What You Need to Know About Metal Fabrication

Humans have been working with metal for millennia, crafting useful items from metals found in the Earth’s crust. In its simplest form, metal fabrication involves the joining of two or more metal objects to create something entirely new. The basics of bending, cutting and joining metal have been done for thousands of years, but the process is always evolving. If you’re in Umatilla County, OR and are interested in the metal industry, read on to learn all you need to know about the process of metal fabrication.

Who performs metal fabrication?

Working with metal is a tough job, and it’s best left to the professionals. If you need any metal components made, from sturdy hand railings to heavy machinery or even tiny pieces like screws and bolts, a quality shop can do it all for you. A one-stop metal fabrication shop in Umatilla County, OR has many different experts on hand to take on the varied processes involved with creating an entirely new object from scratch. Welders, ironworkers, blacksmiths, boilermakers and more are on hand to convert raw metal into your desired finished product.

What are some of the most common metal fabrication processes?

Building a new object from scratch can be simple or complex—a lot depends on how you want the finished product to look and function. Here are some of the basic methods used in metal fabrication:

• Cutting: Almost all fabrication projects involve cutting. Metal sheets, bars and more can be shaped into pieces that are more manageable to work with. Metals are cut in a variety of ways, from simple techniques like cutting with a saw to more advanced ones like using lasers and plasma torches to make the cuts.
• Folding: This complicated process involves manipulating a metal bar or sheet to a certain angle. It usually takes complex machinery to make a good fold, but some shops also join two pieces of metal to make an angle.
• Welding: This process is used to join two separate metal parts. There’s a huge variety in terms of welding methods and equipment, from gas torch welding to electric welding.
• Punching: A technique called “punching” is used to put holes in metal. The metal piece is placed under a die, and holes are made with a drill.
• Stamping: This technique is similar to the punching method, except that no hole is made. Rather, stamping is used to raise certain parts of a metal object without penetrating it.

What is the future like for the metal fabrication industry?

Technology has completely changed the game for all industries worldwide, and the same goes for metal manufacturing. Automated technology has simplified the metal fabrication process from top to bottom. Some specialists can even work with metal in outer space and underwater. As technology continues to advance, there’s no telling how easy it will be to manipulate metal. One thing’s certain, though: there will always be a need for a skilled technician to operate the machines and ensure quality results.

Metal fabrication in Umatilla County, OR is a complicated process that’s continually evolving. Contact NW Metal Fabricators Inc. to learn more about the methods involved and to take care of all your metal fabrication needs.

Categorised in: Metal Fabrication

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