Types of Metal Fabrication Processes

Manufacturing by forming or forming metal into different forms is known as metal fabrication. How you go about fabricating metal will be determined by the nature of your project and your available resources.

It is possible to classify the processes involved in metal fabrication into three major groups: machining, forming, and joining. Machining is the process of producing a component by removing it from a solid block using precise cutting equipment like saws or lathes. When using wire or sheet metal, forming is an additive technique that forms shapes by bending them into the required configuration.

Tools, appliances, and even furniture are all made using metal fabrication techniques. Each metal manufacturing method has its own benefits and downsides when used on metal components.

In order to choose the method that is best suited to their requirements, prospective customers need to be aware of all of the alternatives that are accessible to them.

Fabricating metal entails modifying the material in some way, often by the use of cutting, bending, or assembly. Many various kinds of buildings, from bridges to aeroplanes, rely on the work of metal fabricators to be built and installed.

The most popular methods of metal manufacturing, including shearing, punching, rolling, welding, and brazing, will be discussed in this article. Knowing the metal you want to deal with is crucial before deciding on a procedure, as it will dictate the extent to which certain safety measures must be taken and the types of equipment you will require.

Fabrication Of Steel Components

Fabrication is the process through which individual steelwork parts are produced for use in the construction of a whole frame or building. Typically, the frame is constructed from easily accessible standard sections sourced from the steel manufacturer or steel distributor, with additional components sourced from other specialised vendors for things like protective coatings and fasteners.

The designer may run into trouble if the necessary section size isn’t accessible, despite the fact that a broad variety of section shapes and sizes are manufactured. Built-up plate girders in this situation may be made out of steel plates. Depending on the weight being supported, the web or flanges of sections and plate girders may be reinforced.

In order to provide a seamless CAD/CAM environment, most contemporary steelwork fabrication operations have CAD connected directly to factory floor CNC machines.

In addition, manufacturing quality is improved as a result of the precision of the computer-generated information being sent directly to the CNC equipment.

Many different steel manufacturing techniques are benefiting from the constant innovation that occurs in this industry. Plasma cutting and robotic equipment are only two examples of the technologies that help the fabrication sector produce high-quality components quickly and efficiently.

The customer and general contractor both get substantial advantages from the improved efficiency and precision of steel erection on the job site.

In the revolutionary digital building process now under way, fabrication plays a crucial role in boosting the supply chain’s speed, precision, and safety.

Primary steps in the manufacturing process include:

• cuttingsshapingsholingsweldingsbending.

How Do You Perform Sheet Metal Fabrication?

Most courses that explain how metal is worked into objects will cover the following steps.

Mastery of each procedure calls for time in practise and familiarity with specialised equipment, most of which may be costly and takes up considerable floor area.

The strongest material on the planet can be fabricated using standard metalworking techniques including cutting, drilling, folding, and welding.

• Cutting. Cutting, the division of metal sheets into halves, thirds, or smaller parts, is among the most prevalent methods used in metal manufacturing. In many contexts, the metal being cut has not yet been formed into a specific form. Metals are submitted for cutting in different forms, such as bars and pre-measured panels. Many different types of cutting tools, from simple plasma torches to complex CNC mills, are used.
• Folding. Folding, in which a metal surface is manipulated to form at a given angle, is one of the most complex processes involved in metal manufacturing. It is often desirable in some folding applications for the metal surface to fold at a right angle, or at least an angle that isn’t sharp. Due to the intricacy of the operation, however, folding can only be done in locations with access to certain pieces of specialised, high-tech equipment. Instead of folding metal, attaching two panels at right angles is often the better option.
• Welding. Welding is, alongside cutting, one of the most widely used methods of metal manufacture among hobbyists. Welding is the technique of connecting two pieces of metal together. Sheets, panels, bars, or forms of any kind may be utilised in a welding application; the only need is that they be constructed of metal. There are several techniques and kinds of equipment that may be used to weld. Welds are often created by applying heat to the areas where the two components will meet. As a consequence, many people who are interested in metalwork enter the field with welding as their primary goal.
• Machining refers to the process of using a machine to cut away material from a metallic workpiece. Commonly, this is done on a lathe, which rotates the metal against cutting tools to remove material and create the required shape or size. However, in some machining applications, a hole or series of holes will be produced straight through the metal surface. The metal drill fits the bill for a machining tool.
• Punching. When making holes in metal, the material is put beneath a die and a drill is used to punch through the material. The punch will be the right size only if the drill’s rim fits snugly through the die. Depending on the context, punching may be classified as one of two distinct techniques. The purpose of making holes in a metal panel is usually to attach latches or other hardware. The blanking process involves cutting off the region around the hole from a bigger panel to create a smaller component for use in various contexts.
• Shearing. When cutting lengthy lengths from metal sheets, this method is known as shearing. The metal sheet is sometimes fed horizontally through the machine. In other situations, the length of a flat metal sheet is pressed vertically against a cutting tool. Similar to the paper cutters seen in copy centres, a third option includes laying the metal over the edge of an open cutter and lowering the blade. While metal shearing is most often used to reduce the thickness of a sheet’s edge, it may be performed anywhere along the metal.
• Stamping. Metal fabrication dies are used for more than just punching. There are, however, situations when it is not desirable to create a hole, but rather to elevate a certain area of a metal sheet without actually cutting through it. Stamping is used to create the desired shape, lettering, or image inside a metal sheet or panel for such purposes. Metal stamping may be compared to the ancient art of relief carving on stone or wood. Metal stamping is most often seen on coins, such as pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters, which all have text and images imprinted from both sides.
• Casting. Casting, in which molten metal is poured into a mould and allowed to cool and harden into the desired shape, is one of the earliest methods of metalworking. Casting is one of the most versatile metal manufacturing procedures and may be used to create a variety of intricate shapes. Some assembly pieces, for example, would need folding, shearing, and stamping to complete the manufacturing process, but casting eliminates the requirement for all of those steps. Steel, iron, gold, copper, silver, and magnesium are the most often used metals in this context.

