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Steel fabrication is the cutting, forming and assembling of raw materials into machinery and other products composed of steel. Some steel fabrication projects are directed at building parts that are intended to be incorporated into a more complex structure. Different technologies may be incorporated into fabricating steel parts, including robotic welding and laser cutting.

The fabrication process usually starts with an engineer who creates a plan for the product. Engineers either work in-house or their services are purchased by the fabricator. Once the design is complete, the raw materials for the project are selected. There are several types of steel that may be utilized in steel fabrication, including stainless, carbon, aluminum and galvanized steel.

A variety of tools are utilized to create the finished product. Generally, metalworkers start by cutting the steel to the estimated size required. This can be done with cutting torches, water jet cutters or laser cutters. After a piece of steel has been cut, it is formed into the shapes required with a hydraulic brake press, tube bending equipment, rolling machine or wheeling machine. In most cases, two or more of these types of equipment are required to create the appropriate shape for the steel piece.

The final steps for most steel fabrication designs are welding and assembly. Welding is likely the most specialized and important step in the creation of a fabricated steel piece. Welders perform detailed work on the formed steel products to accommodate their intended use with the aid of gas flames, lasers, friction or electric arcs. Once the welding procedures are complete, the steel piece is generally sand-blasted for a smooth finish, then primed and painted. After a final inspection, a steel fabrication plant’s shipping department then prepares the product for mailing.

Talented workers are needed to work at steel fabrication plants since specialized trades like welding and blacksmithing are usually needed to complete a finished product. Because of the dangerous nature of working with heavy machinery and raw steel materials, most workers don safety uniforms that shield them from burns and cuts, and a number of rules are applied in any steel fabrication facility. Most fabrication plants are certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the world?s leading developer, publisher and inspector of international standards. Recognition from the ISO means that a fabricator uses technology, procedures and safety precautions that provide efficient and quality steel products.

Steel fabricators can be located all over the United States, some of which are general fabricators while others focus on certain products, such as auto parts, factory machinery or restaurant equipment. Fabricated steel pieces which are intended to accommodate hydraulics or electrical elements may be offered only by higher-level specialized steel manufacturers.

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Steel fabrication and machining is an industry that has deep roots and history in the way that the United States of America operates, how the nation grew to a world power, and it has a tremendous impact on the health of the economy. Steel fabrication used to be an easy process such as repairing tools or used farm equipment. The needs of the steel fabrication industry grew throughout the last century, and no more so than the automotive industry. The automotive industry was a great advancement in the process of steel fabrication and the methods that went into it. Car manufacturers needed the ability to rapidly produce quality machined parts. This certainly had a great impact on the steel fabrication process, which needed to adjust itself to keep up with the cost expectations of car consumers. Another advancement in steel fabrication came with the aeronautical industry. The aeronautical industry needed precision parts that met high standards that were not previously possible with old standards.

Technology in steel fabrication has been the historic factor in making sustainable facilities that meet and exceed the needs of the clients. This is still true that the steel fabrication service providers that are able to keep up with technology are able to make the best product.

Some clients mistakenly are under the impression that all steel cutting is the same. They believe that since all steel starts out equal, that there is not much difference among all the companies that make steel fabrication services. This is not true. There is a tremendous difference in the quality of the companies that provide the service. A steel component that is made from old or roughly used presses or cutters will not have the same perfection that is necessary for quality components.

Another separation among steel fabrication shops is the skill level of the operators that run the machines. The machinists should have a great deal of hands on experience and knowledge that will allow them to properly switch the steel fabrication process to the requirements of the individual application or project.

The right equipment for the jobs is the final piece of the steel fabrication puzzle. New and cutting edge machines can save time, money, and provide new opportunities for growth and proper machining. The equipment that is around in today?s market can make a big difference in the quality of finished machined steel. There is no substitute for the right experience, technology or equipment.
The steel fabrication industry has come a long way since the first years of fixing farm equipment or low end tooling. These days, steel fabrication shops are as cutting edge as any business in the world, and the machinists are experienced and professional.

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Many of the finest quality of metal products tout that they are made of stainless steel, but few understand the complete benefits of products that utilize this medium. Stainless steel is known for its anti-rust properties, and overall durability, but the advantages of stainless steel go far beyond this one fact.

