5 Metal Shop Services You Should Know About
In view of the important role that metal shops play, numerous industries rely on their services. What services do these shops provide? Let us take a closer look at metal shop services and find out how they can complement your day-to-day operations or bring support to specific projects.
What is a Metal Shop?
A metal shop refers to a business that focuses on both machining and general metal fabrication – the process of fabricating, cutting, and finishing parts to meet stipulated specifications. The process primarily serves the manufacturing industry by transforming raw materials, such as metal, into finished components designed for use in a specific product or machine.
Metal Shop Services: What Do Metal Shops Do?
Sheet Metal Fabrication
This refers to the process of transforming flat metal sheets into finished metal products or structures. Some techniques used in this process include cutting, bending, stretching, turning, forming, and joining the materials. It involves reshaping them without altering their solid states and then joining them through welding or riveting.
As part of our custom metal fabrication services at Gauer Metal Products, Inc., we create durable and space-saving Flo-Rak shelving, our innovative flow rack shelving systems. With our systems in place, you get to streamline the storage and extraction of goods in a safe and convenient manner.
Welding Services
Welding is a process that involves joining parts of metal or other material together using pressure and/or heat. It differs from soldering in that the parts being joined are melted and bonded to create a joint, typically using a filler material. Popular welding techniques include MIG, TIG, and spot welding among others.
Grinding Services
Grinding in a machine shop refers to material removal from a workpiece using an abrasive tool. This machining method is primarily employed for finishing metal parts to achieve high levels of accuracy and surface quality.
The process uses a grinding machine equipped with an abrasive wheel that rotates at high speed. As the metal workpiece contacts the wheel, the abrasive action removes surface layers, effectively eliminating imperfections, polishing the material, and attaining the desired shape, size, or surface finish.
Milling Services
Milling is a type of machining process used to remove material from a workpiece. Using a rotating cutting tool, the process can create grooves, complex shapes, slots, and flat surfaces. In order to create the desired shape, the craftsman will typically adjust the cutter head speed, apply pressure, or move the cutter in different directions.
While most milling machines come in horizontal and vertical configurations, there are alternative orientations available for diverse applications. For production runs and prototyping that require high precision, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling uses specialized tooling and an automated process to deliver flawless results.
Turning Services
Turning involves using a lathe to rotate a metal, bringing it into contact with a cutting tool to create a desired cylindrical shape. The cutting tool typically follows a linear motion but a fabricator can vary the angle to produce different forms. CNC turning automates the process, eliminating the need for continuous supervision.
Choosing the Right Metal Shop for Your Needs
Machining and fabricating are delicate processes that require keen attention to detail, expertise, and experience to get high-quality products within the required time. Our team brings 78 years of experience in the business and a stellar reputation for producing top-notch results every single time.
We have a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art equipment and machinery for creating custom and conventional products and structures. Whatever your needs are, Gauer Metal Products, Inc. has you covered.