Today’s industries rely on metal fabricators to provide them with the components they require to produce high quality, reliable products. Metal fabrication shops work hard to provide a variety of services to their customers. Some shops are generalists. Others are specialists in certain areas. Some choose to handle custom metal fabrication only.
Defining Metal Fabrication
Metal fabrication is the act of designing, constructing and even repairing diverse metal components or entire products. The parts the shops work on can be small or large. They may be part of a small batch or a large run. The initial work may be even be a prototype. It can also be a familiar mass-produced component produced and reproduced several times before.
Metal fabrication takes raw metal. It then prepares it for the actual work. Upon finishing cleaning and other related aspects, it turns it into the desired form through one or more techniques based. The guidelines are both the requirements of the customer and set specifications. When it comes to fabrication work, a shop may perform all or some of the following tasks:
* Assembly
* Bending
* Brazing
* Coating: Including powder coating or painting
* Casting
* Cutting – Including CNC enabled devices, laser or plasma systems
* Design/modeling
* Detailing
* Folding
* Forming – automated versions include CNC forming
* Machining
* Painting
* Punching
* Shaping
* Shearing: This is also referred to as cutting
* Spinning
* Stamping
Welding: Various kinds of welding are possible including MIG, TIG, Spot, Stick and Field
Metal fabricators consider these to be value-added processes. Employees may perform them manually or use CNC assisted devices. These require a programmer to insure each project is handled correctly. In some shops, certain actions, including welding, are turned over to robotic devices. Furthermore, depending upon the company, the design process that is integral to customization, may occur in-house or be out-sourced.
Metal Fabricators: Integral Component in Modern Manufacturing
Metal fabrication shops can be a separate industry. They have the capabilities to design and manufacture metal products. However, in modern manufacturing, metal fabrication facilities generally work with larger manufacturing concerns. They are a means through which larger companies can obtain high quality and affordable components for their products. They are able to provide the skills, the technology and the materials more cost-effectively.
This ability ensures metal fabrication remains within a larger manufacturing system. It makes certain that a larger company can rely on them for the components they need for their own customers and/or consumers. In this role, metal fabricators are more than intermediaries or a cog in a larger wheel. They are a fundamental and essential component in the manufacturing process.
