Different machine as well as structures are build using metals and thus the manufacturing process is termed as sheet metal fabrication. It also involves various professionals who are specialized in performing such kind of complex process as well. Hollow sheets, metal pipes and metal shapes are being molded and bended to produce small tools along with some automatic machinery.
Techniques of Fabrication of Metal Sheet involve:
- Bending Metal- It is the simplest and easiest way to curve metal. In order to get the desired shape of the metal hammer or shaping dolly is being used. These tools help in giving required shape to the molded metal. For more precise blend metal brake techniques can be applied. In this process, the metal is placed on a grated and flat surface. Then a flat bar is being clamped on the metal top. Grated portion is then lifted so as to bend the desired portion in appropriate angle. For 90 degree bends this technique can be best employed.
- Shrinking Metal- Throughhigh temperature, the metal is firstly heated to red hot condition and then it is allowed to cool down. On cooling it shrinks and gets into the desired shape. Formed piece of metal can be beaten down with hammer or dolly in order to give it a clear and precise shape than before. Shrinker and tucking metal are other two basic techniques for shrinking metal.
- Stretching Metal- This was the most common technique which was known to human for preparing tools. Metal sheets are placed on flat surface and then hammer or dolly is used to stretch it from original position. Stretcher is machine that performs this process by placing metal piece between 2 textured jaws. Foot pedal is used to move this jaw. The pressed sheet comes out that can be used for building any kind of tool or machine. English wheel is small machine that has one large and one small wheel which rotates in a cyclic order. When a metal piece is being placed in between these two wheels it gets flattened in the desired shape.
- Metal Cutting- Fabrication can be achieved through hand shear, power shears, throat less shears, plasma cutter and angle grinder. These are all name of machines that work with electric power to cut down the unwanted piece of metal and shape it in a required structure as well. Raw metal is being process into refined one through such machines.
- Fusion of metal- In order to produce bigger complex parts of a machine this technique is being used. Small panels are fused together in order to form the complex structures. Welding is practice that is often used for metal fabrication. There are three different kind of welding such as TIG, MIG as well as oxy Acetylene. In TIG type of welding an electric torch is used to heat the required portion of metal. When two different end of metal is heated aprofessional join it quickly so as to get large complex structure. Oxygen with acetylene is being mixed in a tank to create a controlled flame which can be later used for heating metal piece. It’s a very old technique as it not requires any practice and can be only used to produce softest or pliable welds.
Metal Fabrication Benefits:
- It gives high strength to the process metal.
- Since the processed metal becomes light in weight it can be transported easily.
- Durability is added up. Metal becomes resistance to sun as well as rain. There will be no damage that is caused by any weather condition as well.
- Metal becomes malleable and so can be folded in any shape or structure.
Working with such kind of processed and refined metal has improved the vision of architectures as well as engineers.
