services.
What are metal fabrication services?
A simplified definition of metal fabrication services is the creation of a product or structure by bending or cutting, and then assembling metal material. It is considered a value-added process as it involves putting raw metal materials together to create something. Metal fabrication services play a critical role that many manufacturing businesses rely on.
Are there different types of metal fabrication services?
Yes, there are 3 different types of metal fabrication services. Those three different types have different functions in the process of fabrication:
- Industrial Metal Fabrication Services: These metal fabrication services are the creation of parts of equipment and tools that are used in the creation of consumer goods in other industries. One instance of industrial metal fabrication is the manufacturing of steel bandsaws that, in turn, are used in other industries.
- Structural Metal Fabrication Services: These metal fabrication services are the creation of metal structures, like in the structural steel industries where building steel frames.
- Commercial Metal Fabrication Services: These metal fabrication services are the process of fabricating metals to create machinery and tools that are used in the consumer goods industries, like vehicles.
What are six examples of metal fabrication services?
Metal fabrication services are distinct from other types of manufacturing processes. Metal fabrication, for example, either produces end products or can produce parts that are used to complete products. The other type of manufacturing is the process of assembling ready-made components or parts. Some common methods of metal fabrication services include:
- Cutting/Notching
A common technique in metal workpiece fabrication is cutting metal material into smaller sections, often the first step in a larger fabrication process. Before the modern way of cutting metal, it was done by hand sawing. Today, state-of-the-art machinery is used, including computer numerical cutters and power tools with methods of laser cutting, plasma arc cutting, power scissor cutting, and waterjet cutting.
- Folding/Forming
The fabrication process of forming is bending or distorting metal in order to produce different components and parts. This includes forming sheets and strips of metal by rolling them using CNC press braking of up to 400 tons of pressure without losing their mass.
- Punching
One of the most common metal fabrication services includes creating or punching holes with the use of mechanical devices or machines in different metals with a two-fold purpose. The punch press houses turrets that punch metal into or through a die to create uniquely designed holes. The finished product of uniquely designed holes for design or for fastening purposes.
- Shearing
The shearing process in metal fabrication services is used to remove or trim unwanted material by mounting two blades above and under the metal that procures a single long and straight cut, generally in smaller lengths of different shapes.
- Stamping
This is an example of metal fabrication services that are similar to the above-described punching. The difference is this creates an indentation instead of a hole. It is done with either hydraulic or mechanical means to metal sheets that measure up to 1/4 inch thickness and are formed into exact shapes and sizes.
- Welding
Welding is considered an art in the arena of metal fabrication services. This process joins two or more metal pieces together by combining heat and pressure into various shapes or sizes.
Are there different machinery and technologies used in metal fabrication services?
Metal fabrication services aren’t anything new, the industry has been around since ancient times. What is new is how it is done. The days of a blacksmith using a hammer are done today by complex machinery, technologies, and scientific achievements. The following are some of the machinery and technologies that are used:
- Lathe
- Tube and Pipe Benders
- Drilling Machines
- Milling Machines
- Hobbing Machines
- CNC Technology
- Grinders
- Honing Machines
In Closing
There are a variety of metals that are used in metal fabrication services, based on the intended end purpose, and results desired which include aluminum, magnesium, sheet metal, steel, and welding wire. There are three steps involved metal fabrication process, with each step having multiple components. The general steps are:
Step 1. The designing is done either by computer-aided design software or on rare occasions on paper.
Step 2. The fabricating is done by working with the raw materials with the different processes we mentioned above.
Step 3. The finishing and assembling of the small parts from the step 2 process, and then adding any finishing touches needed.
The next time you take your children the park, or you use a grocery cart, and even get in your car to go to the park or store, know that metal fabrication services were a part of it all. We provide premier metal fabrication services in Norco and New Orleans, LA. Call today at 985-764-8191 to schedule an appointment!