For custom metal fabrication projects, expert technicians create pre-made parts out of raw material for assembling and making an item. This is done in a specialized facility, known as a fab shop, before it goes to an assembly plant. Metal fabrication involves the use of multiple techniques which shape and connect materials into a part.
There are many ways in which a metal can be fabricated. Some of these include:
Resistance welding: This technique is used to join two sheets of stainless steel and other metals together. This is done by applying great pressure and passing a current through the metal area which is to be joined. The advantage of resistance welding is that no other material is needed to create the bond, which makes this process highly cost-effective.
A trusted and reputed fab shop providing stainless steel fabrication will make use of the newest techniques such as Medium Frequency Direct Current (MFDC) which welds stainless steel at a faster speed then alternative techniques. It provides a much better quality of weld and does not produce any deformities that are typically associated with MIG and TIG welding techniques.
Creating objects with open space:
When open space is needed in a metal object, a wire mesh is normally used, or holes are cut into metal sheets with the help of a CNC punch laser. However, a fab shop with advanced facilities offering custom metal fabrication can take sheets or coils of metal and put it through an expanding machine to create objects with open space.
The expanding machine stretches out the metal and a knife cuts a series of uniform shapes in the metal. These holes are created when the sheet metal is stretched. The advantage of this technique is that the expanded metal is stronger than woven wire mesh. Additionally, metal brakes can be used to make precise bends in the sheet metal. A specialized device can be used to easily achieve bends of any desired angle.
Laser cutting:
A laser cutting machine can be used to make a stress-free cut in the metal. This technique is preferred to CNC punching as it places less physical stress on the material surrounding the hole. This results in stronger sheet metal.
To create a more complicated metal shape, the fabrication process may need to weld two parts together. This welding process involves joining the pieces of metal together with extreme heat.
Robotic welding with automation:
Robotic welding may also be used, especially when the project involves a large volume of parts. Besides providing high precision parts, robotic welding also accelerates the process of welding through automation.
An advanced CNC tube bending technique is used to achieve the highest level of accuracy in a tube and metal bending process. A press brake can be used to bend metal to complex specifications with high precision.
Get exactly what you want
A variety of tools are used for creating custom metal fabrication parts to help with specific manufacturing challenges. When a custom stainless steel or metal fabrication part is especially created for your project needs, it can withstand the stresses of your application. Unlike a general, standard fabrication process, custom fabrication uses an alloy that is resistant to chemicals, external forces and temperatures involved in your usage of the parts.
The benefit of custom metal fabrication is that you get exactly what you want. Our expert technicians are able to fabricate the parts that are unique to your project needs so give us a call or send us an email below if you have an upcoming project we can help you with.