Well-known for its strength, versatility and value, steel is one of the most widely used materials in the construction industry. However, it simply would not be possible to reap these many benefits of steel without the work of steel fabricators! Any industry that deals with metals requires steel fabrication services. Not only do fabricators play a vital role in both residential as well as commercial construction industries, but they also work closely with shipbuilding, mining, and the auto industry as well! Below, we will take a look at the fabrication process, as well as some of the products that are commonly produced.
What is Steel Fabrication?
Essentially, steel fabrication is the process of taking raw materials and shaping them into their desired form. The raw materials get melted down and then mixed into steel before being constructed into the desired shape. The process does require a skilled technician who has experience in taking raw materials and shaping them into marketable items, as there is little to no room for error. This process is used to create everything from vehicular parts all the way to household items.
There are a few methods of manipulating and fabricating metals, such as:
Machining: This process uses a specialised piece of equipment to shave away parts of the metal to make it into the desired shape. Tools that are involved in this process include lather, mills, and drills.
Cutting: This process uses water jet cutting which is an abrasive process that uses high pressure water to cut virtually any material with a high level of precision and no distortion. The process can also be completed by using flame cutting techniques, plasma cutting, and also circular cutting.
Welding: This is one of the more common forms of steel fabrication. Welding is used to bend/combine pieces of metal to make them into one whole piece. The process involves heating up the parent material to then be fused with another piece on cooldown.
Shot Blasting: This is when a person blasts steel sections with a shot of small steel beads which removes any sort of impurities that the metal might be carrying, preparing it for the fabrication process. The main reason that fabricators shot blast metal is so that it has a clean finish that will be easy to weld as well as a rough surface that can easily accept paint.
Coating: More often than not, steel requires a coating for both practical as well as aesthetic reasons. Galvanisation, which is the process of coating the steel surface with zinc in order to prevent corrosion, is a common practise with steel. Many different custom colours, styles, and looks can be requested by the architect, but it does require you to paint afterwards. Coating usually happens right at the end of the fabrication process.
Lucky for you there are plenty of steel fabrication companies in Gauteng for you to go and scout out and eventually choose which one works for you.