Types of Metal Fabrication Processes

The phrase “metal fabrication” is used to describe a wide variety of techniques used to transform raw metal into a usable form. Fabrication is the process of making anything from raw or semi-finished materials, as opposed to assembly, which involves putting together pre-made parts.

There are many alternative fabrication manufacturing techniques that may be utilised, and the one that is ultimately chosen will rely on the kind of metal used in the first stages and the final product’s specifications. Products, both unique and standard, may be fabricated.

Metals and their alloys are utilised to create a wide variety of unique metal manufactured goods. Aluminum, brass, copper, gold, iron, nickel, silver, magnesium, tin, titanium, and a wide range of steel grades are just some of the metals that may be used in bespoke metal fabrications.

Fabricators often use stock metal components such sheet metal, metal rods, metal billets, and metal bars as the basis for a new product. Aluminum tubes with custom bends may be made, for instance, by extruding a flat piece of aluminium and then folding it.

Fab shops refer to metalworkers who specialise in fabricating metal products. Metal fabricators are hired by contractors, equipment makers, and wholesalers to complete a wide range of tasks. Metal fabricators often submit bids alongside blueprints for construction projects. After a contract is signed, metal fabricators go into the pre-production phase.

This requires a production engineer to order the necessary components and configure the CNC machines to produce the desired end result. Depending on the scope and complexity of the project, certain tasks may be outsourced. A lot of metal fabricators focus on one or two techniques or kinds of metals.

The final product may be the result of many different fabrication procedures used in a fab shop. A variety of further finishing operations, including as deburring, polishing, coating, and painting, may be performed as well. Finishing is a secondary operation that modifies the product’s appearance rather than its form or creation.

Casting

Casting is the process of shaping molten metal by pouring it into a mould or die and cooling it. As the same mould may be used again and over again, this method is well suited for producing large quantities of similar items. A wide variety of casting techniques exist.

Instead of using a mould, liquid metal is pressed into a die, where it will remain until it solidifies. High-speed use cases have made this method famous. Pouring molten metal into a mould is the first step in permanent mould casting.

Casting techniques come in many forms. Additionally, a vacuum may be employed in specific situations. Castings made using permanent moulds are often more durable than those made with die casting, although the moulds themselves may be a pain to remove.

This is why there is the option of semi-permanent mould castings. The disposable centres of these moulds make them easier to handle and cheaper to eliminate.

Sand casting serves as the ultimate casting method. The process of sand casting involves pressing a design into a fine sand mixture to create a casting. This creates a mould into which the liquid metal may be poured. Although slower than other casting methods, this technique often results in the lowest production costs. It’s also useful for making huge metal structures or elaborate decorations.

Cutting

Cutting a metal workpiece to separate it into smaller portions is a relatively frequent kind of production. Sawing is one of the earliest means of cutting, although now days we may use lasers, waterjets, power shears, or even plasma arcs. Manual and powered equipment, in addition to computer numerically controlled (CNC) cutters, are just a few of the various options available for cutting. Cutting might be the first step in a more involved fabrication procedure, or it could be the sole step.

