Stainless steel metal fabrication is an important process that is carried out by metal fabrication companies to produce a comprehensive range of parts and components making use of raw materials made of high-quality stainless steel. The methodologies of fabrication might differ from industry to industry as well as the nature of components to be used in a particular application. Typically speaking, metal fabrication cannot be referred to as any single process. It is a process comprising of different processes that include mainly the following:
• Cutting
• Punching
• Welding
• Forming, and
• Machining.
Before we go deeper into the aspects of the steel fabrication process, let’s take a look at stainless steel as a metal and the reasons why it is popular as a raw material to carry out different fabrication activities:
What is stainless steel?
Stainless steel is an iron and chromium-based alloy that contains at least 10.5% chromium. The exacting ratios might drastically vary depending upon the grade of steel desired as well as the intended use of the components. Stainless steel has a large number of ideal properties that go with it as an excellent raw material choice for fabrication companies. It is well-known for offering outstanding heat resistance, biocompatibility, strength, sturdiness, and low maintenance.
The chromium content present in it causes the formation of an extremely tough and fully invisible highly corrosion-resisting chromium oxide layer on the surface of the stainless steel. Some other alloying elements are also found in stainless steel but their percentage can vary depending on the application. Some of the most frequently used alloying elements in stainless steel include the following:
• Nickel
• Magnesium
• Molybdenum, and
• Nitrogen.
Stainless steel is available in a large number of grades which are further classified into various types of families in respect of their metallurgical qualities and properties. Some of the most common stainless steel family groups include:
• Austenitic
• Ferritic
• Martensitic, and
• Duplex.
Determining the grade or type of stainless steel to use for fabrication will depend on the properties desired by the application. Some of the most common reasons why other metals as well as gases are added to stainless steel include the following:
• Improved weldability
• Improved formability
• Low-temperature resistance
• Improved strength
• Controlling magnetism
• Increased corrosion resistance
• High-temperature resistance.
For hundreds of years, stainless steel has been the most in-demand material for fabrication. It is used in countless industries across the globe from automotive to construction, fine cutlery, medical equipment, transportation and many others due to its outstanding durability, extraordinary strength, and corrosion resistance. To make the most of its unique properties, fabrication companies across the globe adopt different processes to create meaningful finished products making use of this metal. This blog sheds light on some of the most common practices of stainless steel fabrications adopted by the top sheet metal components manufacturers:
1. Work Hardening
Work hardening is an important process in material science. It is comprehensively used to strengthen steel through deformation that calls for some specific mechanical work. These mechanical activities include rolling, bending, or twisting. Through these processes, the internal structure of the material is changed, and as a result, the material becomes more corrosion-resistant and harder. At this juncture, it is also worth mentioning that austenitic grades of stainless steel can be made more robust only via work-hardening methodologies. As for martensitic grades, they can be strengthened through certain thermal treatments that include quenching and tempering.
Work hardening is widely used by the top sheet metal components parts manufacturer
in India and the entire world in conjunction with a large number of other fabrication methodologies to create intriguing and extremely complex shapes. The stainless steel grades that undergo the highest work hardening process are considered to possess the highest level of magnetic permeability.
2. Metal Stamping
In metal shaping, a die is applied strategically for cutting and shaping stainless steel sheets into a wanted design. This process is often used to create precise and complex parts for various applications across industries. The process of metal shaping can be carried out by making use of either hydraulic or mechanical presses. This process also involves some supporting metal stamping activities that mainly include bending, blanking and piercing. Metal stamping is considered an ideal process for producing a large quality of parts cost-effectively.
3. Metal Welding
Metal welding is all about joining two or even more pieces of stainless steel together making use of pressure and heat. Although all grades of stainless steel can be welded, each of the variants offers a different level of weldability. For instance, the austenitic stainless steel grade has proven to be most weldable whereas the martensitic one holds a higher carbon content. What it simply means is that martensitic grade calls for more care when it comes to avoiding any disaster.
4. Machining
Machining is a broad term that involves a large number of cutting and manipulation tools and techniques for the effective and efficient removal and restructuring of material from stainless steel to give it a desired form. The processes involved in the machining process are ideal for creating custom parts even in the most intriguing shapes and dimensions.
5. Metal Laser Cutting
As the name suggests, metal laser cutting is carried out making use of a high-powered laser to make the required cuts in stainless steel. In this process, a series of CNCs and optics directs the beam to do the needful. Metal laser cutting methodology is considered to be more superior and precise than many other metal fabrication processes.
Concluding Remarks
SAN Automotive is a top sheet metal press tool manufacturer in India offering a wide range of high-precision stainless steel metal fabrications for infrastructure as well as various other crucial applications. The company specializes in light, medium, and heavy metal fabrications maintaining highly precise control of dimensional accuracy, and overall quality. It aims at catering to the exacting fabrication needs of those organized companies whose needs are not fulfilled as per their expectations. The company follows a stringent quality control procedure at all stages of production. Since the company’s quality control mechanism is integrated with manufacturing tools and processes, SAN Automotive is able to find defects and flaws, automatically in real-time.