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What Is Metal Fabrication?

Published Thursday, June 29, 2017
Employee checking fit up of 2 different cone sections rolled for an oven through metal fabrication.

Fabrication Meaning

Metal fabrication is the process of constructing structures from raw materials by processes like cutting, bending, and assembling. Metal fabricators (companies specializing in the process) are known as fab shops. Metal fabrication is a “value-added” process because the additional value is added through various stages of production.

Machine shops and fabricators are very similar with the expectation that fab shops concentrate on welding and forming metals.

Metal Fabrication Process

Processes

Metal fabrication begins at the planning stage. Fab shops employ many different experts, including ironworkers, welders,  boilermakers, blacksmiths, and professionals that convert raw materials into their final products. Since metal fabrication is the overarching process, it involves many different processes, including specialty techniques, which can involve:

– punching, welding, forging, casting, brazing, shearing, drawing and spinning

as well as

– die-cutting, hydroforming, finishing, shrinking, roll forming, spinning, stretching and stamping

Even higher levels of specialization include electrical and hydraulics services

Materials

Standard raw materials used include metal, fittings, castings, formed and expanded metal, sectional metal, flat metal, and welding wire.

Future of Metal Fabrication

Where is the future of the metal fabrication industry headed?

The key to success in a volatile market in this industry is keeping up with the rapidly changing demands of customers while maintaining high output capability, with machinery that is becoming more sophisticated. It is about learning to balance capacity with variability.

For metal fabrication shops this means

  • continually optimizing machinery and the manufacturing process
  • keeping an eye on the customer base and economic trends
  • innovating new ways to support customer demands and variability
  • increasing streamline practices
  • focusing ability in reliably to product out-capacity output

VeriForm since the beginning has made modern investments, streamlining our manufacturing process from top to bottom, to meet the demands of our diverse customer base without cutting corners. All this while, trying to help preserve the environment. This has helped us cater to your needs at any given time.

Let’s Talk about Your Metal Fabrication Needs