Common Techniques in Sheetmetal Fabrication

Taking a look at modern day construction, every building is created with some metal component. This is because metal is the kind of structural support that most in the construction industry are more than happy to work with. Not only is it durable and sustainable but it is also very flexible when it comes to application. However, greatness is always paired up with obstacles. Sheetmetal fabrication is not an easy job. Although the technology is up to date, metal fabricators still need to put out effort because welding and fabricating metal is a tough job.

Bending

Metal is difficult to bend but you can bend it with the right amount of force and angle. Some types of metals are soft enough to bend by placing it in the right position. Imagine a sheet of metal pushed on both sides with a pole at the center. Stronger types of metals need machines like a metal brake to hasten the process. It is somewhat the same as what is done is manual bending but in this situation, the brake does all the work. You only have to make sure that the position of the sheet in the brake is accurate.

Cutting

This technique is a part of almost all metal fabrication processes. When you need sheetmetal fabrication project to work out fine you have to make sure that all measurements are accurate, thus the cutting. Today, metal fabrication shops use laser cutting to get a precisely clean output. Most common metal cutting gears are shears and grinder. Some still use the traditional tools that are manually utilized while modern shops tend to lean on hi-tech machineries that are convenient and effortless.

Reduction

There are three ways to shrink a metal. You can pounce on it until it becomes smaller in form, use machines or utilize heat. Imagine how hard it was before to shrink metal with the use of your own hands and a hammer. It’s really a good thing that metal fabricators developed new ways.

Joining

Joining metal is commonly known as metal fusion. Two or more sheets or pieces of metals are joined together by welding. The technique uses heat to mold the pieces together. Traditional welding makes use of Oxy acetylene to make the heat. It is a hazardous chemical. Although most metal fabricators have upgraded, there are still those who use the traditional method.

Stretching

Stretching of metal form is basically the most difficult technique in sheetmetal fabrication. You must be very meticulous with every step. You must have the control over your temperature and the pressure that you exert on the material.