A Guide to Metal Fabrication

There are a few basic machines and techniques that are used for metal fabrication. The metal that needs to be shaped, formed, and joined will often be sheet metal. Fabrication is necessary for building or repairing a basic part or component. Review some of the basics of metal fabrication.

Metal can be shaped or formed in one of four different ways. A fabricator may bend, fuse, stretch, and cut metal to form into any shape. Shaping metal can be done using a variety of tools and techniques for the best results.

Bending Metal

Form Bending – This is the easiest method to bend a piece of metal. Pressure can be applied to an item of metal over some shape or edge, such as a table. Another option is to use a hammer to form the metal to any shape that is needed.

Metal Brake – Making a clean and precise bend in metal will require a metal brake. Many metal brakes are able to make a bend in a piece of sheet metal that is 90 degrees. The metal is bent over a secure bar that has been placed on the metal. Activating the machine will force the metal to bend.

Cutting Metal

Hand Shears – Cutting metal with hand shears is a manual method. A pair of hand shears should be the first thing a metal fabricator needs to purchase for their shop.

Power Shears – These are a type of powered scissors that can be used to cut metal. Less effort needs to be applied and the process is much quicker than the manual method. You have the option of an electric shear or pneumatic shears. However, this tool cannot be used to cut an intricate shape.

Angle Grinder – Angle grinders with the proper attachment can be used to cut any piece of metal. This tool if often noisy and can create sparks when metal is being cut. A cutting wheel is optimal attachment that is needed with this tool.

Plasma Cutter – This is a tool that can be used to make cuts that are straight and long that may be hard to accomplish using other tools. Adjustments can be made to cut thin and thick pieces of metal.

Stretching Metal

Hammer and Dolly – Striking metal which has been placed over an object will compress the metal and make it stretch.

Stretcher – This is a tool that is mechanically operated that will pull on a piece of metal. A foot pedal is used to activate the machine.

English Wheel – Rolling a piece of metal through a set of wheels will eventually stretch sheet metal to a desired size. This machine is typically used to smooth imperfections in a piece of metal and to create a crown that is uniform.

Fusing Metal

The basic concept of fusing metal is known as welding. There are three types of welding that offer you a way to fuse metal together. This includes Oxy Acetylene welding, TIG welding, and MIG welding. Welding will also be the best way to make repairs and fill holes in metal.

What Can Metal Pressings be Used for

Metal pressing is a fairly complicated process which presently stands as one of the main aspects of the manufacturing industrial sector. This is because it is used to design a variety of modern metallic items such as metallic handles, vehicle bodies / interiors, knobs, drapery tools, yard tools, utensils scientific as well as medical instruments etc. all of which are used in everyday life. Metal stamping as it is commonly referred to involve piercing, bending, blanking and coining of almost all kinds of metals.

To help you clearly understand the significance of this process in today's modern world. Below is an Overview of what metal pressing can be used for.

For starters, Metal pressing can be used to make metallic parts of airplanes and rockets. Although this process has extensive application in the aviation industry, truth is, it is equally incredibly pivotal in the health, electrical and the construction sector judging by the examples already mentioned above e.g. manufacture of medical, scientific, construction and electrical tools. In fact, without this technique, it may not have ever been possible to create new metallic products. One of the best things about the process is the fact that everything is done by well trained and skilled engineers who have vast experience handling the machinery responsible for pressing metal. All this is clearly evident from the fact that all metallic finished products currently in use are second to non when compared and are all characteristic of excellent quality. These professional clearly understand the whole pressing process thoroughly plus they are capable of advising inexperienced business people who may be in need of metal pressing services.

The best thing about metal pressing is the fact that: the whole process is characteristic of a variety of options which in turn serve as a guarantee to help keep the industries which depend on them highly competitive. For instance, the process involves the skill of properly pressing metals such as titanium, brass, inconel and mid steel. Interesting thing about all this is the fact that such types of metals are usually pressed using hydraulic presses which are updated. What’s more, there is absolutely no limitation as to how metal pressing can be done.

Apart from the above, metal pressing is also currently being used to help make metallic items sturdier. It even gets better knowing that the competition being witnessed in the current business market has encouraged companies to continuously come up with more innovative designs for modern metallic items from metal stamping. This same process can also be used by manufacturing industries to help significantly cut operational costs. This is possible since besides being easy to implement, metal pressing also serves as a very economical solution ideal for the production of several composite products as it generally brings down the total cost which this laborious process is characteristic of.

From the above, it is very clear that this process can also be used to create a variety of complex metallic products plus it is also ideal to significantly reduce the amount of scrap produced during manufacturing. Simply put, Metal pressing serves as an intricate and fairly sophisticated technique which has simplified the manufacture of metal preferred by many daily lives.