A huge reason for the popularity in stainless steel machined products is the fact that they are so readily available to the machining process. One reason that machinists like using advantage because it can allow for clean breaks and proper machining even for heavy pieces of stainless steel. A strong working piece means that the machinists are able to rely on the piece holding the work shape and size even after heavy machining. Another thing that sets stainless steel away from most other working materials is the fact that even though it is so strong, it can be molded, formed and bent to extraordinary angles without breakage. This would be impossible in most materials as strong as stainless steel.

Stainless steel is also known and popular in the machining industry for its relative ease in work hardening. This is especially useful in jobs such springs that will be used in corrosive environments, or any area where increased durability and tensile strength must be worked together.

There are some crucial requirements when working with stainless steel. First, because the metal is so strong and durable, it is crucial to use equipment that is rated properly for working with stainless steel. This usually means that the machine must work at higher speeds and with more pressure than would a usual machine in the shop. The machining must also not vibrate. This is critical because due to the strength of the stainless steel, a vibration in the machine will result in the improper transfer of energy to the product.

Another crucial thing to keep in mind when machining stainless steel is the cutting tool must be kept hard at all times. Where other materials let some dullness in the tool, stainless steel requires the hardest of tools, otherwise the material is subject to glazing or improper edging of the work piece. When an operator is machining stainless steel, the cutting tool must be as large as possible to help spread the heat and lower the friction on the work piece. This is because the low thermal conductivity of stainless steel generally means that less of the heat dissipates through the stainless steel product stays near the site of the cutter. For this reason, the use of cutting lubricants is also advised when cutting or machining stainless steel.

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One of the most crucial elements of mechanical components could just be something you can hold in your hand. Some people seem to think that machines work because of the complex pieces of metal that come together, or maybe the highly advanced technical equipment. Of course these things are very important to the operation of a machine, but could not properly work without the simple bearing.

Bearings are made of all varieties of different materials and are primarily used for a number of important mechanical functions. The first and most important job of bearings is to reduce friction between the two components. This is essential because without a bearing, the life of the components would be reduced greatly, and many operations just would not work without them. This is because another property of a bearing is to certify a smooth rotation of a shaft or drive. If a bearing was not installed, the operation would run jerky and without proper pattern. Along with the reduction of friction, the bearings also help to offset the heat that is transmitted from the surface of the work piece. These factors all make bearings an efficient component because they take in the wear that would usually be applied to the most expensive units. By using a bearing, the wear is shifted to a part that is cheap and easy to replace.

There are lots of different types of bearings, each with a specific application or job. Some differing jobs require bearing materials. Mostly, bearings come in steel, plastic, ceramic or bronze. These are the most often seen types of bearings, but there are others.

When many people think of bearings, they often think of ball bearings. Ball bearings use a lot of small steel balls housed in a casing to shift weight. These roller bearings are able to work in very high speeds, and can help to lower rotational friction. Another reason that ball bearings are so widely used is because they are able to shift the load throughout the whole work piece. This means that instead of the weight of the operation sitting unevenly on one part of the drive shaft, the weight is shifted throughout.

Bearings are even used in the most demanding of circumstances and are available in materials that will meet or exceed the regulations in high-performance industres. Aircraft bearings in particular are designed to meet or exceed regulations that are about the highest in any industry. These bearings can be made of zinc or chrome, and can be heat treated to make certain that they are durable enough to function even under the conditions of highest stress.

Bearings may be small, but they perform a very large job in machining and heavy industry.

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Perforated Metal has become increasing popular in recent times because of its versatility and aesthetically pleasing appearance. Many industries including industrial, commercial, educational, building and construction, mining and medical are incorporating metal perforation into their products, designs and buildings adding Style and sophistication.

Metal perforation of metal panels and screens can be manufactured in a variety of metals and finishes. Stainless steel, aluminium, brass, copper, carbon steel, galvanised mild steel and painted metals can all be perforated to meet design specifications. Powder coating in various colours, anodising and plating of the perforated metal can also offer unique and interesting effects that are attractive to designers and architects alike.

Metal Perforation offers excellent strength to weight ratios when light materials are needed. Various thicknesses can be worked into the perforated sheet metal giving the metal panel the desired physical properties for the application.

Metal Perforation requires precision. Metal can be turret punched, metal stamped (capability up to 250 tonne)or laser cut to conform to almost any design, shape or size. Common perforated sheet metal usually has a uniform pattern, but custom patterns and complex pictures can also be incorporated into Metal perforated panels to achieve stunning results by varying whole size, pitch and hole centre distance in the metal panel itself. Large intricate designs need to be viewed from some distance for best visibility of this decorative perforated metal effect. Uses for custom sheet metal perforation include agricultural equipment, lighting, cabinet making products, pollution control devices, sanitation equipment and sound suspension to name a few.

