What Is Custom Metal Fabrication?

The term "metal manufacturing" covers the entire process of manufacturing machine parts and structural components from metal raw materials. This means that everything from cutting and forming to final assembly is within the scope of metal manufacturing. Various forms of custom metal fabrication are responsible for projects as small as part casting and can be expanded to include entire equipment and mechanical parts. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the metalworking industry employs approximately 364.25 million workers. Other industries, such as automotive, energy, and aerospace, have had a significant impact on research and progress in metal processing. As a result, many machine shops and manufacturers are working to develop reliable organizational strategies that enable them to move up and down the market without worry.

Steps in the Custom Metal Fabrication Process

Typical metal manufacturing typically involves some or all of the following eight steps:

1.     Cutting

Most metal manufacturing processes begin with cutting a metal sheet into smaller pieces. The size of these sections will largely depend on the product design and any necessary machine constraints.

1.     Forming

During the folding process, the metal surface is bent into various shapes. Depending on the design requirements, these bends can be done using a press brake and a press brake.

1.     Welding

Welding works by melting two separate metal parts and forcing them together. This may involve welding two separate components together to create a larger component, or combining large finished products together to complete the final design. Plates, panels, strips and various other metal parts can be welded together.

1.     Machining

In machining, various cutting and shaping tools are used to remove parts from a piece of metal. Usually, the metal is rotated by some tools to cut off pieces of the product until it reaches the desired shape or size.

1.     Punching

The punching machine uses force to make holes in a piece of metal to fix other parts. This process can be used to allow other parts to be fixed to a larger object, or to create holes in the sheet and then cut them into smaller parts. Depending on the design and size of the metal to be stamped, this can be performed by a small manual punch or a large, more complex CNC punch.

1.     Shearing

Shearing involves making a long cut on a metal plate. This technique is commonly used to trim edges on long metal plates.

1.     Stamping

Like stamping, stamping also uses compressive forces on the mold to shape the sheet metal, although stamping does not pierce the substrate. Metal stamping has a wide range of applications, such as pasting trademarks or text on metal objects to create specific design shapes. More complex designs can use a series of progressive stencils to create incremental changes in objects as they move through the process.

4 Common Metals Used in Metal Fabrication

· Pipe & Tube

The pipe is hollow. The pipe is always round. The tube can be square, rectangular or round. The rated pressure of the pipeline can be used to convey fluid or gas. Tubes, on the other hand, are used in structural applications. Provide carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum and other various grades of materials.

· Structural Metals

Any prefabricated metal designed for standardized assembly is considered a structural metal. This material is a key aspect in the field of construction and engineering. Common examples include steel bars, beams, angles and channels.

· Plate and Sheet Metals

Flat metal is a raw material and comes prefabricated in a range of thicknesses, although pieces are often fairly thin. Types of flat metal include leaf metal, sheet metal, and plate metal. Applications vary widely, from construction to home appliances, to military and defense.

Flat metal is a raw material and is prefabricated in various thicknesses, although parts are usually thin. The types of flat metal include blade metal, sheet metal and plate metal. Applications range from construction to home appliances to military and defense.

· Bar Stock

Round, square, rectangular solid shapes. Available in carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum and various other grades. Can be machined, bent, rolled and cut to a length suitable for a variety of applications

Custom Metal Fabrication Services

At Zechin Industries, we’ve been building our reputation as a quality partner since 1989. The reason our clients choose one project after another is because they know that when we need to complete a job, we will be the right company.

Contact us today to find more about our custom metal fabrication capabilities and how they can help you succeed with your project.

Email:  info@zec-industrygroup.com

TEL: +86 158 5810 2851