Stainless Steel Fabricator

Stainless steel fabrication refers to the shaping and bending techniques of stainless sheet metal processing. Stainless steel can be given all different types of sections and complex hollow shapes. The equipment which is used for these processes can range from sophisticated power tools to simple hand held tools.

When starting out on a stainless fabrication job, it generally begins with a preliminary action such as perforating, slitting or cutting, with tools that perform some type of shearing action. These may be power operated machines such as bench shears for heavy gauge material, or simple hand held scissor like cutting tools for thin lightweight stainless steel materials.

There are different types of power driven shearing machines, and these machines will comprise of a moveable blade and a fixed blade.

Punching is another process carried out by the use of a punching machine and it is used to punch or pierce a hole in the metal workpiece.

Shaping is a sheet metal process, and a wide range of shaping operations known as bending or folding are done on presses. Other operations carried out on presses can include;

o Crimping and beading

o Grooving and seaming

o Stamping

Most of these processes are used to stiffen and shape the stainless steel sheet, and these machines may also be used for creating tubular and circular shapes and other numerous purposes. Sections and angles may be formed by folding or bending.

Coiling is another process used to produce a coiled edge on a sheet metal component. Coiling helps to provide a suitable edge and increase the strength of the article. Cylindrical and other circular or curved shapes such as tubes are produced on a roll-forming machine.

There are many different techniques used in the fabrication of stainless steel and other sheet metal processes, and some of these are:

o Embossing

o Cupping

o Deep Drawing

o Marforming

o Spinning

o Flow forming

o Milling & Turning

Most of these techniques and processes are now produced with the aid of computer controlled machinery due to the rapid advance in todays technology. Most of the above processes can be easily carried out on many different types of metal such as mild steel and aluminium etc.