13 Nov Discover Everything You Need to Know About Steel Fabrication

As a business-owner, you may find yourself needing steel fabrication services, be it on a day-to-day basis or only occasionally. However, understanding such a specialized area can be difficult, possibly making it hard for you to find the right steel fabrication company for your needs.

To help you understand the services you require, we’ve compiled a list of everything you need to know about steel fabrication.

All About Steel Fabrication

Steel is one of the most reliable and widely used metals in the world, known for its elasticity and ductility. Composed of iron ore mixed with carbon, steel is appropriate for use in a variety of industries. The amount of carbon in your chosen steel is worth taking note of, as the greater the amount, the more brittle the steel will be.

Steel fabrication emerged as an industry in 1856, when British inventor Henry Bessemer devised the process of smelting steel properly. Therefore, it describes the process of cutting, gluing, welding, bending and assembling steel to build structures. Steel is the preferred metal for constructing various metallic structures, often used in the automotive, construction, engineering, mining or aircraft industries. For other purposes, aluminium, sheet metal and stainless steel can also be used.

Steel fabricators purchase steel and fabricate products in line with customers’ project requirements. These days, you will often find steel fabricators working closely with steel manufacturers, engineers and architects to create the best in structural steel fabrication.

Steel is first cut, then burnt and finally formed used hydraulic brake pressures, machining, welding and assembling. Human labor and manufacturing processes are used in combination to provide a superior product.

There are two ways steel fabrication can be conducted: the integrated route and the raw material approach. In the integrated route method, the materials are heated up and then melted down before being mixed into steel. The raw material approach involves recycling steel, which is put into a furnace that heats it up before it is melted down. It is then mixed with other components to create the final product.

When it comes to seeking out fabrication services for your business, you’ll need to understand the three main steps of the steel fabrication process:

1. Bending

A press brake is used for bending metal properly, with the metal being bent by a punch and die. Press brakes are generally programmed by Computer Aided Design technology, which ensures precise, flawless bending as the user can input specific measurements.

2. Cutting

Cutting allows you to achieve the exact size you require. A laser is used to cut the metal, projecting trillions of light particles onto the metal surface. Cutting helps you derive a precise size and cut as per your needs. Laser cutting is often thought of as a superior method because it does not tarnish the rest of the metal.

Other methods of cutting steel include torches and plasma cutting, but generally, laser cutting is preferred industry-wide.

3. Assembling

The assembly stage is when the product finally comes together. This can involve welding, riveting or adhesives to assemble all the steel pieces.

Steel fabrication services can be useful for businesses in a variety of industries. Some of these include:

• Aerospace

Building planes, airport corridors and metal detectors all require these services. Attention to detail and accuracy are essential in the aircraft industry, to ensure the safety of the crew and passengers. Steel fabrication is therefore ideal for this purpose, being a highly precise process.

• Medical

The medical industry also requires equipment that is made to precise standards, including beds, operating tools, scanning machinery and more. This fabrication can create high quality products that are made to exact measurements, meeting all the needs of the medical industry.

• Construction

The construction industry is heavily dependent on these processes, with precise and durable fabrication required to ensure construction projects stand the test of time.

• Engineering

Engineering, particularly structural engineering, uses steel fabrication heavily. Creating new parts and repairing old parts usually require fabricated metals, meaning that the engineering industry depends on the fabrication industry for much of their materials.

• Automotive

Car manufacturing, naturally, involves numerous metal components, meaning that fabrication services are critical for the industry. Quality metal is essential, as it ensures the safety of customers and less risk of tarnishing.

Business-owners in any of the above industries, and many more, will find that steel fabrication services are essential for their business. By understanding how the process works and how it is relevant to you, you can ensure that you receive the required service from your local fabrication specialist.