Common Metals Used in Metal Fabrication

Pipe & Tube

Pipes come in round shapes and are pressure rated. This metal is used to transfer fluids or gas. 

Tubes, on the other hand, can come in either round, rectangular, or square shapes. They are utilised in structural applications and are available in stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminium, and other materials of multiple grades. 

Flat Metals 

Flat metals are prefabricated raw substances that come in different levels of thickness though the pieces are often relatively thin. They also come in several types: sheet metal, leaf metal, and plate metal. These metals can be used for multiple projects – from manufacturing home appliances to building defense weapons for the military. 

Bar Stock 

This type of metal comes in several solid shapes like square, rectangular and round and is available in stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminium, and other materials in different grades. Bar stocks can be bent, machined, rolled, and cut to various lengths for multiple usages.

Structural Metals 

Structural metals are any prefabricated pieces of metals that are exclusively designed for standardised assembly. This type of metal is a key component in the engineering and construction industries. Some common examples are beams, bars, channels and angles. 

Carbon Steel 

This is the most used metal type by fabricators. Carbon steels are widely used for industrial purposes. Since it is the most versatile metal in comparison, carbon steel can be used for an extensive range of fabrication – from machines to manufacturing parts for construction. 

Carbon steel is convenient to work with and is well-known for its sturdiness and strength. This metal can resist harsh conditions of the industrial atmosphere, and it comes in various stock sizes and differing levels of thickness.

Stainless Steel 

This type of metal stands out from the rest due to its polished steel alloy and silver mirror-coating. Stainless steel is made of aluminium, carbon steel and chromium, which do not rust when air exposure. Relatively convenient to work with, this metal is highly recommended for welding. Stainless steel is commonly used in the fabrication of products that need to be corrosion resistant.

Aluminium 

Aluminium is light, an essential feature for metals used in industries that work on projects that cannot manage the weight, like the aerospace or automotive industry. Aluminium is highly used in such industries as it's lightweight, long-lasting, and can withstand heat.

Keep It Simple

It's important to keep your design simple. To further optimise the custom metal fabrication, eliminate redundant features that do not add value to your project. For instance, if you have calculated and measured that just two screws would secure the parts or components of your project, anything more than two screws is an unnecessary cost. 

You can also reconsider the exterior features of your project – are they just for aesthetics, or do they serve a purpose? Avoid overly detailed elements.

Prototype Before Production   

Now that you've understood the properties of each metal and the importance of keeping your concept design simple, you can decide the best type of metal for your design to highly optimise the custom metal fabrication and plan your budget and costing accordingly.

Moving on to the next step, you will have to manifest your idea concept in a prototype with skilled fabricators. 

Prototypes eliminate the guesswork in production, as they represent a physical or a mock form of your design concept. You can test your project's performance through a prototype, which allows you to identify any flaws or corrections you need to work on before manufacturing the final product. 

Avoiding this crucial step to save yourself from the cost is not a smart move – you might be losing more significant sums of money if you mass-manufacture products that must be rectified and do not serve their purpose efficiently.

Looking for the best custom metal fabricator in Malaysia? Choose Choong Ngai Engineering! 

Simplifying or optimising your design can be difficult if you're unsure of the fabrication process, as it involves many processes like cutting, stamping, welding, and more. Not to mention the multiple techniques and methods involved in custom metal fabrication that you must consider for maximum optimisation. By implementing a minor change, you can significantly simplify and optimise the overall process of custom metal fabrication. However, you will need the guidance and advice of professional and skilled fabricators to move through this process in the most efficient and cost-saving manner. 

We at Choong Ngai Engineering strongly believe in delivering the best quality services to our clients. Contact us today for a free quote or reach out at +6012-2726971 to set up a meeting with our professionals.