Structural Steel Fabrication

What is Structural Steel Fabrication?

Structural steel fabricators create and design steel frame buildings, structures, components and various other products, from raw materials. There are numerous processes involved in steel fabrication work, and the people involved in these processes will have a wealth of knowledge, skill and experience on steel properties.

A steel fabrication expert will be able to demonstrate an understanding of fabrication drawings, given by designers, and transform them into well-crafted structures. These structures and products need to be fabricated with the utmost precision and intricacy if they are to be supplied.

Most steelwork occurs in a factory, by highly-skilled, coded steel welders and fabricators, specially trained to use specific machinery to piece steel parts together. The processes involved are varied and complex, and many aren’t aware of what structural metal fabricators do.

All local steel suppliers registered with Buy A Beam are all vetted and CE-approved to supply structural steel products. 

Steel Fabrication Processes & Techniques

So now that you are aware of what steel fabrication is, it’s important to understand the common processes involved in a fabrication project.

Metal fabrication involves creating metal structures by cutting, punching and assembling flat sheets of steel. Steel can be cut, bent or stretched into nearly any shape, when it’s hot enough, making it incredibly malleable for creating bespoke designs. 

Below is what is involved in the steel fabrication process.

Cutting

Fabricators use various different types of machinery to cut steel sections, channels or plates to specific sizes and dimensions. Typically speaking, the most common method of cutting is shearing, although band saws can be used, as can torches or laser cutting equipment.

Folding

This process is where the metal is folded into shape at a particular angle. Folding steel can only be done in steel fabrication facilities with the right equipment, as this is a highly complex process.

Welding

Steel welding is the process of bending and joining multiple structural steel sections together, forming a single unit. There are various types of welding, including TIG, MIG or tungsten arc welding.

Shot blasting

Shot blasting steel is done to remove any impurities from steel channels, sections or angles, to prepare them for other fabrication processes.

Bending

Steel frame buildings and other custom-made structures require intricate and detailed steel components. A skilled steel fabrication company will utilize bending and rolling techniques to create curves in shapes.

Forming

The process of forming is where flat sheet metal is formed into three-dimensional shapes. This is done by applying force to change its shape, but without adding or removing any material. Machine-based forming can be done alongside steel welding to produce larger, longer sheets of steel.

Machining

Machining involves the use of special sheet metal fabrication equipment to remove parts of the metal, in order to form the desired shape. This involves carrying out processes such as drilling, shaping, grinding and broaching, with portable machining tools. These tools also machine solid components like screws, nuts, bolts and more.

Punching

Punching is where steel plates are positioned under a die, where a drill punches through the face. The punching process is performed to fasten latches onto the steelwork.

Stamping

The stamping process is used to form specific shapes within a metal section, sheet or panel. As an example, it’s what’s done to stamp words, currency and images onto coins.

Shearing

Steel sheets that require long cuts need to be sheared. These sections are usually fed horizontally through a cutting machine, or alternatively, a cutting tool can be used vertically against the steel plate.

Coating

Structural steel often requires additional primer coats or zinc galvanizing, to prevent corrosion. Special paints give steel beams, steel columns or structures a unique color and look, while also helping to prolong its lifespan, which is helpful if the steel is going to be used in a high-moisture or water area.

Assembling 

Once the product has cooled down, sandblasted and primed, the finished product is then assembled for inspection. This is to ensure that the product is safe to be used, and is considered fit-for-purpose. 

Now that you know more about the process of steel fabrication, you may be wondering which local steel company to get in touch with regarding an upcoming project you have in the works.