At Melsteel, we talk about steel fabrication everyday. So, what exactly is steel fabrication? Simply put, steel fabrication is the process of making steel structures and components from raw steel materials. It involves a wide range of steel manipulation processes such as cutting, drilling, burning, welding, machining, forming, and assembling to create the final product.
A steel fabricator will have extensive knowledge on the properties of steel and the fabricator will transform the highly detailed drawings given by drafters into real structures. An extremely keen eye for details is necessary in a steel fabrication job as the steel structures need to be made with absolute precision.
Steel fabrication: Common processes involved
Now that you have an idea on what is steel fabrication, let us look at some of the common processes involved in it.
Shot blasting
Shot blasting is a technological process used to remove impurities from the steel sections in order to prepare them for fabrication.
Machining
Machining involves the use of a specialized equipment to shave away parts of the metal in order to form the desired shape. Examples of common machining processes are drilling, milling, turning, shaping, broaching and grinding.
Cutting
Various methods are used to cut steel sections with the most common being profile cutting and band saw cutting. There are also other cutting methods such as plasma torches, water jets, and lasers.
Profile-Cutting in steel fabrication
Bending
Modern steel buildings require a lot of intricate steel components. A fabricator utilises various bending and rolling techniques to create curved steel shapes.
Brake press folding in steel fabrication
Shearing
It is the process used to make straight long cuts on a piece of metal sheet.
Welding
This is a common process involved in steel fabrication. It is the process of bending or combining pieces of steel.
Coating
Steel often requires the coating of zinc or paint for various purposes. Galvanising is the process of coating steel with a layer of zinc to prevent corrosion. Steel is also painted with various colors to achieve a custom look.
Things to know in steel fabrication
It is important to choose your steel fabrication company carefully. Otherwise, you may face quality issues or design issues later which could lead to considerable financial stress. It is also extremely important that your fabricator chooses high quality steel materials in engineering terms and in safety terms. Top quality steel is more reliable as it can handle various stresses and can be machined to micro millimetre accuracy. Some of the standard measures used to measure steel quality are hardness, load-bearing capacity, carbon content, and proven performance.
Since you have a better understanding on what is steel fabrication by now, it is a good idea to read our guide on the 5 things to consider while choosing a steel fabrication company.
With more than 30 years of experience and industry knowledge, Melsteel continues to build decade long relationships within the building and construction industry, providing a reliable source for steel materials in Melbourne. We offer a range of services including steel fabrication, drafting, surface treatment, onsite delivery and installation of steel. With both our offices located in Hallam,we have the ability to service customers all over Melbourne, Dandenong, Mornington Peninsula and wider Victorian suburbs.
Give us a call on 03 8794 3100 or send us an email at buysteel@melsteel.com.au and see how we can help you get your steel project started today. You can download our latest steel prices here.
Ready to buy now? Buy steel online at Melsteel today!