Nov 27 2012
Ordinary Metal Fabrication Methods – Part 1
What does metal fabrication mean and what does it entail? Metal Fabrication consists of several processes that change the raw metal material by using various tools. The material can be changed using equipment that heats the material or just changes it’s shape with the material at room temperature.
Things we use everyday have been modified by one or many metal fabrication processes. A paper clip is just steel wire formed…
and it might have a vinyl coating on it. Automobile parts could be stamped then laser cut or others are laser cut and then bent with a press brake and powder coated. During this shopping season, take time to check out the store displays. Store fixture that displays product for consumers to purchase include quite a bit of metal fabricated parts. Processes used could be laser cutting of sheet metal or laser cutting holes in tube fabrication, tube or sheet metal can then be bent in press brakes or rolled through roll forming equipment. There could be drilling, welding and grinding, threading, pem inserts and many other processes involved.
The processes used can depend on a number of factors with the main consideration being the number of parts needed. Prototype metal parts for a store display made be made in a prototype shop where the set up time can be minimized since only 1 or a small number of parts are made. Other parts may go on highly automated equipment for large production volumes, such as laser cutting with an FMS (Flexible Manufacturing System with automatic load and unload of sheet metal or robotic welding where a robot is programmed to weld in the same spots over and over. Wire forming can take place in a wooden fixture or in a metal fixture based on the number of parts fabricated. Wire forming or wire bending can also take place using 3D automated equipment such as our Numalliance 3D Robomac wire bender.
The processes have changed over the years with more and more automation. Noble Industries understands that to be a cost effective supplier of metal fabricated parts we must continue to look at automation.
For more information about Noble Industries or for a quote, contact Brenda Snyder at 317-773-1926.
