What Is Metal Fabrication?

Metal fabrication refers to the process of cutting, shaping, or molding raw or semi-raw metal materials into an end product. Depending upon the type and grade of metal, as well as the desired end product, metal fabricators may employ a variety of techniques to manufacture cost-effective, high-quality components for a wide range of industrial applications.

How to Choose the Best Metal Fabrication Process for Your Project

The ideal metal fabrication process for your application is based on numerous factors. You should first consider the following aspects of your project before committing to a fabrication method:

Material Type

Product Design

Quantity

Lead Time

Budget

Quality

Another critical factor to your project’s quality, however, is choosing the right metal fabrication partner for your needs. It’s important to select a service provider with extensive experience — preferably in your industry — as well as the capabilities, quality assurance practices, equipment, scalable capacity, certifications, and reliable customer support necessary for your project. You can ascertain a company’s reputation on these factors by reviewing its website, Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, and online company reviews. Visit our How to Source a Metal Forming Company page to learn more.

Understanding the Different Metal Fabrication Processes

There are several different types of metal fabrication processes employed by industry professionals to produce metal parts and products. As each process utilizes different techniques and equipment, it offers distinct advantages and best use cases.

Cutting

One of the more commonly utilized metal fabrication methods, cutting involves splitting metal into smaller pieces. Since cutting is a requirement for many metal jobs, it may be employed alongside other metal fabrication techniques, such as welding or bending. There are several different methods of cutting, including: