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Understanding Structural Steel Fabricators’ Processes

May 24, 2021

Structural steel is the most important construction material in the modern world. Steel is made structural through the process of bending, cutting, and assembling performed by structural steel fabricators, to make support frames for buildings. The fabrication process can be done both onsite or at a fabricating plant, though onsite fabrication is typically saved for assembly processes.

 

To ensure top quality, professional structural steel fabricators are often contracted to make quality structural parts in their secure facilities.

 

The main processes used by structural steel fabricators include:

 

1. Cutting and Drilling

Steel parts are machined either through conventional or CNC methods to achieve desired shapes and sizes. One of the most popular methods of cutting steel is flame or gas cutting, where oxygen and fuel gas (usually propane) is used to heat the steel. Special saws can also be used to cut steel. There is also plasma cutting, where high temperatures up to 20,000 degrees are needed in order to cut steel.

 

2. Bending

Bending is the process by which materials are curved into desired shapes through the use of press break equipment.  There are four different types of bending methods. Plate bending is when steel is passed through bending rolls continuously, forcing the part into a desired shape. Section bending is when the same process only applies to a particular section of a steel part. FInally, tube bending is the process by which steel is passed through a tube with the help of bending rolls in order to get the steel part to adhere to the shape of the steel.

 

3. Welding

In welding processes, different parts of steel are fitted and assembled together. There are three main types of welding: manual arc welding, submerged arc welding, and gas arc welding. In the first process, steel is heated until molten, and these molten parts can then be attached to one another before being cooled off. On the other hand, submerged arc welding uses electrical currents to achieve heating while gas arc welding achieves heating using a flame in a controlled environment.

 

Scarboro Steel Works Inc. is an accredited steel fabricator with a reputation for excellence.  If you need structural steel fabrication services, call us today to learn how we can help you!