The Industrial Metal Fabrication Process In Detail

By Ladonna Chambers


Industrial metal fabrication is the process through which unprocessed ore is converted to useful steel in the form of structures and machinery. In olden days, it was a duty charged to blacksmiths. They made arms and tools from unprocessed rock by subjecting it to heat and hammering it to shape. Their place in society was coveted.

The fabrication procedure involves cutting, bending and joining to form the desired product. There are companies dealing with the above processes. This has ensured satisfaction of consumer needs through supplying the service at favorable prices. The customers receive quality products at competitive prices at the right timing.

The raw materials that facilitate this process are industrial plate steel, welding rod, castings and welding rods among others. Computerized processes then transform these raw materials to hand railings, structural frames and loose parts.

The whole process begins by having the raw materials cut to the required sizes. There after, welding of beams follows. This forms the basis of fabrication as it determines the tenacity and meticulousness of end products.

With the raw metal in required sizes, the welding process begins. Welding is the back bone of this whole process as it determines the strength of products. The welded parts are then inspected to ensure adherence to stipulated specifications and accuracy. A monotonous problem encountered is wrapping. The wrapping is as a result of intense heat. To solve this, welders use fewer welds or stagger heating the material. Straightening the welded steel is also a solution to warping.

The warped products get straightened by use of an oxyacetylene torch. This process requires a lot of expertise. Heat is then selectively applied to the steel in slow, linear sweeps. On cooling, the metal will contract in the direction of the sweep. Skilled welders remove substantial twisting using this method.

Welding is the first of many other activities. After the welded steel has cooled, it is sandblasted to polish the metal to specified texture. Priming and painting to the customer's specifications then follows. After additional manufacturing as stipulated in the tender, the manufacturers inspect, package and finally ship the finished product to the customer.

The dynamics of industrial revolution have led to death, and the emergence of industries as more effective methods of doing things are discovered. These have, however, not affected the fabrication industry. It still enjoys the same level of eminence as before. The respect accorded to blacksmiths long before industrialization is the same one accorded the current fabricating and machine shops. Every machinery and vessel on the face of planet earth is an end product of this important process. This has led to heavy investments in this sector. With all other factors remaining constant, such investments will enjoy continuous cash inflow.

Like any other process, industrial metal fabrication has its shortcomings. Non-standardization of quality has been a challenge for many years. Different manufacturers produced different quality outputs making it impossible to change a supplier in between projects. The adoption of computing in the manufacturing industry eradicated this process. Automatic computer manufacturing ensures all outputs are of the required quality. Besides, it checks for defects during the manufacturing process and corrects them before production advances. This saves costs and prevents wastage of capital and raw materials. Thus, output is per customer specifications. This boosts their confidence in the industry and products.




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