This article explores the process of fabricating steel. Read on to find out more about this process.

Fabricating stainless steel involves many processes, including cutting plates to size, grinding or drilling holes in the plates (to allow for welding), annealing the plates to allow the metal to become malleable, and assembling them into a stainless steel assembly.

Cutting

The first step in fabricating stainless steel is to cut the plates to size. This can be done using various methods, such as lasers, water jets, or plasma torches.  

Drilling

After the plates are cut to size, they must be drilled to create the necessary holes for welding. The type of hole that needs to be created depends on the welding process that will be used. For example, if TIG welding is used, small holes called "welding prep" holes will need to be drilled. These holes allow for better weld penetration and reduce the amount of weld distortion.

Heating

Once the holes have been created, the plates must be annealed in order to make them malleable. This process involves heating the plates to a high temperature for several hours and then slowly cooling them. After the plates have been annealed, they will cool to room temperature as a soft metal that can be easily worked on.

Welding

After the stainless steel has been properly prepared through cutting, grinding or drilling, welding is required to assemble it into a stainless steel assembly. There are three main types of welding: shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), and gas metal arc welding (GMAW). A variety of different joints can be created using these processes. Some examples include butt joints, corner joints, and tee joints.

Finishing

Once the welding is complete, the stainless steel assembly can be finished by either polishing it or coating it with a protective finish. Polishing can give the stainless steel a shiny appearance, while coatings can protect it from rust and corrosion.

That's a basic overview of how stainless steel is fabricated. It's a complex process that requires many steps, but the end result is a high-quality product that can be used in a variety of applications. If you would like to find out more about this process, you should get in touch with a local stainless steel fabrication company. A member of the team will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the process. Thanks for reading!