Advance Metal Products offer the complete perforated metal panel manufacturing solution, including all industrial finishes, including powder coating in various colours and textures (depending on perforation hole size), plating and anodising.

Utilising the latest technology in CNC turret punching machinery with automated loading, sheet metal punching and sheet metal shearing and laser cutting machines, metal perforated panel manufacture is performed with precision.

Decorative borders, edges and flanges can be metal folded into the metal perforated panel if required where metal panels need to be clipped or interlocked together to form tiles or an entire screen or wall.
This process is simple and can avoid additional hardware items needed to fix perforated metal panels together.

Metal Perforation popularity is on the increase. For example, in appliances like refrigeration units, dishwashers, coolers and fans, in the automotive industry for mufflers, exhausts, grilles and guards, in the Audio industry for speaker arrays and patterns. Among Architects and Designers it is a favourite for building facades and outdoor furniture allowing expression of art and modern design through light penetration with both beautiful form and function. Decorative patterns for doors, end panels, screens, ceilings and lighting are among a few of many uses for perforated metal.

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Steel fabrication is the process of transforming raw metal into a finished machine or final structure. Nearly all metal projects need some type of fabrication, so fabrication shops are routinely located onsite of large building operations. For smaller projects, or for projects that will have a short-term usage, several businesses outsource the metal to fabrication shops with prior experience.

Metal fabrication has advanced greatly throughout the years. Many fabrication shops throughout the twentieth century were relatively simple by today?s standards. They employed craftsmen to handle the bulk of the work, and the product was subject to the quality and knowledge of the individual operator. Eventually, the machines became more and more automated and the quality of work was more consistent. Still, an individual process was not as complicated as the fabrication shops currently are able to provide. Laser technology and computer guided machining has taken the fabrication industry of today to complexities that shops in the past could not even have dreamed up.

Fabrication shops differ greatly in regards to specializations and history. Some fabrications shops only specialize in one aspect of metal working, and some can only handle very small projects. The leading fabrication shops, however, are able to finish a variety of projects, and are able to adjust themselves to handle almost any scale of operation. The best fabrication shops provide a wide assortment of machining processes, all in-house. This eliminates the need to take a product to multiple shops to get the desired end result.

Welding is an essential component of any top fabrication shop, and a good example of how the technology has progressed in the last several decades. Welding used to be done by hand, but currently, most welding is performed by computer-aided robotics, making certain that the welds are uniform and consistent throughout the process. Robotics has been around since the 1960s, but recent advancements have them widespread and more benneficial.

Press Brakes are another application that practically every fabrication shop will have. The press brake bends and shapes raw metal into channels, ?V,? or ?U? form. This process is required for most fabrication because it creates the boundaries of the finished piece, and allows several pieces to fit together. The best shops will have current technology equipped with computing software in the press brake operations.

One field that is moving rapidly is the operation of laser cutting technology in Fabrication shops. Laser cutting is quicker and more precise than many past machining processes. Laser cutting can quickly shape raw material into a product with a low error tolerance that is suitable for the most scrutinizing applications.

Although technology is an crucial part of the fabrication process, the craftsmen who run these machines must also have a great deal of experience in order to run these complex machines effectively.

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Steel Manufacturing - ERP Manufacturing

Bethlehem Steel of Pennsylvania has been around for over 100 years. While they are no longer a steel giant, they used to be one of the largest manufacturers in the world. So what happened to them? What occurred from the early 1900s through today - when Bethlehem Steel first started manufacturing steel, to the present decade, where the company is all but bankrupt? After all, this was the company that created the first wide flange steel beam in 1907, used to build 85% of New York’s skyline, and the Golden Date Bridge! Did Bethlehem ever innovate or get with the times? Did they use ERP software; or perhaps a CRM system to help organize their business efforts?

The United Steel Workers of America is certainly a great entity, but like anything else in life, it carries both positive and negative impacts. Before the union, manufacturing and working conditions at Bethlehem Steel were terrible. Most of the men working in the plant were not making a livable wage or receiving benefits, and time off or “breaks” were unavailable to all laborers. Many of the men were killed in the early days, victim to faulty machinery, accidents, or the coke works of the factory. Before unions, an employee could be fired for almost anything; and sometimes, workers were fired for absolutely nothing. The pre-union days at Bethlehem Steel were very tough.

