Conceptualizing a design for custom metal fabricating
The ability of CAD technology to easily draft a design has become a significant advantage for custom metal fabricating. CAD has revolutionized the way that designs are made for various applications. Not only does it save time of engineers, fabricators and designers, CAD helps them figure out all the details through a 3-D model. All the inner details of the product that cannot be viewed from a 2-D rendering can be magnified and analyzed through CAD. Another advantage is CAD’s ability to simulate the movements of a metal part or structure throughout the production process. From the CAD renderings, designers can easily spot any errors prior to fabrication. Since changes in design can be easily undertaken, it will reduce production time and minimize the time to market to ensure cost savings. CAD is an indispensable tool for custom metal fabricating because it provides all the necessary information including an estimate of costs based on the specifications of the project.
Laser technology for custom metal fabricating
The success of custom metal fabrication depends on its deployment of the latest technology in its cutting process. Laser cutting technology is the new trend that has gained popularity among fabricators because of the increase in precision and quality of their metal products. Fast turnaround time is crucial for any business and with laser cutting they can expect to be competitive in the market. In laser cutting, there is a small heat zone that will be affected which reduces the distortion of parts. Strict tolerances are met with a great deal of precision so that high quality parts are produced without the need for further finishing work. In mechanical cutting, there is typically a wide zone that is affected by heat and this can result into warping. But while laser cutting provides a lot of advantages for fabricators, costs can be high because of the consumables that include both oxygen and nitrogen and the consumption of high energy. It is therefore important to weigh the advantages whether they can offset the cost of investment.
Laser technology is not limited to the cutting process because it can also be applied to welding. Laser welding is gaining the attention of fabricators because it produces better products with relatively little cost. Laser beams are effective when welding thick metal structures that are in excess of 1 inch in thickness. The benefits gained from laser welding is similar to laser cutting such as increase in speed, high productivity and low heat output but the investment on the technology must be justified and carefully analyzed.