If you're trying to do a research paper on metal fabrication, but you don't know what it is, you probably want some quick answers to get you started. You're in luck. The information provided here will help you understand the process, as well as the different types of metal fabrication. Here's what you need to know to get started on your research paper.

What Is Metal Fabrication?

Metal fabrication is the process involved with removing and reshaping metal. Different types of everyday products require the metal to be a different thickness or shape. For instance, the foil that's in your kitchen started out as a large roll of heavy aluminum. Through the process of metal fabrication, that spool of aluminum was stretched, press and rolled until it became the foil you use every day.

What Are the Different Types of Metal Fabrication?

The type of product being manufactured will determine the process that's used for the fabrication. There are actually several different processes involved in metal fabrication. Here are a few of them.

Metal Cutting

Before heavy machinery was designed to make metal fabrication easier, people used tin snips to cut through the metal. That process is still in use today. However, instead of manual tin snips, workers now use power snips, metal saw blades and even lasers to cut through heavy sheets of metal. The use of power tools makes the process much easier.

Machining

The process of machining removes pieces of metal by using either a metal lathe, or by rotating the metal against a motorized cutting tool. This process is used most often to cut through large pieces of sheet metal.

Punching

Have you ever seen a piece of metal that had perfectly sized holes in it? Those holes were created by a metal fabrication process known as punching. Metal punching is similar to the process you use to punch holes in a sheet of paper, only the punch machine used for metal fabrication is a large piece of equipment designed to punch through heavy sheets of metal.

Nibbling

When manufacturers need to create shapes out of their metal pieces, the metal may need to have carefully designed notches or grooves. Those markings must be precise, so they must be cut with a machine. The process for creating those notches and slits is called nibbling. Basically, the machine nibbles off pieces of metal to form the precise markings that are needed.

Metal fabrication is the process of taking raw metal and turning it into metal that's used for many products that are used every day. Use the information provided here to get you started on your research paper. Or, if you need the services of a metal fabricator, find one in your area.

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