Exploring Metal Fabrication Fundamentals
Quick Take
Greetings, metal enthusiasts! I'm Matt Stelzer, and I'm excited to take you on a journey through the world of metal fabrication.
In my role as Inside Sales Manager for Fabrication within the Ryerson Advanced Processing division, I've had the privilege of working on various fabrication projects across Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and Western Pennsylvania.
Let's delve into the basics of fabrication, decipher the language of blueprints, and explore different metal parts manufacturing processes.
Blueprints: Your Guide to Fabricating Metal Parts
Metal fabrication involves shaping raw materials into products or structures through processes like cutting, bending, and assembling.
At the heart of fabrication lies the blueprint—a detailed guide that bridges imagination with reality. Blueprints provide precise instructions for creating metal parts, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in the fabrication process.
In today's digital age, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) plays a crucial role in metal fabrication. CAD software allows designers to create detailed 2D and 3D models of metal parts, providing a virtual blueprint for manufacturing.
CAD files contain essential information such as geometry, materials, and dimensions, enabling efficient design and production processes.
Understanding First Stage and Second Stage Processing
In our exploration of metal fabrication, it's crucial to understand the distinction between first stage and second stage processing. Let's break it down.
First Stage Metal Processing
In this initial phase, we focus on shaping the raw material into basic forms. Here are some common first stage processes:
1. Laser Cutting: Utilizing beams of light powered by oxygen or nitrogen, laser cutting efficiently cuts through various materials, including ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Today's laser cutting machines can handle thicknesses up to 2 inches of carbon steel.
2. Plasma Cutting: Using electrically charged gas, plasma cutting is ideal for parts up to 2 inches thick, commonly used for stainless steel, carbon, and alloy steels.
3. Oxy-Fuel Cutting: Similar to plasma cutting but using pure oxygen, oxy-fuel cutting can handle plates up to 22 inches thick.
4. Water Jet: Unlike thermal cutting methods, water jets use high-pressure streams of water mixed with abrasive materials to cut through metals and plastics without creating a heat-affected zone.
Second Stage Metal Processing
Once we have our first stage cuts or blanks, we move on to the second stage for further refinement and customization. Here's what's involved:
1. Forming or Metal Bending: Applying force to a sheet or plate to create bends of specific angles. This process often utilizes a press brake with a punch and die set. At Ryerson, we have the capability to form parts up to 40 feet and longer.
2. Machining: Using cutting tools to remove small amounts of material from the workpiece, machining produces high-precision parts or components. Milling machines, for example, are used for drilling or cutting shapes into solid materials, while lathes rapidly rotate the material to shape cylindrical, conical, or spherical objects.
3. Rolling: Passing steel sheets or plates between mechanical rolls to create cylindrical, tubular, or other shapes.
4. Heat Treating: This process involves heating metal to specific temperatures without melting it, then cooling it in a controlled manner to achieve desired mechanical properties.
Understanding these stages of processing is essential for efficiently transforming raw materials into finished metal products. Whether it's cutting, bending, or refining, each step contributes to the creation of high-quality metal components.
Understanding the Title Block
Within manufacturing prints, you'll often find a title block—a section that contains vital information about the part being fabricated.
From unit measurements to material specifications, the title block serves as a roadmap for fabricators, ensuring consistency and accuracy throughout the manufacturing process.
Go Forward and Fabricate
As we conclude our exploration of metal fabrication, remember that this field offers endless possibilities for innovation and creativity.
Whether you're a seasoned fabricator or new to the industry, Ryerson's Advanced Processing team is here to support you every step of the way. Together, let's continue forging ahead with passion and precision in the realm of metalworking.
This segment was part of Metal 102, hosted by Ryerson, which covers the basics of metal fabrication. Watch the entire video below.
Matt Stelzer is Inside Sales Manager for Fabrication within the Ryerson Advanced Processing.
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