One further method that employs a die to cut metal is called die-cutting. With rotary die cutting, a cylinder-shaped cutting tool is spun as it moves through a press, slicing through the material as it passes through. With flatbed die-cutting, a press is used to stamp a die down onto a sheet of metal, creating a cutting pattern.

Drawing

Metal is drawn into and through a tapered die using tensile force. A thinner metal form is achieved by the die’s stretching action. Cold drawing refers to the practise of doing this operation at room temperature; however, the metal workpiece may be heated to decrease the necessary force.

When the finished work has a depth that is equal to or more than its radius, we refer to it as deep drawing. Sheet metal fabrication is often used to form metal sheets into hollow cylinders or boxes.

Folding

The metal is bent at an acute angle. Standard practise calls for the use of a brake press, which pinches the metal to form the desired wrinkles. Then, the punch is used to apply pressure on the workpiece while it is sandwiched between a die. In most cases, sheet metal is shaped using this method.

Metal may also be bent by hammering or by using a special machine called a folder. The metal sheet is put on the machine’s flat surface, which is secured by a clamping bar; the workpiece is then bent by raising the machine’s front panel, which exerts upward pressure on the metal.

Forging

Metal is shaped by applying pressure via a forging process. A metal workpiece is shaped by repeatedly being hit with a hammer or die.

Cold forging refers to the technique of shaping metal when it is at room temperature. Warm forging is carried out when the metal is heated to a temperature between room temperature and the recrystallization temperature.

Hot forging occurs when the metal is heated to its recrystallization temperature, which varies according on the metal. Forging is a very ancient method of production, and has been used by blacksmiths for hundreds of years.

Extrusion

The extrusion method involves pushing the material through or around a die, which may be open or closed, depending on the desired result. The workpiece’s diameter is reduced to the cross section of the die when it is driven through a die, whether the die is open or closed. When a workpiece is pushed around a die, a cavity is created.

In both cases, a ram is used to create an impact on a metal slug or cylinder (a billet) serving as the workpiece. Wires and pipes, both cylindrical in shape, are common end products of this process. Variations in the cross-section of the die allow for customization of the finished product. Continuous extrusion may make extremely lengthy pieces, whereas semi-continuous extrusion can make a large number of shorter ones.

Impact extrusion, sometimes known as cold extrusion, is a room-temperature process that enhances the strength of the product relative to the starting material.

Metals behave like viscous liquids, beginning to flow into the available form when subjected to sufficient force. Steel is often fabricated using cold extrusion.

To prevent the metal from hardening and to facilitate its movement through the die, hot extrusion is carried out at a higher temperature. Copper fabrication and the production of specialised aluminium components are two common applications.

Machining

Machining is the process of reducing the size of a piece of metal in order to alter its form. Different methods exist for carrying out this procedure. Drilling, turning, and milling are just few of the various machining techniques available.

When drilling, a hole is created by rotating a cutting instrument called a drill bit. To bore a round hole in metal, the drill bit is spun at high speed while being pressed on the material.

Cylindrical shapes may be turned by rotating the metal on a lathe while removing material in a linear fashion along the diameter. Shapes may be carved out of various materials by adjusting the cutting tool’s angle. The process may be carried out either manually or with the help of a computer numerically controlled turning machine. When exact dimensions of an item are required, CNC machining is often the method of choice.

By rotating a number of cutting points, milling may gradually remove material from a workpiece to produce a desired form. After that, either the workpiece or the cutting tool is moved over the metal while it is stationary, or both the workpiece and the cutting tool are moved relative to one another.

Manual labour or a computer numerical control milling machine (Mill) may do this. Even while milling is often employed as a secondary or finishing step, it may be utilised as the only production technique from start to finish. Face milling, plain milling, angle milling, climb milling, and shape milling are all examples of milling.

Punching

A punch press uses turrets of varying shapes to strike metal into or through a die, creating holes. The final output might be either the drilled metal plate or the blanking, which consists of shaped metal that has been removed.

Smaller mechanical punch presses are more common, and the simplest punches may even be operated by hand. It is also normal practise to employ computer numerically controlled punch presses for fabricating both light and heavy metals.

Shearing

By combining two tools, one placed above the metal to exert pressure and the other below to do the actual cut, a long, straight cut may be made. By pressing down on the metal with the top blade while the bottom blade remains motionless, the metal is split.

As the crack deepens, it eventually separates the two parts entirely. Burring is often done to the edges after shearing. Since the blades may be installed at skewed angles, it’s a good choice for cutting shorter lengths and irregularly shaped materials with less effort.

