Negosentro | A Guide to Stainless Steel Fabrication | Stainless steel fabrication is the process of producing finished goods from stainless steel sheets, rolls, or bars. The metal is first cut to size and then formed into the correct shape as part of the production process. Numerous techniques, such as laser cutting, CNC machining, CNC bending, CNC punching, and welding, can all be used to complete a part. Here’s a closer look at the steps involved.
What Is Stainless Steel?
The phrase “stainless steel” refers to an iron alloy that contains at least 10.5% chromium. Stainless steel is used in a variety of applications due to its numerous characteristics. It has a wide range of commercial applications due to its strength, toughness, 100% recyclable nature, flexibility, resistance to heat, corrosion, and impact, as well as its relative ease of use. Because of all of these reasons, stainless steel is frequently used for important architectural constructions. If you have any projects in mind, a quick Google search for “custom stainless steel fabrication near me” should reveal a few fabricators to choose from, but make sure that you select a firm with expert engineers on staff and you should have no problems with the process.
Laser Cutting
A laser is a device that concentrates light into a narrow beam with a significant amount of energy. This results in the substance in front of the laser burning, melting, or vaporizing, creating a hole or cut. To prevent jagged or inaccurate cuts, stainless steel is often laser-cut instead of using a saw blade. The steel is swiftly, precisely, and neatly cut using modern CNC (computer numerical control) laser cutting equipment for the appropriate size and shape of the workpiece.
Bending & Forming Stainless Steel
Bending and forming techniques are employed to form the stainless steel into the precise proportions needed for the job. A CNC bending and shaping machine is typically used for this because it can precisely and efficiently bend even fairly thick steel plates or mold them into the necessary 3D shape. Strong hardening qualities in austenitic stainless steel have an impact on several forming methods. When compared with carbon steel, the power levels of the bending and forming equipment needs to be increased, but also slowed right down. When working with stainless steel, more robust equipment and tools will be beneficial.
Welding & Machining Stainless Steel
Pieces of cut and formed sheet metal are connected by a process called welding during the assembling phase. Welding is a very dangerous and physical job that should only be done by qualified personnel. While it is possible to weld most varieties of stainless steel, the grade determines how effectively the weld will bind, and how to approach the join. Be aware that certain grades of stainless steel will only have a handful of ways to machine them, due to the reduced suppleness and corrosion resistance that occurs with the addition of other metals to the alloy.
Finishing is the final step in fabricating the piece. This could involve multiple stages of machine finishing, acid-cleaning, and manual finishing processes, depending on the specifications of the design. Finally, the workpiece has any last production specifications fulfilled, then it is inspected and transported to a happy client.
