Metro Steel – Benefits of Using Steel Fabrication

by DAVIS BROWN PRC Agency

The world would be a very different place today without the development of steel. While steel can be traced as far back as the beginning of the Iron Age some 4,000 years ago, the modern steel industry was born in 1856 when Henry Bessemer found an effective way to use oxygen to lower the carbon content in steel.

Steel is all around us, from the buildings we live in to the cars we drive to the knife and fork we eat our food with.

Every year, more than 1.8 billion tonnes of steel is produced and used around the world. Steel fabrication is the process used to build structures and machinery from raw materials and utilises several techniques including shot blasting, cutting, bending, welding and coating to produce the final product.

What is steel fabrication used for

Steel fabrication is used to manufacture components from steel which can be used to create a framework once they’re finished.

A variety of structural shapes and sizes can be constructed for many different uses including roofs, stairs, and balconies.

Typically, standard sections of steel are combined with specialist items to fit the job. However, a fully bespoke service is sometimes needed to produce the best finish for a project.

Benefits of using steel for fabrication

The 3 main reasons are ample availability, high durability and diverse applicability. It’s used in construction because it’s cheaper than many other metals and more malleable while offering superior structural integrity. It can also be used with other compounds to tweak characteristics to make it harder or more resistant to things like heat, corrosion, and shock for specific uses.

It’s also one of the most highly recyclable materials and can be reprocessed numerous times without losing its strength or integrity.

From planning to final product

Before as much as cutting a single piece of steel, the fab shop works closely with the client to create a blueprint that directs the rest of the project. Computer Assisted Design programs take the traditional blueprint design stage of pencil and paper to a digitally controlled screen. As well as offering the convenience of rapid sharing and copying of the blueprints, CAD software is more efficient at designing 3- dimensional blueprints.

Once all the planning has been done it’s time to get to work in the process stage. A variety of techniques and tools are used to take the steel from one shape to another. The equipment utilises heat, pressure, and force at levels which are so powerful it can bend solid steel and requires care and precision from experienced metal workers. Precise cuts and bends can be made by combining CAD calibrations with Computer Numerical Control (CNC) equipment at speeds which enable quick production of top- quality steel components.

The final stage is to finish and assemble the processed structure. Once the necessary steel shapes have been made, they will be sanded, blasted and even painted to give them additional protection from the elements and/or for aesthetic purposes.

For construction projects, parts will be welded and riveted together both at the shop and on-site before they are placed in their new location. Finally, the client will be left with a robust steel structure that could be a mezzanine for their warehouse or a modern steel handrail in their home.

Do you have a steel project in mind

Metro Steel and its staff have over 100 years of experience in the industry and are Queensland’s ‘go-to’ team for all things steel. They deliver a service tailored to their customers’ specifications and promise a fast turnaround. Catering to residential and commercial customers they provide a fast turnaround on projects. With benefits such as strength and durability, customisation potential, environmentally safe, cost savings and modern style, steel fabrication takes some beating.

If you have a new project in mind get in touch for a FREE quote at https://www.metrosteel.com.au/.