Metal fabrication has widespread application in the world today. Humans have been mining and machining metal for the past 10 millennia, as evidenced by a copper pendant archaeologist found in northern Iraq that dates back to about 9,000 BCE. Fabrication shops as we know them today began to exist around the Industrial Revolution, when sheet metal was in much higher demand than before. The invention of the hydraulic press, which allowed manufacturers to apply unprecedented pressures to pieces of metal, transformed the metal fabrication industry. Below are some of the applications areas of the same -
MANUFACTURING
- Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing. In the shipping industry, metal is used in virtually everything, from the assembly parts that make up a ship to the fasteners that hold everything together.
- Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Fabrication is used in almost all of the commercial and industrial machines, products and parts that consist of metal. The list would be endless.
- Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing. Wire is intrinsically important to custom metal fabrication processes because welding wires are often used to help weld pieces of metal together in various products.
- Specialty Manufacturing. Metal fabrication is used in OEM (original equipment manufacturing) parts, which are used in specialty manufacturing environments.
HARDWARE AND HAND TOOLS
- Hardware Manufacturing. From the enclosures on hard drives to the metals used on motherboards, modems, monitors and computer cases, metal fabrication is the backbone of modern computer systems
- Cutlery and Hand Tool Manufacturing. The processes of metal fabrication are foremost responsible for the sharpness of knives and the precision of hand tools.
- Machine Shops, Turned Product and Screw, Nut and Bolt Manufacturing. Whether it's a product assembled from metal panels or a part that was mass produced from die cuts, fabrication is at the core of all these.
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
- The HVAC Industry. The production of equipment from the heating and cooling industry is made possible by metal fabrication processes.
- The Building/Construction Industry. From fire escapes and metal staircases to catwalks and decking, metal fabrication creates custom pieces for use in building projects.
OTHER INDUSTRIES AND APPLICATIONS
- The Aerospace Industry. Various items manufactured by aircraft developers consist of metal fabricated parts.
- The Farming Industry. Whether it's specialized parts for farm equipment or replacement pieces for an old tractor, metal fabrication supports the farming industry.
- Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities. The process of stamping forms the backbone of the engraving market, which consists of a vast range of metal products that bear engravings of initials, names, images and design motifs.
- Forging and Stamping. The shaping of metals with machines and dies is done within the forging and stamping subsector. Numerous items that are commonplace throughout the industrial sector, as well as in retail, are produced through these methods.
Many day-to-day items which we use in our lives also uses metal fabrications process. Such as – Blinds, cans, handles, heaters, locks, keys, latches, pots, silverware, fans, chairs, hinges, lamps, faucets, appliances, tools, cables, sinks, fasteners etc. In the energy sector as well, metal fabrication is a widely used process.
