Fabricated Products
Metal fabrication is complex and it encompasses a broad range of processes. Whether you would like to make something one-off or want something that is mass-produced, you need to understand the fabrication process and the various elements that go with making fabricated products.
In this article, we are going to outline the three main fabrication processes that are utilized for metal. You will find details on the working of these processes and some of their key uses. To add to this, there is a small description of the protective coatings and finishing touches that you can apply to fabricated products. This guide is based on the practices of professional operators and you have to make sure that you use them on all your fabricated product.
Cutting
As the name suggests, this is a fabrication process that relies on cutting. It sounds heavy-handed but it is among the more accurate and technical processes that are available. The first variant for the cutting techniques is the physical sawing or shearing of metal that is generally accomplished by huge machines but you can also do it manually. To add on this, it is also available for cutting metals using plasma torches to cut manually using heat or Oxyacetylene.
The above two methods have their place but the most popular method of cutting metals during fabrication works us the CNC machining. These machines can utilize water jets, laser cutting, and manual tools. The design that you desire is programmed into the CNC machine and one of the aforementioned tools shapes the metal into the specified shape by the computer software design. As you may imagine, this technique is specifically useful for highly detailed and intricate projects.
Joining
This is among the most commonly used methods to produce fabricated products. The fabrication processes which fall under the wide category or ‘joining’ comprise of bonding with adhesives, riveting, and welding. Try looking around where you are now and you will discover a few items that are created using this process.
Welding, as you could be knowing, entails the use of filler material and heat to join two metal pieces together. Also, riveting joins two metal pieces together but when using a metal rivet, there is no need for heat. For some items, you can use adhesive glue in joining the various components. Each of the methods comes with its strength and weaknesses. Therefore, depending on the task, the fabricating company may recommend one or more of these methods.
Bending
As the name suggests, this is the fabrication processes that entail bending the metal into the shape that you desire. Even though you can do this manually, modern machines have replaced the traditional manual bending machines. Given that there are no joints in the items that are made by bending, they tend to be more durable and tougher.
Final Touches
The final touches on the fabricated products are applied after all the cutting, welding and joining are complete. It can range from paint that is applied exclusively for aesthetic purposes and protective coating like sandblasting and coating. You need to find a coating that is appropriate for your budget and purpose in consultation with the manufacturer.
For more information about fabricated products, you need to consult Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Indiana. The professionals will guide you through the fabrication process and deliver a finished high-quality product.
We have so many individuals and businesses that require fabricated products. The solutions range from light structures and construction platforms to fasteners and locks. Because each and every product is specifically designed to match the requirements and needs of the customer, you will naturally ask yourself about how much you expect to pay. The next section will help you to understand how much you need to pay for your fabricated products.
The size of the fabricated products that you need determines the pricing to a great extent. Large products need higher volumes of materials and additional labor hours. It means that that will cost you more. The other thing that will determine the price is the materials that are used to make the fabricated products. The most common materials are aluminum and stainless steel. Other metals like tungsten, copper, and brass can be used depending on the nature of the project. Most custom solutions will require you to use different types of alloys like Chromoly. In some cases, even precious metals like platinum, gold, and silver may be necessary.
The gauge of the sheet metals that you are using to make fabricated products will affect the cost of the material and hence the finished product. Greater gauge metals are more costly and vice versa. If you want high quality fabricated products, it is important to go for experienced fabrication experts. You should also try to minimize the amount of destroyed material (kerf) while cutting. Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Indiana will do all that they can to keep the costs low while maintaining high quality.
The type of process that you perform to produce fabricated products also determines the price. The main ones are metal cutting, rolling, bending, and punching. The other process that you cannot avoid is welding and assembly. Both the complexity and number of processes that you need to perform affect the price. A job that required more experience and expertise will cost you more.
When making fabricated products, you can use a few tricks to save. To get the best quality products, make sure you are using the best services and materials. Make sure you are using fabricators who use a cost-efficient strategy if you want to save. Shop around to get a professional who will produce the best quality within your budget.
Most fabricated products have industrial applications. You can use them to manufacture other products, accessing areas that are high above the ground, and for telecommunications. Given the importance of fabricated products, you have to make sure that they are durable, reliable, safe, and highly functional. You can do this through;
Raw Materials and Parts
The raw materials and parts that are required for fabrication will be authorized by the general or procurement manager. The items have to meet the quality standards and you can buy them locally or internationally. All parts have a certification that you keep for the purposes of records. You store them in rooms where their quality and condition will not be affected by the environmental impact and effects. It is extremely important when making metals like bronze, copper, aluminum, and steel.
Fabrication Control
Before using the parts and raw materials for fabrication, you have to inspect them thoroughly. The inspection focuses on their overall condition. You can carry out various tests like the one for the strength. The preliminary inspection ensures the final quality of the fabricated products to prevent wastage and other production factors.
You also have to inspect the set of specifications and blueprint of making the product in advance. It is done by engineers whose responsibility is to design the products. Once engineers approve the specs and blueprints, the fabrication process can begin.
After making every part, it goes through a rigorous inspection through a set of tests. If rejected, another part has to be made. All the accepted pieces and parts are listed with serial numbers. Testing and inspection are also run during assembly. The quality control work to ensure the safety and functionality of the fabricated products. Corrective actions are taken on time to make sure there are minimal waste materials.
Product Testing and Inspection
The final products are tested and go through a set of tests for safety, durability, strength, and functionality. In most cases, the sets are run on a sample basis but you can also use other methods. Once you confirm that the quality meets the desired standards and particular customer requirements, you can release the product with the respective documentation.
A sure way to get the best-fabricated products is by hiring a reputable company that complies with all the set standards. The best brand for this work in the region is Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Indiana.
There are so many things that make us be the best contract manufacturing company in the region. The top among them all is the kind of experts that we employ. We have a team of highly talented experts that will work on your project.
Our core offerings and services at Contract Manufacturing Specialists of Indiana includes, but is not limited to, the following below:
We service multiple cities throughout the state of Indiana. We provide all the services listed above, and much more in every city throughout Indiana.
If you don’t see your city listed or a specific service listed, don’t worry. All you have to do is contact us by either giving us a call or filling out our online contact form. Then we’ll discover what are some of the top solutions for you, your business, and executing a solid solution.
