There are metal fabrication companies all over Australia that make one-of-a-kind items or made-to-measure products that will go on to be installed in a particular location. Many of these firms will specialise in one or two forming techniques although it is fair to say that most fabricators in the country can turn their hand to five or six methods. That said, it is often best to turn to a specialist in the sort of forming techniques you will need for the end results you are after. For this, a basic understanding of what metal-forming methods are common today is useful. Read on to find out more about the processes used in metal fabrication these days.
Roll Forming
In metal fabrication, forming simply refers to the way that sections of metal are manipulated to produce new shapes and textures. Roll forming is one of the simplest types of forming to understand because it simply means pushing sheet metal into one or more rollers to shape it. Sheet metal fabrication projects will sometime rely on roll forming and little else to produce results. For example, a roller placed at a 45-degree angle can be used to pinch a section of sheet metal into a right angle throughout its entire length. Reducing wastage, such a method means anything from window frames to guttering can be fabricated quickly and efficiently.
Press Braking
This metal-forming technique is also good for sections of sheet metal. It can be used for all sizes of projects. Essentially, what happens is that a section of metal will be pressed into a die—a shaped piece of wood or metal that has the required shape. Sufficient pressure is then applied to deform the metal from its current shape into one that matches the shape of the die. Crucially, only a limited amount of pressure will be used so as to preserve the structural integrity of the metal being formed. This technique is energy-efficient compared to shaping metal by heating it and hammering it.
Stamping
Many fabricators use stamping to cut out shapes in predetermined forms. In fact, stamping isn't unlike press braking only more pressure is applied such that the die being used pushes through the sheet metal. As such, lots of sections of metal of the same size and shape can be produced rapidly, ideal gears, components or decorative sections of metal. An alternative to stamping is laser cutting whereby a laser is used to cut through sheet metal without the use of a die.
For more information, contact a metal fabrication service near you.
