Metal Fabrication

Introduction to Metal Fabrication

Metal fabrication is the process of creating many different kinds of metal products from raw materials using a wide variety of different metal fabrication machinery and metal fabrication tools. The main thing to understand about metal fabrication is the fact that it has been with us for thousands of years and it has evolved tremendously alongside technology. Namely, there have been many new metal fabrication machines and tools that appeared and these new machines and tools always gave metal workers new abilities and many possibilities for new metal products. As a result of this, we now have a wide variety of metal products which are used for many different purposes.

The Importance of Metal Fabrication

Although metal fabrication is not something we think about generally, its role in the modern society is undoubtedly great. Namely, the modern industry could never function properly without the usage of many different objects made out of different types of metals. Any machines used in the production of anything and everything can never be made without metal components, our buildings would all fall apart if we took metal components away from them, our vehicles would not exist without the metal parts and so on. Knowing this, it is easy to see why the importance of metal fabrication in our everyday lives simply cannot be stressed enough.

The Long and Complex Process of Metal Fabrication

Another important thing that has to be mentioned when talking about metal fabrication is the process of turning raw materials into finished products. Metal has been used for many thousands of years and it has always been a difficult material in terms of making something useful out of it. Namely, the main useful physical characteristic of metal is the exact same thing which makes it difficult to work with. This characteristic is its strength. Metals are generally very strong and durable, like steel for instance. It takes a lot of time and effort to turn raw steel into a finished product, and this is why the process of metal fabrication is as complex and as demanding as it is.

Metal Fabrication Process – The Three Stages

There are three main stages in the process of metal fabrication, which are all equally important and the raw material has to go through these three stages in order to become a useful product:

• Designing and preparation of the metal – every product has to be designed before it goes into production, and metal workers prepare the raw material and plan the process of fabrication according to the design and the materials' physical characteristics.
• Fabricating the metal product – after the raw material has been prepared and after the process of fabrication has been planned, the production can begin. During this stage, there are many different machines used which shape, cut and bend the material, making it into the required finished product.
• Welding – welding is the final stage of the fabrication process, and after the different metal parts have been welded together they finally become the finished product which can pass the final inspection and continue its journey outside the metal factory.