What Is Metal Fabrication, And Where Is The Industry Headed?
Posted on: 22 March 2022
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Metal fabrication refers to any process of building structures from metallic raw materials. This process includes burning, welding, cutting, molding, and assembling metal material to create a final product. Metal fabrication differs in manufacturing for both stock and custom products. Artisans manufacture end products by fabricating semi-finished or purely raw materials. Fabricators craft the most custom fabricated materials available in the market from commonly used metals and their alloys. Stock metal components such as metal billets, sheet metal, metal bars, and metal rods are most used to create newly fabricated products.
Metal Fabrication Processes
The metal fabrication industry is enormous, and various projects require metal craftsmanship. So, the industry drivers like equipment manufacturers, contractors, and general resellers hire specific metal fabricators.
Metal Fabrications has four significant phases
- Design - This is the drawing of the intended product
- Fabrication -Includes bending, cutting, and assembling
- Installation - putting all the structures together
- Finishing - the modification exterior of the product
The shops use multiple processes to create their clients desired final product. Per request, they may provide finishing services such as polishing, painting, deburring, and coating the custom product. Finishing services are different from the fabrication process. Thus, they come at an extra cost. Finishing services treat the product's exterior but do not make any changes to the product. Centralization of all the processes in the fabrication shops is one benefit that vendors enjoy as they have a one-stop-shop that handles all of their projects.
The technology used in metal fabrication
Over the years, metal fabrication technology has evolved, and significant innovations have transformed the industry. These vast technologies in the coming years are inevitable since fabricators advocate flexibility for their machines and equipment. The forefront process revolutionizing metal fabrication technology include:
1. Machinery
Machine technology is improving over time. Laser technology, for example, is faster and cuts through thicker materials. Other technologies, including waterjet cutting and plasma cutting, are also becoming more available. Machines are now customized to handle different projects
2. Automation
In recent years, automation technology has programmed automatic commands that complete assigned tasks without human supervision. The programming allows improved precision and fast producibility.
Importance of metal fabrication
The metal fabrication industry has broad benefits across many other industries and consumer products. The sector employs different experts, including blacksmiths, boilermakers, ironworkers, and welders. Major Sectors that greatly benefit from the metal fabrication industry are heavy equipment and machinery, building, and construction among many others. Fabrication ensures raw metallic materials are transformed into usable parts in a specific industry. For example, metallic rods are fabricated to make warehouses for the storage of goods in industries. The importance of fabrication traverses various industries.
To learn more, contact a company like The Metal Shop.