What Is A Metal Fabricator?
What Is A Metal Fabricator?
Metal fabrication is an industrial process that combines cutting, bending and assembling. Its products are largely found in commercial and residential spaces.
Typical fabricated metal products include shelves, sinks and guardrails. Metal fabricators work out of large-scale manufacturing operations or specialized fab shops. They may bid on projects based on engineering drawings and then create the product.
Design
Using a CAD program, metal fabricators create designs that are then converted into programming for use with computer-controlled equipment. The final product is called a fabrication, and shops specializing in this form of manufacturing are known as fab shops. The fabrication process itself may involve any number of techniques such as cutting, punching, forming, folding, welding and more.
A fabricator starts by studying blueprints, drawings and specifications to determine the project requirements. They may also select and prepare the metal stock to be used in the fabrication process. They then use hand and machine tools to cut, shape and bend metal sections into specific shapes. They also use a variety of welding methods depending on the type of metal being used, as some are more rigid than others and require different types of welding techniques. They also use tools such as flame cutting torches and a guillotine to cut large pieces of metal. Other fabrication processes include bending, which is done by hammering or using press brakes with various die designs like v-dies, gooseneck, rotary bending and acute angle dies.
Fabrication
A fabricator works with various tools to manipulate metal for construction and manufacturing companies. They operate equipment like the band saw, chop see and mig welder to cut or join different types of metal. They also read blueprints and drawings to understand their jobs' requirements.
The fabrication process usually begins with sheet metal, which can be up to a quarter of an inch thick and pliable enough to assume different shapes. Shearing, bending and punching are common fabrication techniques.
Commercial metal fabrication includes items like awnings, shelves and guardrails. It can also include smaller, more precise parts for industrial or structural purposes.
Heavy metal fabrication typically involves heavier or larger parts and structures such as large water tanks, bridges and silos. It may involve forging, which is the process of shaping metal at temperatures above and below its recrystallization point. This is a process that requires more skilled employees and specialized machinery. This type of work is usually outsourced.
Assembly
Metal fabrication is a value-added process that involves creating actual products or structures from the metal raw materials. This work includes the steps of cutting, bending, and assembling. Depending on the company, other services may be included as well, such as welding and finishing.
Cutting is one of the most common metal fabrication processes. This is done by using a variety of tools to cut the metal, such as sawing or other more modern techniques like laser and waterjet cutting. There is also a method called shearing that is often used to create long cuts. Shearing uses two tools — one above and one below the raw material piece — to apply pressure to fracture the metal and separate it into pieces.
Folding is another commonly used metal fabrication procedure. This is achieved by pinching the raw metal and forcing it into a die to form it into the desired shape. Examples of fabricated metal products made from this include standard and specialized ductwork, as well as miscellaneous HVAC accessories.
Finishing
Depending on the type of metal being used, additional finishing steps may be required after the cutting and bending process. These include grinding, deburring and polishing. A popular method for these processes is tumbling, which involves placing parts, media and various compounds in a barrel and rotating them to round corners, deburr and grind. Other metal finishing processes may involve electrostatic powder coating, wet paint and other types of spraying.
Those working in this field often work in a variety of industries. Industrial fabrication includes the creation of products like steel and aluminum frames, tanks, silos, cranes, machine tools and other large-scale machinery. These products are typically designed using CAD and then produced either by manual labor or via computer-controlled machines.
Commercial fabrication is more common and includes products like awnings, cabinets, shelves, guardrails and sinks. These are usually produced by hand and through automated processes. Those looking to become fabricators should consider the varying industries that they can find employment in, as earnings may vary depending on market and economic factors.
What Is A Metal Fabricator? Metal fabrication is an industrial process that combines cutting, bending and assembling. Its products are largely found in commercial and residential spaces. Typical fabricated metal products include shelves, sinks and guardrails. Metal fabricators work out of large-scale manufacturing operations or specialized fab shops. They may bid on projects based on…