Working on projects requiring the services of metal fabricators, you would like to know how diverse this specific industry is. Manufacturing objects from raw materials and partially-finished products (or sometimes, from finished products as well) come with specific obstacles and challenges. Whilst a first glance simple, the process can actually be very complex, and lengthy processes might be invested on the smallest of parts sometimes. Below are some facts that could help you better understand fabricators for your next project:
It is not a ‘one and done’ process – as was mentioned above, custom metal fabrication Melbourne can be a very lengthy process: it certainly does not have a mere single step to it. Even sheet metal suppliers, with their metal sheet products, have a lot to do – and this can say a lot about the entire process given the appearance of a metal sheet. From the more obvious steps such as cutting, moulding and welding to the less obvious steps such as finishing, the entire process can sometimes take days, weeks or even months. Having an understanding of it can greatly help you (and the supplier) come to an understanding with regards to deadlines, and ensuring well-made products.
There is a lot of equipment involved – a takeaway from the above point would be that there also are many employees working different types of equipment to get a single job done. Each of the steps will usually require different machines and equipment – which may be as small as hand-operated power tools, or may be large enough to take up significant space in a room.
Fabricators need to have a good understanding of materials – when you look at suppliers, you will often come across companies specializing in specific materials, stainless steel fabricators being a good example of this. The reason is due to the different properties and natures of metals: even supposedly similar iron, steel or stainless steel can have significantly different properties. This means that specific equipment and specific processes might not mesh well with them – for example, a process that increases the strength of one metal might make another brittle. An important part of being a fabricator is understanding the nature of these metals and working with them so as to increase their strengths and reduce their faults.
Not everything is possible – and finally, whilst many have the impression that a fabricator could easily mould a metal into just about anything, the truth is that this might not simply be always possible. Part of this has to do with the aforementioned differences in material properties, and part of it has also to do with the fabricators themselves. For example, specific processes might be outsourced in a company when needed – and these might not always be readily available.