Metal plays an integral role in every aspect of your life. It’s in office machinery, vehicle parts, and structures, and these complex products are all created through metal fabrication. This essential service has countless applications, and the following brief guide will help explore it.

What Is Metal Fabrication?

Metal fabrication is the craft of bending, cutting, and assembling metal. It’s performed in a fabrication shop and requires specialized equipment and skilled metalworkers.

The process begins with sheet metal, usually .25 inches thick or smaller. Designs are first created on computer software to scale. Professionals then cut the shapes of products they’re making from the metal and begin manipulating them. It’s also possible to program dimensions into the equipment for precision cutting.

Fabricators then use large presses to fold the metal into a cylinder or complex shape or punch out sections to create holes. Welders then use heat torches to melt the edges of the metal and fuse them. The metal is then cooled, treated with powder coating to protect it from moisture damage, and polished.

What Are the Types?

Products fabricated for commercial purposes are the most common. Examples include highway guardrails, warehouse shelving, stair handrails, and sink basins. Fabricators also create ornamental products like storefront signage and branding for business owners.

Structural fabrication is at the heart of many of the buildings you’ve visited. Professionals work primarily with steel to create large support beams and fasteners for buildings and bridges. Structures don’t have to be big, however. Metals can be used in smaller equipment parts and home appliances as well.

Industrial fabrication often focuses on creating containers and pipes to hold other items. It can range from an oil pipeline to the water and natural gas lines in your home. Fabricators also create durable barriers like metal doors and window frames, as well as the screws, bolts, and nuts that hold it all together.

Business owners in Garden City, MI, rely on International Extrusions for their metal fabrication needs. These professionals are backed by 80 years of experience and specialize in working with aluminum. They use engineering software to create complex shapes and casts, and they can also powder coat your products to protect them. Call (734) 427-8700 to discuss your project with their team, and visit their website to learn more about the company.