The Three Processes of Metal Fabrication Explained

The metal fabrication industry was a 68.36-billion-dollar industry in 2017, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that it employs over 1.4 million Americans. Metal fabrication is a process used all over the country to build machines and forms from metal. The process involves metal cutting and metal building to form structures that are the final product. You can find metal fabrication everywhere, from a handrailing to a piece of industrial equipment. Learn more about the three main processes of metal fabrication.

Metal Cutting

The most common kind of metal fabrication is metal cutting, and it is where the process of metal fabrication begins. This is exactly what it sounds like, the cutting of metal into smaller pieces. It is an intricate process that involves lasers, torches, industrial cutting supplies such as scissors, and even plasma to create precision cuts.

Water jets are also used to cut metal. Metal that is cut in this stage includes iron, steel, and aluminum, although many kinds of metals are used.

Metal Bending

Metal bending is also known as forming, and it involves bending metal in order to reach specific and precise angles. Most metal bending requires the use of a brake press that puts pressure against metal to bend it into a crease. Hammers and clamps are also used to bend metal, and then hold it in place.

In this process, the sheets of metal are formed precisely. Sometimes it can be performed by hand, and other times by a machine where sections of metal sheets are formed and then clamped into the ordered shape.

Metal Welding

Metal welding or forming is a very common form of metal fabrication, and it is a lucrative industry with a strong potential in the job market. For this process, more supplies are needed, such as welding equipment, gas, electrodes, fillers, and welding flux to start.

Welding and metal forming occurs in a number of different classes based on the complexity of the project. Welding is often combined with other processes of metal fabrication but is a common process found in the automotive industry, ductwork, plumbing and pipework, and many more applications that are likely in your home today.

Consult With Professionals

When you need metal fabrication done, you want a company that has been doing it for decades. The processes of metal cutting and metal bending may sound simple, but each is a complex procedure for which you want experienced providers. At Benchmark Fabricated Steel, we use the highest quality and trained experts recognized by the AISC, Canadian Welding Association, and Chamber of Commerce, to bring professional precision to your project. We’ve been doing that since 1971. Consult with our many years of experience for your metal needs.

Categorised in: Fabricated Steel

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