Fabric is used in so many applications. Work quick, because once it is mixed the clock is running until it sets-up. You should work with a company that has: To successfully fabricate a product, you need a knowledgeable team in your corner. To get started, take a look at the list of nine important fabrication materials below. Shielded Metal Arc (SMAW), Gas Metal Arc (GMAW/MIG), Flux Cored Arc (FCAW), and Gas Tungsten Arc (GTAW/TIG) This topic can easily turn into a huge rabbit hole that we can explore in a later article. This saves you from wasting time and money fabricating parts using materials that are less than ideal for your product. Aluminum – Another commonly used material for fabrication, aluminum bridges between plastic and steel, having a lower melting point, lighter weight, softer, and more corrosion resistant than steel, but more durable, heavier and higher melting point than plastic. That now becomes the most common material for small to medium boats. Below is a list of some of the sheet metals, pipe, structural shapes, etc., that M&S regularly uses in fabrication. Cutting 3. There’s no inherent difference in quality between raw vs. semi-finished materials. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. If you work with an experienced, full-service product fabrication company, this process is less daunting. Using rapid prototyping, you can create multiple prototypes from different materials on this list in a very short amount of time. These types of fabrication materials can create a wide range of diverse products for multiple industries, which is why so many fabrication companies rely on them. © 2020 Copyright Fabrication Planet - Everything Fabrication, link to Common Fabrication Processes for METAL. Extrusion 7. Concrete shares a lot of similar processes with fiberglass fabrication (making molds, pouring wet “liquid” material and letting it “cure”). The term “ALLOY” is more commonly used in identifying aluminum than its cousin “steel”. Drawing 4. This can really be anything, from copper or pine wood to complex composite structures or high-temperature epoxy laminate. If you know where you’re headed and which possible routes you can take to get there, you’ll reach your destination on time, perhaps even with time to spare. You can and should explore different types of fabrication materials with an open mind in order to find the most appropriate material for your design. The towels soak up the glue, like water until they are completely saturated. Aluminum – Another commonly used material for fabrication, aluminum bridges between plastic and steel, having a lower melting point, lighter weight, softer, and more corrosion resistant than steel, but more durable, heavier and higher melting point than plastic. Fabricating a part or product means making it from scratch using raw or semi-finished materials. (just a tiny bit bigger) This is the basic concept of Fiberglass or composite fabrication. Let’s look at the types of fabrication processes in greater detail here: Cutting. No matter what stage your product is currently at, we can create it and optimize it for manufacturing. It is a value-added process involving the creation of machines, parts, and structures from various raw materials. Composite / Fiberglass fabrication takes a lot more “set-up” because you must make a “mold” to hold the shape of the material and liquid resin until it cures, so it is not the most efficient method for making a “one-of-a-kind” product. Considering your material options now can help you refine your product design, identify potential challenges, and streamline the fabrication phase. A common term used in steel and it’s “cousin” aluminum is “ALLOY”. Maybe we want to use KEVLAR cloth, add several more layers and have a “bullet-proof” rowboat! Common shapes are Bar, Rod, Tube, Pipe, Plate, Sheet and Structural and common forming methods are Hot Rolled, Cold Rolled, Cold Drawn. “IRON” is the base material. Now, imagine taking bath towels and draping them over the top of the boat. If you want to use the best types of fabrication materials in your product, you should start a conversation with a fabrication company as early in the product development process as possible. If you take a moment to look at most products being made in the world, they most likely will be made of one or more of the following: Plastic – the most common material for high volume production of toys, storage containers, and so many other products we use in our daily lives. Just for explanation purposes, imagine taking a small rowboat and turning it over. At this stage, your decision isn’t necessarily final. The topic is ENORMOUS, and more are added every month. Alloy basically refers to the ingredients used to make that variety of material. Far outside any of the projects we will build on this website, it is still important to mention that there is yet another word of fabrication with another world of skills needed to make jewelry. For the fabricator, the terminology most used to identify steel is the shape AND the method of forming it. Now we pour, spray or brush the liquid-glue on the towels. The most common method is … Folding 5. One unique trait of some alloys of aluminum that must be mentioned is ANODIZING. How to Select the Right Materials. Flexible, easy to cut, easy to stitch together (bond). Stamping 11. It is the most common steel utilized in metal fabrication, and has an almost endless list of uses from construction materials to machinery and weaponry. Anodizing (discussed in better detail in a later article) makes the exterior surface harder, more corrosion resistant and non-conductive. So, why stop now? Before you start a conversation with a product fabrication expert, however, it’s useful to know which types of fabrication materials are out there and what their potential advantages and disadvantages are.