top of page

What Do Metal Fabricators Do?

Madden Fabrication


Metal fabrication is one of the cornerstones of modern industry. If you have ever wondered what metal fabricators do, well, you're not alone! It's a very specialized craft, but it has a broad impact on virtually every industry around the world. From the bridges you drive over to the machines that keep factories running, metal fabrication is involved in the creation of many essential structures and products.


What is Metal Fabrication?


The definition of metal fabrication can be termed a process wherein raw materials in metal are turned into final products or components. Due to several processes, thereby, the technique and tools used is also quite diversified in their forms. Metal fabrication involves certain process procedures: cut, bend, weld, assembly, and finish in order to attain specific design specifications of metal parts.


These metals for fabrication come in many forms, but not limited to sheet metal, plates, rods, coils, and many others, normally in material forms like steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and many others. Employing their extensive knowledge, metal fabricators try to mold such materials into robust, durable, and functional components.


Key Processes in Metal Fabrication


Metal fabrication involves several processes, each with its own specialized tools and techniques. These steps ensure that the metal is transformed into something functional and capable of serving its intended purpose.


  • Cutting

    Cutting is one of the more basic processes in metal fabrication. Raw metal must be cut down to the proper size and shape before it can be used in any other process. metal fabricators use a variety of cutting methods depending on the material and required precision. Common cutting methods include:

    • Laser Cutting: This is a method where a high-powered laser beam is used to slice through metals with precision, allowing intricate designs and clean cuts.

    • Plasma Cutting: Plasma cutting involves the use of a jet ionized gas for cutting metal, mostly for thicker materials. It is fast and effective for many industrial applications.

    • Waterjet Cutting: High-pressure water mixed with abrasives can cut through metals with incredible accuracy, making it ideal for complex shapes and fine details.


  • Bending and Shaping:

    After having cut the metal into rough shapes, fabricators many times engage in bending or forming the metal into certain angles or curves. This is quite frequent in sheet metal fabrication, whereby metals are shaped to make parts, such as brackets, panels, among other components. The various bending and shaping tools include:

    • Press Brakes: These machines apply pressure to bend sheets of metal into angles or curved shapes using custom dies to create the desired design.

    • Rollers: These are used to create curves or cylindrical shapes in metal sheets and plates, in common use in the making of pipes and tubing.


  • Welding and Joining:

    Among the most important processes in the field of metal fabrication is welding. It involves the joining of two or more pieces of metals by melting the material at the joint and fusing them. Many types of welding techniques are employed by fabricators in metals:

    • MIG Welding: Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is an arc welding process that uses a continuous solid wire electrode, which is heated and fed into the weld pool from a welding gun, melting the two base materials together to form a strong bond. Known for its versatility, MIG welding is commonly used to weld a wide range of metals and alloys, including copper, aluminum, nickel, and iron.

    • TIG Welding: TIG welding is a stable arc welding process that uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode and an inert gas to form high-quality welds. It gained widespread success in the 1940s when it was first utilized to weld aluminum and magnesium alloys in the aerospace industry.

    • Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW): Commonly known as "stick welding," this manual arc welding process uses a consumable electrode coated with flux to join metals. As the electrode melts, the flux coating produces a shielding gas that protects the weld pool from contamination by the surrounding air. Stick welding is highly versatile and widely used in construction, maintenance, and repair, as it can weld a variety of metals in different environments, including thick materials and challenging positions.


  • Assembly:

    Once all of the components of a metal product have been fabricated, many items also require assembly into their final form; this can consist of anything from simply hand assembling small parts to big, complex installations involving frameworks for machinery and even structural components for buildings.


    The objective of assembly is to ensure that all parts fit together properly and the final structure is stable and functional.


Industries That Rely on Metal Fabrication:


  • Construction:

    Metal fabrication is a very crucial part in the construction of steel beams, columns, and frames, among other structural elements used in building, bridges, and highways. These materials are in high demand, particularly for the building and highway industries. Because steel is a durable material that provides strength, qualified and expert metal fabricators will help to guarantee safety and accuracy on each job.


  • Manufacturing and Heavy Equipment:

    Metal fabricators make machinery, equipment, and tools for manufacturing. From conveyor systems and robotic arms to industrial presses, much of the machinery that keeps factories humming gets its start with a metal fabricator.


  • Energy:

    The energy sector also relies on metal fabrication, mainly in power plants, renewable energy installations, and extraction of oil and gasIn this respect, metal fabricators manufacture piping, pressure vessels, and heat exchangers, among components that are so vital to the operation of these industries.


Skills and Expertise of a Metal Fabricator


Accordingly, metal fabricators' work requires skill variety ranging from interpreting blueprints to operating particular machinery. Their deep understanding of materials, their behaviors, and advanced hand tools/technologies are just a few of the aspects involved in performing the work of a fabricator.


Most fabricators develop their skills either through apprenticeships or higher education, but their skill acquisition is an ongoing process because new technology and techniques arise constantly.


What do metal fabricators do? Simply put, they do it all.


11 views0 comments

Comments


Commenting has been turned off.

© 2024 Madden Fabrication

(503) 226-3968

info@MadFab.com

2550 NW 25th Pl, Portland, OR  97210

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
bottom of page