In the 1940’s, workers finally went on strike, and helped to form the United Steel Workers of America. Once the union was established, workers would begin receiving comforts such as short breaks during their shifts, and even a washroom to shower off after their workday had ended. Hours were no longer treacherous, and employees were finally making decent money based on contract negotiations initiated by the union. The union was a good thing for these reasons, as it established a better quality of life, good wages, and retirement and benefit plans for full time factory workers.

The union, however, had its drawbacks. Some of these drawbacks actually led to Bethlehem Steel’s demise. For one, unions tend to strike when they’re not happy - and they did just that in1959. Richard Nixon helped to end this strike, negotiating with steel companies to get workers better pay and benefits. While this was all well and good for laborers, company executives felt the pinch. They were pressured by the government to give in, and reinitiate steel manufacturing processes. Soon, all steel prices in the Unites States would rise, and cheaper steel imports from rebuilding WWII countries became a viable alternative. Since US steel was so expensive, steel from European and Asian companies could be imported and utilized at a fraction of the cost. When prices went up, Bethlehem’s Steels profits tumbled. With lower profits came layoffs, and a large decrease in workforce. By the time many of the tenured union workers wanted to retire, it was virtually impossible for them. Their demands had taken a toll on Bethlehem Steel’s finances, and now, there were six retirees seeking benefits for every (1) active employee. Paying out pensions and healthcare on a 6:1 ration proved impossible for Bethlehem Steel, and their demise commenced.

Bethlehem Steel could have remained competitive, even amongst the demands of the Union. Though they had to pay out larger wages and benefits, revenue and profits were still high as ever in the 1960s. The 60s, however, marked the emergence of the “mini mill.” The mini mill could produce steel much more efficiently and cheaply than large factories could - using scrap metal and continuous casting processes. Mini mills soon started popping up across the country. Bethlehem Steel, rather than updating their processes, continued to operate traditionally. This meant producing more expensive steel than the competition, and losing out of big contract bids (such as the World Trade Center). At one point, the company finally restructured and tried to modernize themselves, but it was a last ditch, “smoke and mirrors” type effort. Had Bethlehem Steel been more innovative and taken mini mills and foreign competition more seriously, they could have overcome any financial burden.

Technically speaking, Bethlehem Steel could have implement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to take the burden off of its executives and project managers. A proper ERP solution could have gone a long way in helping them innovate and separate themselves from the competition. Again, they had the capital at one time to implement such a solution. This would have made project management, supply chain, and manufacturing procedures much more efficient and cost effective as they entered harsh financial realities (1990s). Read more about ERP implementation.

In the end, Bethlehem Steel stuck to conventional methods of manufacturing for too long. They never innovated or changed their processes, and never adapted with their competition. The modern age and modern management disenfranchised the company. Had they been more proactive, and taken initiatives to change, Bethlehem Steel could still be a manufacturing giant today. It is important to understand the significance of adaptation and change in any industry, and Bethlehem Steel did not.

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Steel Building Customer Service

Jack Speer, Bizwatch Publisher, in his online article titled “What Is The Definition of Customer Service” certainly provides a definition of a level of customer service that all companies that sell residential and commercial steel buildings should strive to attain. Mr. Speer defines customer service as follows…”Excellent customer service is the process by which your organization delivers its services or products in a way that allows the customer to access them in the most efficient, fair, cost effective, and humanly satisfying and pleasurable manner possible.”

In my several years of working for steel building companies, I’m still amazed at how many different customer service issues can arise with the purchase of just one prefabricated steel building. And it’s not that anything is going wrong throughout the whole process from signing the paperwork to accepting delivery and the customer’s assembly of the steel buildings. I would have to say that the reason for the need for heavy customer service is simply that there are numerous steps and phases that happen in between the purchase and the assembly that the customers who have bought the metal buildings need clarification on.

The prefab steel building salesman takes the brunt of answering potential customers’ questions right off the bat during the initial sales call. But once the customer purchases his metal barn, there are so many possible questions that this one customer can have throughout the entire process. From questions like “when will I get my drawings” to “what’s the best kind of insulation to use for prefab steel buildings“, sometimes it seems that the questions never stop. That’s where a clear and concise “frequently asked questions” page on the steel building company’s website comes in very handy.

