When you pay for custom metal fabrication, what exactly are you getting? Your local metal fabrication experts in Salt Lake City are here to answer that question. At Cypress Metals, transparency is important to us. That’s why we want to be sure that our customers are fully informed on what happens behind the scenes when they choose us for their metal fabrication project in Utah. Here’s how the sausage is made.

The Planning Stage

First, your specifications for what you want made using metal fabrication are turned into a computer aided design. From there, our engineers draw blueprints for the manufacturing of the product. In addition to measurements, these plans include information like the chosen material, the surface finishing, and more. Once the plan is finalized and the engineers determine that the product is manufacturable, it’s time to start actually working with metal.

Cutting

Sheet metal fabrication usually starts with cutting. Sheet metal comes in huge pieces or rolls, so one of the first things we do is cut out a metal sheet that matches the size specifications on the blueprint. Although you can use shear cutting to cut sheet metal, we use laser metal cutting in Salt Lake City to make the process faster and the cuts more precise.

Punching

Once the sheet has been cut down to the size it’s supposed to be according to the design, the hole punching stage can commence. The method used for punching in metal fabrication — called punch and die — uses pressure to punch out holes of different shapes and sizes. Holes can be punched in various shapes and patterns. Punching can also make indentations instead of holes, which is called stamping.

Bending

Bending is a crucial aspect of the metal fabrication process, and it’s more complicated than it sounds. The bending process usually involves a press brake machine, which uses the punch and die method to form creases in the metal. A computer and the press brake machine work together to meet the specifications for the angle of each bend. Getting the bends in the right order is key to ensuring that no bend interferes with another.

Welding and Final Steps

Now that all the parts are ready to go, it’s time to start assembling. For projects that involve metal fusion, welding is the next step. There are several different techniques for welding, such as gas tungsten arc welding, oxy-acetylene welding, and more.

Finally, our metal fabricators put the finishing touches on the product. This can involve galvanizing, painting, cleaning, or heat treatments.

Your Destination for Metal Fabrication in Salt Lake City

As you can see, metal fabrication has many different steps, each requiring care and expertise. To ensure that your metal fabrication project is being handled with the proper care every step of the way, choose Cypress Metals for your next project. Our skilled and knowledgeable fabricators are ready for anything.