Stamping

Although the press works in a similar way to a punch, an indentation rather than a hole is formed in the metal. The turret does not press the metal all the way through the die; rather, it only lifts the metal to a higher level. Any design, text, or picture may be stamped into a metal plate or sheet. Stamping presses may be either hydraulic or mechanical.

Metal stamping machines can cast, punch, cut, and form metal sheets into a variety of shapes. Thicker sheets, up to a quarter of an inch, may be formed into the desired configurations.

Blanking, metal coining, and four slide shaping are just a few of the processes that may be carried out by the presses used for metal stampings, which allow for the production of a vast array of items.

Coins aren’t the only thing you can make using metal coining; it’s also used to make electrical components, as the name suggests. Four slide forming is a method of producing complicated items by combining many stamping and forming techniques; it is most useful for producing tiny components.

Welding

Welding is the process of joining metal parts together using heat and pressure.

Because the metal scraps may be cut to any size or form, this technique has proven to be rather popular. Stick or Arc Welding, MIG Welding, TIG Welding, and Flux Cored Arc Welding are the four most common types of welding.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) is also known as “stick welding,” and technique involves using an electrode stick to create an electric current, which then generates an electric arc when brought into contact with metal. Arc welding is used because the metal is melted together at a high enough temperature.

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), also known as Metal Inert Gas Welding (MIG), is a kind of welding in which an externally supplied gas is combined with a continuous solid wire electrode to prevent the metal from reacting to its surrounding environment, allowing for quicker, more continuous welding. Welding fumes are reduced as a result of the shielding gas.

Tungsten Inert Gas Welding (TIG), commonly known as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, is a technique used for welding heavy metals in the fabrication industry.

However, it is possible to utilise this technique with most metals and on complicated projects, but only if you have a very experienced welder.

Like MIG welding, Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) requires a welding machine and a welding torch. A separate gas source is unneeded since the wire electrode has a core that creates shielding gas. The process is easier to transport than MIG or Stick welding, however it cannot be used on thinner metals.

Conclusion

The term “fabrication” refers to the process of shaping metal into various forms. It can be broken down into three distinct categories: machining, forming, and joining. Fabrication is the process of transforming metal through shaping operations like cutting, bending, and assembling. Metals are commonly processed by shearing, punching, rolling, welding, and brazing. Prospective consumers need to be aware of all of the options available to them in order to pick the approach that is most suited to their needs.

Steel fabrication refers to the process through which individual steelwork sections are created for use in the construction of a whole frame or building. These days, computer-aided design (CAD) software is typically linked up to CNC machines in the fabrication hall. Fabricating metal on-site allows for more streamlined and accurate steel erection on the job site, which benefits both the general contractor and the end-user. The process entails making use of tried and true metalworking methods including sawing, drilling, bending, and welding to mass-produce precision parts. Cutting, shaping, shaping, sholing, welding, and bending are the major phases in the production process.

Among the many intricate steps in producing metal, folding requires specialised, high-tech machinery that is not available everywhere. Welding is the process of joining two metal parts together and can be used to create virtually any shape, including sheets, panels, bars, and moulds. Many people who are drawn to metallurgy do so with the intention of learning how to weld, since this is the most common method for creating the joint between two pieces. Machine punching and shearing are two forms of machining used to remove metal from a workpiece. In order to stamp a desired shape, writing, or picture into a metal sheet or panel, one must first cast the desired object.

Fabrication is the process of producing metal from its raw state. Casting is a versatile metal manufacturing process that may be used to make a wide range of complex shapes. The most common metals used in this context are steel, iron, gold, copper, silver, and magnesium. Fabricators frequently start with a stock metal component, like sheet metal, metal rods, metal billets, or metal bars. Metalworkers that specialise in creating metal goods are often referred to as “fabric shops.”

During the pre-production phase, metal fabricators typically submit bids alongside building drawings. Some tasks may be delegated depending on the size and complexity of the project. Casting, slicing, deburring, polishing, coating, and painting are all steps in the fabrication process. Molten metal is poured into a mould or die to be cooled and solidified into the desired shape, a process known as casting. For the most accurate results, nothing beats sand casting, in which a mould is made by pressing a design into a fine sand mixture.

The finishing process is an additional step that alters the physical look of a product after its initial construction is complete. Cutting tools range from manually operated saws and drills to electrically powered CNC machines. Several processes are used to cut metal, including die-cutting, rotary die cutting, flatbed die-cutting, drawing, folding, forging, extrusion, hammering, and pounding. As it travels through a press, a cylinder-shaped cutting tool spins to cut through the material. Both drawing and folding need tensile force, with the former involving pulling into and through a tapered die and the latter requiring pressing the metal to generate the desired creases.

