Anyone in the business of fabricating metal will have several techniques at their disposal. Quite often, metal fabrication relies on having a high level of skill in two or three methods and a reasonable level of competency in some of the others. Most of the most popular fabrication methods used in Australia today are taught in colleges or via on-the-job apprenticeships. What are the most likely ones you will encounter in a typical metal fabrication workshop these days?
Folding
Although folding is considered to be one of the more complex fabrication methods, it is so useful that most fabricators will have some skill in this area. As the name suggests, metal folding means turning it at a crease point to a given angle. It is, therefore, often used to process sheet metal into right-angled corners, for example. Usually, the metal is forced into the desired shape with a pre-set angle by a folding machine which will exert huge pressure, commonly via hydraulic rams.
Punching
This is another metal fabrication process that is common for sheet metal applications. Punching can occur in one of two ways. Either the workpiece is created by punching out of a section of sheet metal — known as blanking — or it is formed by removing sections from it. This process is a bit like when a shape is cut out of some rolled-up pastry by pushing down with a mould. Sheet metal is conveyed into position, and then a punching machine will push down with a specifically shaped die or dies. As the metal is forced against these dies, so the corresponding shapes are punched into it.
Stamping
This is a very convenient process for forming decorative effects. It works in much the same way as punching. However, the main difference is that the die is not designed to cut through the metal it is exposed to, thereby creating a hole. Rather, the pressure exerted forces the metal to shape itself around the die. This creates a raised area. In short, the metal fabrication process of stamping is akin to the way you might emboss paper or card at home.
Machining
When a section of metal is machined, it is simply reduced in size. This means that sections of it are cut away until the desired shape is achieved. A typical example of machining in a metal fabrication setting would be when a lathe is used to form a shape on a metal rod. Some machining processes are highly complex and require computer-controlled systems to ensure their accuracy.
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