Steel is famous for its quality, value, and strength. Steel is one of the most widely used construction materials. However, without the use of fabrications, we wouldn’t have been able to benefit from steel. The steel fabrication process comprises the transformation of raw steel into another item or product, which is then used in construction. There is a variety of steels that are part of structural operations and fabrication. Besides the construction industry, any industry dealing with material requires the services of steel fabrication. Steel fabricators work closely with auto manufacturing, shipbuilding, and mining.
Read on to learn more about steel fabrication and the basic methods of fabrication.
What is Steel Fabrication?
Steel fabrication comprises the shaping of raw materials into the desired form. Raw materials, such as steel, copper, bronze, etc., are melted down and assembled into steel before transforming into the required shape. The fabrication process requires a skilled technician to transform raw components into construction items. The fabrication process often leaves little room for error. Steel fabrication is used in industrial facilities to make everything from shipbuilding to household appliances.
Let us have a look at the basic fabrication methods:
Cutting: Laser cutting is now the most commonly used manufacturing procedure throughout the globe. The CNC Laser Cutter at Asset Plant & Machinery uses laser beams to melt construction material. Water jet cutting is another coarse process as it uses high-pressure water to virtually cut through any material. Cutting is a crucial stage of fabrication where the utmost focus is given to precision.
Laser cutting presents several advantages over other cutting procedures, such as more preciseness, more cost-effective, less energy-consuming, etc. Laser cutting also enables cutting through thicker materials. The laser cutting method is better than traditional cutting methods as the laser beam doesn’t wear during the process of cutting material. The cutting of complex shapes becomes easier with laser cutting technology. The speed of laser cutting is also faster than the traditional cutting methods.
Custom laser cutting solutions aerospace also a wonderful solution for the aerospace industry.
Machining: This process comprises a specific piece of equipment for shaving away metal parts. The shaping of metal involves machining tools, such as mills, drills, lathes, etc.
Welding: Welding is a common form of steel fabrication. This method is used to combine or bend metal pieces to make one piece. Pulsed welding machines control the heat during fabrication to improve the quality of parts and minimize potential distortion.
What Basic Raw Materials Are Part of Metal Fabrication?
Metal fabrication comprises quite a few raw materials, some of which speed up the process of fabrication. Many projects of metal fabrication include the following raw materials:
Fittings: Fittings are used for the creation and completion of pieces.
Plate Metal: This raw material is used for the effective shaping of pieces that fabricators are working with.
Castings: Casting is often used to exhibit visual interest in the fabrication process. Keeping castings handy can speed up the fabrication process.
Expanded Metal: This raw material is well-suited for outdoor furniture and other related things that require moisture to flow off.