Metal fabrication is the process of taking raw sheet metal and transforming it into usable goods. A Steel Fabricator first cuts the sheet metal or metal plate to the desired shape and size, and then the metal is formed into a three-dimensional shape. It may be bent at an angle or curved into a tube. The formation may also involve the use of a punch or a die to make protruding or receding shapes in the metal. Another way to shape metal is to remove material from a block, and this process is known as machining. The two most common machining tools are the lathe and the mill.
A metalworking lathe removes metal from a rotating workpiece using a fixed tool bit, most often an insert cutter. A lathe can be compared to a potter’s wheel because of the way the workpiece spins on a chuck and is shaped from the outside. A large steel fabrication shop will likely use a computer numerical control (CNC) lathe that can cut a programmed computer-assisted drawing (CAD) design. The lathe is primarily used to produce cylindrical pieces with knurling, grooving, or treading. A lathe can drill a centered hole and cutting tools can remove metal from the center as well as the outside of the cylinder.
A mill involves the opposite motion: the cutting tool rotates instead of the workpiece. If the lathe works like a potter’s wheel, the mill is more like a sculptor carving a statue. The workpiece is fed into the cutter, most often an end mill, and material is removed to create the specific contours of the desired shape. Large fabrication shops use CNC mills, just like CNC lathes, to cut pre-programmed CAD designs. Mills are better for non-cylindrical shapes, cutting straight lines, and for drilling non-centered holes.
Both of these tools are essential for a Steel Fabricator since they do complementary jobs. Some metalworking hobbyists use a 3-in-1 machine that combines the functions of a lathe, a mill, and a drill press. Unfortunately, these combination machines are not designed for use in large machine fabrication shops. To learn more about metal fabrication, visit website.
