Look around you. Everything you see relies on metal fabrication processes. Every time you get in or out of a car, handle any equipment or tool, whether at home or the factory, whenever you run any electrical and electronic appliance, there's every bit of custom metal fabrication in there.
So, what comes to your mind when you hear metal fabrication? Is it welding? Of course, most people in NZ and Australia think of welding when they hear metal fabrication. They are not wrong, but they are not completely right either. So what exactly is metal fabrication? What are the custom metal fabrication processes? And what are the benefits of custom welding?
What Is Metal Fabrication
Metal fabrication is a manufacturing process encompassing the whole stages of building machine parts and structural components from raw metal materials. It involves the different techniques or acts of shaping metal into parts or end products, including cutting, bending, and assembling different types of metal to create a metal end product.
Many metal fabricators, including A&G Price, apply various techniques to shape metal into parts or full products. Different forms of custom metal fabrication can be used, from making small parts to mass production of parts or even entire equipment and machinery. With metal fabrication services, your business or company can get custom metal parts specifically tailored to meet your business needs.
Aside from being a huge employer of labor, the metal fabrication sector influences most other aspects of the economy, including the auto industry, energy, transport, and aviation.
Metal Fabrication Processes
There are many processes involved in metal fabrication. Here are some of the processes involved in metal fabrication.
Cutting
Cutting is a common process applied in custom metal fabrication. It involves the splitting of the metal workpiece into smaller sections. The section size greatly depends on the product design. Cutting metal is done using different means, from sawing to shears, CNC Punch presses, Lasers, Waterjet, and plasma.
Forming
Forming involves bending or folding processes. Metal fabrication entails bending or forming the crude metal into the desired shapes or the design requirement. To accomplish these bends, manufacturing companies use different machines that can generate the force or pressure to alter the shape of the metal. They include press brakes, folding machines, and panel benders
Casting
The casting process always comes in handy when creating complex shapes or metal parts with irregular shapes. In the casting process, molten metal is poured into a mold or die and allowed to cool and solidify into the desired shape. This metal fabrication process also encourages the mass production of parts. There are several types of casting.
Welding
In welding, two or more separate pieces of metal are joined together using heat and pressure. Welding is a much popular metal fabrication process. It involves joining different metal parts of different shapes and sizes to create a larger component or form a final design. Welding procedures include MIG Welding, TIG Welding, Stick or Arc Welding, and Flux Cored Arc Welding.
Machining
Shaping and removing unwanted sections from a piece of metal is machining. This process involves the use of different cutting and shaping tools. Sometimes, the metal is rotated against the tools to remove all unwanted pieces, giving a final product that has the desired shape or size. Machining includes drilling, turning, and milling.
Other Custom Fabrication Processes
Punching
Shearing
Stamping
Extrusion
Forging
Each of these fabrication processes involves different methods and pieces of equipment. However, the process used and the equipment all depend on the requirement of the metal fabrication job.
Benefits Of Metal Fabrication
There are many reasons why metal fabrication could be the answer to your manufacturing needs. They include:
1. Durability
Custom metal products can solve many of your manufacturing needs and give you zero worries along the line. They don't break easily. Needless to mention that they are highly resistant to heat and rain. Whether the custom metal is lightweight or heavy, best believe that it is quite strong and very durable.
2. Longevity
Custom metal products may not be the best cost-friendly alternative for you, but they have a much longer lifespan than any other option. As they come to solve specific problems and meet specific needs, it's okay to use them many times. They can also withstand pressure, chemicals, and temperature that might reduce their lifespan.
3. Compatibility
Custom metal products are more precise in design and functions. It may not be the most versatile option you may need, but they give end products with a better finish and are compatible with the specific usage.
4. Process Replication
Unlike any other alternatives, metal fabrication encourages the mass production of parts or a piece of machinery. This also reduces the manufacturing cost per unit.
5. Eco-Friendly
Years after using a piece of equipment, and suddenly it becomes old or starts malfunctioning, you don't have to necessarily replace the old equipment by going for an entirely new one. You can hire a custom metalwork specialist near you in NZ to reverse-engineer the parts.
Creating durable and attractive pieces of metalwork for industries and even for home usage is not an easy task. Success in metal fabrication involves harnessing the latest technology to create custom metal parts or products that meet all requirements and answer specific needs.
If you or your company need unique metal products that you can't find in the inventory of metal suppliers. Or maybe you need a quality-focused metal fabrication company that can deliver custom products that will meet your business needs; reach out to A&G Price, New Zealand’s premier heavy engineering company.