An Overview for Beginners: What is Metal Fabrication?

The products you use daily are metal fabricated, be it your phone, car, or electrical appliances. The major part of the manufacturing sector relies on sheet metal fabrication. There are several sheet metal parts manufacturers offering their services to help other manufacturers to innovate new products and make multiple tasks easier for people.

The importance of metal fabrication can be concluded from the fact that without it, we will not be able to run our electrical appliances, computers, vehicles, and parts that maintain our houses.

In this article, we will provide you an overview of metal fabrication and how it helps. By the end of this post, you will get a clear understanding of how vital this process is to us and how it impacts the different parts of our daily lives.

What is Metal Fabrication?

If put in a layman language, metal fabrication is a manufacturing process that shapes metals into required parts or end products. Different sheet metal manufacturers use different techniques to shape thin sheets of metal into specific parts or products. The sheets used in the process can be up to .25 inches thick and are cut, stamped, shaped, folded, and welded to create the end products. It may also require additional parts to be added during the process, like:

Plate metal
Expanded metal
Formed metal
Wire for welding
Hardware
Fittings
Castings

A fabrication shop alters the processes and parts depending on the job that needs to be carried out.

The process is generally used in the mass production of goods and can be modified to meet the customized needs of the industrial sector.

The metal fabrication process is carried by skilled workers who are specifically trained to cut and modify metal with precision.

Benefits of Metal Fabrication Shops

One of the major benefits of metal fabrication shops is that they carry the entire fabrication process as per the specifications provided by the clients. With the help of a one-stop fabrication shop, manufacturers can limit their work from multiple fabricators to a single one and meet the needs of their complex projects efficiently.

Steps involved in Metal Fabrication:

The steps involved in metal fabrication vary depending on the fabrication shop, but here we are mentioning some common steps followed by all.

Project Design

The first step involved in metal fabrication is designing the part or product. Many customers will come to you with a clear concept of the product design, while some bring a prototype on which you have to refine and test before starting the fabrication.

In the era of great technical advancements, many metal fabricators use computed-aided designing programs or computer-aided manufacturing to support the manufacturing process. These technologies help them create a 3D prototype of the part/product required so that they get a better understanding of customer’s requirements before starting the work on a large scale.

This step helps fabricators choose the right metal and in ensuring that the product will function as expected.

Fabricating the Part

In the second step, the fabrication job begins. The thin sheets of metal are cut and shaped as per the design. There are different tools used in the process to make the parts with precision and maintain their quality. For every part of the process, specific equipment, tool, or machine is used, such as a laser cutter, press brake, or roll forming equipment.

Finishing the project

This is the last step of the metal fabrication process in which the pieces are assembled to make the final product. The products are strengthened and are made ready to use for the intended purpose. Before delivering the products to clients, they are tested to ensure the materials function properly and are free from defects or damages.

Parting Thoughts

Metal fabrication is a broad term that includes many steps like cutting, shaping, folding, molding, and welding to create parts or products that help other manufacturing industries carry their processes with ease. Instead of making a product from the already existing components, the required ones can be customized to never compromise their functioning and quality. Different metal fabricators use different manufacturing processes depending on the requirements they get from their clients.

We hope that this post has given you a good picture of the metal fabrication process and how it helps us in doing our daily jobs.