Structural steel fabrication is a process of making commercial structures and frameworks by cutting, bending, welding, and molding structural steel. Structural steel is one of the many steel types. This type of steel is majorly used in the construction industry as it is comparatively more robust than the other forms. Structural steel fabrication is almost similar to the welding process and uses somewhat similar tools, equipment, and machinery as those involved in welding other metals. The most common structural steel fabrication tools and equipment are:
Oxy-gas Torches
Separate oxy-fuel torches with various fuel gases and oxygen are used to either weld or cut components of structural steel. These torches generally use acetylene, gasoline, propylene, and hydrogen. They are ideal for physical and small scale fabrication.
Magnetic Drill
This is a portable machine used to drill holes in structural steel objects. This is the best tool for drilling heavy objects that cannot be lifted or moved. Magnetic drill machine has a permanent magnetic base, also known as a mag base, magnetic drill, magnetic broach cutter machine, etc.
Cold Saw
A cold saw is a hand-held and portable saw machine with an electric motor and a circular, toothed blade. Cold saws produce the lowest cost per cut among all sawing methods. The blade rotates at a high speed for fast, precise cutting.
Hem Band Saw
A hem band saw machine can cut steel objects at 90, 60, and 45 degrees. The machine provides control and flexibility to the metal fabricator as the pressure applied, blade tension, and guide arm can be adjusted manually. The manual control feature is located at the front of the saw, making it easier for the fabricator to observe cuts as they are made.
Shot Blaster
A shot blaster is used for cleaning, polishing, and hardening steel structures. The machine uses spherical shots or balls, sand, and silicon carbide granules to clean and polish the surfaces, making them ready for further coatings.
Plate Processor
This machine is used for the automatic production of plate steel components that require punching for any shaped holes, shape cutting, contour thermal cutting via high definition plasma, drilling, and part marking.
Press Brake and Cambering Machine
A press brake machine is used to bend or fold the plates and sheets of structural steel by clamping them between a matching punch and die pair. This machine is used to convert steel sheets and strips into channels, girders, sections, and angles. Just like press brakes, cambering machine is also used to change the form of steel. But instead of folding or bending steel sheets, it converts the sections and beams into vertical or horizontal arcs.
Ironworker
This is yet another machine used in structural steel fabrication. An ironworker is one machine that can perform several tasks such as shearing, punching, notching, cambering, bending flat plates, angles, rods, bars, and channels.
For in-depth information about structural steel and all the fabrication tools and equipment used during fabrication, get in touch with our professional metal fabricators at Northern Weldarc Ltd.