To forge a metal, it must be heated to its recrystallization temperature, while hammering just includes being repeatedly struck with a hammer or die. To achieve the desired shape, materials are extruded by forcing them through or around an open or closed die. Shrinkage of a metal item during the machining process is used to create the desired shape. This process can be executed in numerous ways, including by drilling, turning, or milling. Turning a drill bit causes it to cut through whatever it is passing through.

By rotating the metal on a lathe and cutting away material in a linear fashion along the diameter, cylindrical objects can be turned. When precision in measurements is crucial, CNC machining is frequently the method of choice. It’s possible to mill metal by moving either the workpiece or the cutting tool over the material while the metal remains stationary, or by moving both at the same time. In order to punch holes in metal, punch presses employ turrets of varied shapes to hit the metal into or through a die. In shearing, two tools are used: one is held above the metal to apply pressure, and the other is positioned below to make the actual cut.

Casting, punching, cutting, and forming metal sheets into different shapes are all possible using stamping equipment. The process of four slide forming combines numerous stamping and forming methods to facilitate the production of complex objects. Joining metal pieces together with heat and pressure is called welding. When an electrode stick is used to generate an electric current, an electric arc is created when the electrode is brought into contact with metal in the process known as Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW). In gas metal arc welding, or GMAW, an externally supplied gas is paired with a continuous solid wire electrode to prevent the metal from reacting to its surroundings, allowing for faster, more continuous welding.

Flux Cored Arc Welding uses a welding equipment and a welding flame, while TIG is mostly used for welding thick metal sheets in the fabrication business. However, it cannot be used on thinner metals and is more cumbersome to travel than MIG or Stick welding.

Content Summary

• Manufacturing by forming or forming metal into different forms is known as metal fabrication.
• How you go about fabricating metal will be determined by the nature of your project and your available resources.
• It is possible to classify the processes involved in metal fabrication into three major groups: machining, forming, and joining.
• Tools, appliances, and even furniture are all made using metal fabrication techniques.
• The most popular methods of metal manufacturing, including shearing, punching, rolling, welding, and brazing, will be discussed in this article.
• Plasma cutting and robotic equipment are only two examples of the technologies that help the fabrication sector produce high-quality components quickly and efficiently.
• In the revolutionary digital building process now under way, fabrication plays a crucial role in boosting the supply chain’s speed, precision, and safety.
• The strongest material on the planet can be fabricated using standard metalworking techniques including cutting, drilling, folding, and welding.
• The metal drill fits the bill for a machining tool.
• The final product may be the result of many different fabrication procedures used in a fab shop.
• A wide variety of casting techniques exist.
• Pouring molten metal into a mould is the first step in permanent mould casting.
• Sand casting serves as the ultimate casting method.
• One further method that employs a die to cut metal is called die-cutting.
• In most cases, sheet metal is shaped using this method.
• In both cases, a ram is used to create an impact on a metal slug or cylinder (a billet) serving as the workpiece.
• A punch press uses turrets of varying shapes to strike metal into or through a die, creating holes.
• Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), also known as Metal Inert Gas Welding (MIG), is a kind of welding in which an externally supplied gas is combined with a continuous solid wire electrode to prevent the metal from reacting to its surrounding environment, allowing for quicker, more continuous welding.
• Welding fumes are reduced as a result of the shielding gas.
• Tungsten Inert Gas Welding (TIG), commonly known as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, is a technique used for welding heavy metals in the fabrication industry.
• However, it is possible to utilise this technique with most metals and on complicated projects, but only if you have a very experienced welder.
• Like MIG welding, Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) requires a welding machine and a welding torch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the types of metal fabrication?

Metal Fabrication Processes: Understanding the Different Types

• Forging. Forging is a common practice for intricate metalwork. …
• Casting. Whereas forging metal is something that’s done by hand, casting is the process of pouring molten metal into a mold. …
• Drawing. …
• Forming. …
• Machining. …
• Extrusion. …
• Cutting. …
• Punching.

What are the types of fabrication?

Cutting, punching, forming, shearing, stamping, welding are common fabrication techniques used to shape, cut, or mold raw metal material into a final product. Fabrication is distinct from other manufacturing processes.

What are the 3 main fabrication techniques?

And while different metal fabrication companies use different techniques, most rely on three basic processes: cutting, bending and assembling.