When companies that sell prefabricated steel buildings strive to achieve the level of customer service as defined above by Mr. Speer, the result of happy customers is not the only benefit that can be attained. One of the best perks of having happy customers is that they will tell all of their friends about the wonderful experience they just had when the purchased their steel barn from your company.

Word of mouth is one of the best and least expensive forms of advertising. Here’s an example of a glowing customer testimonial provided by a customer who purchased his metal building from Price A Building:
“We would like to thank you and your staff at Price A Building for the building that I purchased through your company. The process from the first phone call making the purchase to keeping me informed clear through to the final delivery date went very smooth.

The steel frame building package was labeled clearly making it quite simple to follow with the engineered drawings plans and building manual. I had never erected a steel building before and in six days three of us had completed the framing of a 40′x60′x16′ tall building.

Thanks again, we look forward to enjoying our added space.”

Danny & Dana Cutler, Commerce City, CO

Only in a perfect world will 100% of customers be completely satisfied. So having a hands on, compassionate customer service department to deal with is key when you buy a steel building.

Wind Loads and Metal Building

Metal buildings are used all across the country for commercial and residential applictions. So considering the vast array of climates you encounter from county to county, let alone from state to state, it is so important to have your metal building designed with the proper wind loading for your area. The most important specification in determining wind loads for metal buildings is the wind speed. Most building departments across the country measure the wind speed at its highest level during a 3-second gust. This will give the maximum speed predicted for the design life of a prefacricated steel building. There are several factors that can influence the magnitude of the wind speed.

The first factor that influences wind speed would be the geographical location where you plan on erecting your steel barn. As an example, if you live in Florida, your steel building will have to be designed to withstand the forces of hurricane-strength winds. Also, the same goes if you live in any one of the states located in what they call “tornado alley”. Tornadoes are small and brief compared to hurricanes, but the wind speeds can be higher. And some hurricanes have been known to last an entire day, so even if the wind speed of a hurricane is lower than a short spurted tornado wind speed, they can do just as much damage by slowly wearing down a prefab steel building from the continuous stress and vibrations.

Since some parts of Florida are always being hit by hurricanes, the state always looks over and updates their building codes after major storms.
The physical location of residential or commercial steel buildings is the second factor that can influence the wind speed. Because winds can gust to higher speeds in exposed locations, for any given wind speed, the exposure in which a prefabricated steel building or any other structure is sited will be determined as falling into one of the following categories, exposure B (urban and suburban areas), exposure C (open terrain with few obstructions including shorelines in hurricane-prone regions), or exposure D (flat, unobstructed areas exposed to wind flowing over open water) and then engineering will design the steel building appropriately.

The third factor that influences wind speed would be the dimensions of the prefab steel buildings. The height of the structure is the most important because wind speeds have a tendency to increase as heights of steel frame buildings increase above ground level.

The last factor to affect the wind speed is the actual shape of the prefabricated building. The wind load isn’t just a one-sided frontal pressure that’s applied to the sheeting of a steel garage. The wind load is a product of a complicated distribution of pressure on every side because of the flow of air around the entire prefabricated steel building.

Prefabricated steel buildings are designed to meet the code and load requirements of the customer?s area. It is the customer’s responsibility to find out the information needed by the steel building companies in order to properly design and fabricate the metal buildings properly, first so the customer can obtain their building permit and second so the building itself can withstand the forces of nature that are common occurrences where the customer lives and will be erecting his steel barn.

To help the engineers at the factory, where the steel buildings are designed, better determine the best design for your metal barn, they have composed a list of questions to be answered by the customer to guide them and to give them a better understanding of exactly what type of conditions exist in the customer’s area with regards to the amount of snow and wind exposure the prefab steel buildings will be exposed to. The following are a list of the questions asked by the engineers with the answers shedding light on conditions that could affect the snow load and wind exposure requirements:

1. Will the new steel building be located within 20ft of any existing building structures? If YES, please provide a sketch showing the distances of all existing structures to the new building. Indicate also the eave height, width, length, roof slope and ridge orientation of the existing buildings.

2. Will the new steel garage tie-in to any existing building structures? If YES, provide a sketch and a detail common wall condition. Indicate also the eave height, width, length, bay spacing, roof slope and ridge orientation of the existing buildings.

3. Will the metal garage have roof insulation and be used continuously as a heated structure?

4. Is the building unheated, but insulated?

5. Is the building unheated and without roof insulation?

6. If the metal storage buildings are greenhouses, will they be continuously heated at a maintained temperature of 50