Metal fabricated products are created from a broad range of metals and their alloys. While most fabrication processes start with sheet metal versions of these metals, certain types of metals may start in the form of pipes, tubes or bar stock. Below are a few of the common types of metal used in metal fabrication: Aluminum Steel Copper Tin Gold Magnesium Iron Silver Nickel Most metals are available in stock metal forms, which typically include sheet or plate metal, bars, rods, fittings or wires. Metals like steel and aluminum may also be available in pipe or tube form, depending on the needs of the project. Precious metals, such as gold and silver, tend to be available in smaller wire, sheet or bar forms due to their value. Most metals can also undergo a majority of fabrication processes, though limitations exist depending on the softness, pliability and thickness of the metal. For example, the rigidity of steel will affect the types of processes and amount of power nee...

There are various processes involved in metal fabrication. The specific combination of metal or stainless steel fabrication processes will vary with the geometry of the part, the type of usage it will get and what it is made of. Here are examples of some choices for different types of fabrication processes: Cutting: Cutting is the most fundamental process in metal fabrication, and it can be accomplished through laser cutting, waterjet cutting, shearing, sawing or flame cutting. This is what turns the sheet metal into a piece of the required size and shape. Today, waterjet and laser cutting comprise the foremost technologies available. Casting: A die forms a mold, and the fabricator pours molten metal into it. This metal cools down and turns solid, and the part remains after removing the die. Forging: High-pressure machinery compresses raw metal, allowing a fabricator to bend and shape it. Punching: Turrets punch pre-designed patterns into the metal, either for decorative ...

Every time you get in a car, pick up the phone, handle a tool or turn on an electronic appliance, you are looking at the result of custom metal fabrication. Our economy relies on metal fabrication processes. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to run our electrical systems or create the parts that keep our houses, kitchens, businesses, computers and vehicles operational. Some fabricated metal product examples include bolts and screws, cutlery, pipe fittings, car parts and even hand tools. However, it is difficult for many of us to understand what precision metal fabrication entails, as well as all of the areas of our lives it affects. This article will serve as a metal fabrication guide, explaining metal fabrication’s definition, history, process, technology, types and applications. By the end, you will have a more in-depth understanding of how crucial this process is to civilization and how many different parts of our lives it touches. Metal Fabrication Definition B...

The group had just spent 11 days last November traveling through Taiwan, China and Chinese mainland, visiting sheet metal stamping and fabricating operations, as well as the facilities of tour sponsors SEYI Presses and The TRUMPF Group. They had seen global PC brand logos applied to products in large factories pumping out computer parts for the world's PC OEMs. They had seen sheet metal fabricating shops using state-of-the-art equipment. More important, they experienced firsthand the competitive and entrepreneurial spirit driving the economic boom that's been under way in China since 1978—from the aggressive bartering in the shops and street markets, to the fabricating shop three hours outside Shanghai, spitting out laser-cut metal parts in a scene that could just as easily have played out near Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles, or Seattle. Tour sponsors SEYI Presses, with headquarters in Taiwan, China and The TRUMPF Group, based i...