Every time you get in a car, pick up the phone, handle a tool or turn on an electronic appliance, you are looking at the result of custom metal fabrication.

Our economy relies on metal fabrication processes. Without it, we wouldn't be able to run our electrical systems or create the parts that keep our houses, kitchens, businesses, computers and vehicles operational. Some fabricated metal product examples include bolts and screws, cutlery, pipe fittings, car parts and even hand tools. However, it is difficult for many of us to understand what precision metal fabrication entails, as well as all of the areas of our lives it affects.

This article will serve as a metal fabrication guide, explaining metal fabrication's definition, history, process, technology, types and applications. By the end, you will have a more in-depth understanding of how crucial this process is to civilization and how many different parts of our lives it touches

Metal Fabrication Definition

Before we dive into the details of what metal fabrication is all about, we have to answer the main question: what is metal manufacturing and fabrication?

Metal fabrication is the process of manufacturing sheet metal and other flat metals to make them conform to specific shapes. The process starts with sheet metal around a quarter of an inch thick or less. At this thickness, the metal is pliable enough to assume different shapes . Using this metal, fabricators alter the sheet to create a specific shape. This takes place through cutting, stamping, shaping, folding and welding. Another related practice is custom fabrication, meaning the creation of new custom parts using novel combinations of these processes.

All this work is completed by metal fabricators — highly skilled specialists who are trained to cut and manipulate metal with a surgeon's precision to the desired shape. These fabricators often work out of large-scale manufacturing operations or specialized fabrication shops. The shops themselves vary widely , offering general fabrication services or specialized fabrication for medical and IT industries.

Metal fabrication may require additional parts to be added during the process, including but not limited to:

-Plate metal

-Expanded metal

-Formed metal

-Wire for welding

-Hardware

-Fittings

-Castings

Of course, the processes and parts used will vary depending on the job. Essentially, a fabrication shop or machine shop will start with a collection of assorted metals and transform them into the tightly built structures so common in our everyday lives.

The History of Metal Fabrication

Humans have been mining and machining metal for the past 10 millennia, as evidenced by a copper pendant archaeologists found in northern Iraq that dates back to about 9,000 BCE. Fabrication shops as we know them today began to exist around the Industrial Revolution, when sheet metal was in much higher demand than before. The invention of the hydraulic press, which allowed manufacturers to apply unprecedented pressures to pieces of metal, transformed the metal fabrication industry.

Metal fabrication on a broad scale was necessary to form systems of railroads, telegraph lines, weapons, tools, printing presses and other implements that have been so instrumental in our history. All of these advances relied on machine shops performing joints, cuts, bends and forming operations, just as is done today. The advent of compressed air has made riveting, another important part of fabrication, much easier and more efficient.

With the onset of the 20th century, metal fabrication has assumed an even larger role in our lives. We now perform machining on grand scales, ranging from small, family-run operations to large manufacturing plants employing thousands of people.

Technology Used for Metal Fabrication

While metal fabrication has existed in some form for millennia, the practices and technology have evolved significantly over time. Many of the basic processes have been around for centuries, but there are significant innovations that have revolutionized how we fabricate metal products in the modern world. Some of the most significant types of metal fabrication technology that are now at the forefront of the fabrication process include:

CAD software: Computer-aided design (CAD) software plays a significant role in the design of metal fabrication projects. Engineers use CAD software to develop designs, which can then be used by a fabrication company in the fabrication process. This software system allows for the production of 3D models as well as quick updates and changes to the design. CAD software also facilitates easy translations to programming language for programming fabrication machinery. Computer-aided design has made parts much easier to fine-tune, and it allows engineers to figure out crucial information instantaneously, including information on spots that may be structurally weak.

Automation: Automation has revolutionized the fabrication process in recent years. Fabrication machinery is increasingly being produced with programming capabilities, allowing the machinery to automatically complete projects to specifications with minimal human involvement. This allows for round-the-clock work, as well as improved reproducibility and precision. Automated tools are available for a wide range of processes, including cutting, welding, folding and various machining processes.

Machinery: Machinery solutions are also improving over time. Laser technology is being used in cutting processes, which allows for faster cutting through thicker materials. Other technologies, including plasma cutting and waterjet cutting, are also increasingly available. These methods are valuable for a range of different project and material types.

These technologies are expected to expand in the coming years, especially as fabricators push for greater flexibility in their equipment.