Metal fabrication is the process that takes care of cutting, joining and working with metal to create something valuable. Tools, equipment, and appliances are a blessing, and most are created through metal fabrication.
It’s a fascinating process that uses various techniques to create complex structures, products and tools. If you’re looking for metal fabrication services in the Brisbane area, contact TNN Engineering today.
With all that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the metal fabrication process.
What Is Metal Fabrication?
Metal fabrication is the process of manipulating metals to form a new creation, essentially creating a product from scratch rather than using ready-made parts. This means you have the ultimate freedom during the creation process.
After the metal has been fabricated into the desired object, it must go through a finishing process. Sometimes a good fabrication job can trick you into thinking the product is completed; however, when it goes through the finishing process, it will be smoother and more aesthetically pleasing, creating a better product in the end. So let’s look at these steps more closely.
What Is Involved in The Metal Fabrication Process?
The process of metal fabrication is very technical. It usually involves multiple techniques to achieve the desired result. A lot of precision is also required when making and shaping the object.
So, here’s a breakdown of a few of these processes:
Designing
Every tool or object started from a design. Nowadays, you can stick with the traditional drawing table or take advantage of a modern approach using computers. These computers should have CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software like AutoCAD or SolidWorks, which allow real-time 3D designs that are easily adapted to the production process.
Reduction or Cutting process
This involves removing parts of a sheet or block of metal to get it close to the correct size and shape. Different methods fall under the reduction process.
For example, the shearing method is best for flat sheet metal. Aluminium, brass, bronze and stainless steel are the most likely to be sheared. This method holds the metal in place while an upper blade cuts through. As a result, Shearing produces straight pieces of metal.
Another method is the punching method. Here, holes are punched into sheets or rolled metal to reduce the size or to allow for insertions.
With the blanking method, like the punching method, holes are cut from a piece of metal, but with blanking, the cutout becomes the new work surface. Blanking works with softer metal like aluminium.
Another method is notching which allows you to get more precise cuts than shearing.
Shaping Process
In metal fabrication, after cutting, the metal gets shaped. This is a delicate part of the process and is when you start seeing the design become a reality. Shaping involves stamping, bending, punching, machining, casting, etc.
Assembling Process
The different parts are brought together to form the desired product. Metal can be fused by bonding, screwing, riveting or welding. Under welding, when joining thin metal, TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding is used. For thick metal, on the other hand, MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding is used. See our last blog on MIG vs TIG welding for more information.
Finishing Process
Here, you can now mostly see the finished product, and hopefully, it came out as you wanted. It’s time to add the finishing touches to make it even more perfect.
Finishing includes adding protective coatings, painting, filing, brushing, polishing and shining. Just about whatever is necessary to make it come out as exact as the design and exactly as you want it to look. Finishing may also include further sharpening if it’s a knife or a sword, for example.
What Do Metal Fabricators Do?
The job of a metal fabricator is to work and shape metal into a final product.
At TNN Engineering, we provide steel and metal fabrication services and welding to suit our customers’ unique requirements and time frames. Our welding workshop in Brisbane is a well-equipped fabrication workshop where we can cut, crop, roll and bend steel so that it can be assembled and welded as required. Machining, including high precision CNC milling and turning, can also be completed on-site for welded fabrications that require weld preparations or final machining after welding.
Our experience lies in providing precision welded steel fabrications for the mining, transport, and civil construction industries. We have honed our skills and processes on these demanding metal fabrications that often require precision machining before and after welding to ensure minute tolerances are achieved.
Identifying and reducing weld distortion is critical to delivering successful welded components. The heat from welding steel and metal fabrications introduces unwanted distortion, which can bend and warp finished pieces. This can be controlled or eliminated using the correct processes, post-heat treatment, or final machining after welding. With over 30 years of experience, the expert metal fabricators at TNN Engineering in Brisbane will be able to assist you with any fabrication needs.
So if you need metal fabrication services in the Brisbane area, contact us today.
What Is Custom Fabrication?
Custom metal fabrication is required when you’re not just looking for a bit of welding or a bit of shearing. This is what you need when you want a specific product made from start to finish, and this is what we provide at TNN Engineering.
Metal and Steel Fabrication in Brisbane
So if you’re an individual or company looking for metal and steel fabrication services in the Brisbane area, TNN Engineering is the way to go.
We deliver high-end services using the latest tools and techniques. Plus, we offer a wide variety of finishings, including hot-dip galvanising and more.
So contact us today, and let’s forge a strong relationship.
