How custom metal fabricating works
The first stage in custom metal fabricating is the conceptualization and analysis of the metal product’s characteristics. Stock metal components are widely available in the form of sheet metal, metal rods and bars in a variety of dimensional specifications. After a CAD program has provided the fabricators and manufacturers with a three-dimensional representation of the product, fabrication tools will be selected in crafting in the metal part. There are different processes in custom metal fabricating including secondary finishing treatments to achieve the required specifications. Assembly services may also be necessary to join two components to achieve a single functional metal part.
The casting process in custom metal fabricating
Metal fabrication through the process of casting refers to the method of pouring molten metal into a mold. Molten metal will flow from the gating system to all the regions of the mold until it reaches the main cavity before solidifying. Pouring temperature is very critical in casting and it should be higher than solidification temperature of metal. The difference between the pouring temperature and the solidification temperature is referred to as superheat. Pouring rate also needs to be controlled in metal casting operations because it will have an effect on the fabrication of the part. If the pouring rate is too fast, it can create turbulence while if pouring is too slow, metal may solidify before it reaches the main cavity. The impact of turbulence on metal is mold erosion which is an undesirable effect in casting because it wears away on the internal surface of the mold.
The metal forming process called extrusion
In custom metal fabricating, extrusion is the process in which a workpiece of a certain length and cross section is forced to flow through a die with a smaller cross-sectional area in order to form a new cross section. The length of the extruded part varies according to the amount of material in the workpiece and the profile that is extruded. The cross section that will be produced will be uniform throughout the entire length of the metal extrusion. For example, a small billet at the start of fabrication can be extruded into a round part of a smaller diameter, a hollow tube or some other profile. The round billet will be forced through the die opening so that a continuous length of work will emerge from the other side of the mold at a certain velocity relative to the speed of the ram. The ram is used to push the billet material through the die opening. In the fabrication of custom metal parts, different methods have been developed to extrude a wide variety of metals.