Metalworking is an ancient craft that has been very intensely developed in a number of crucial directions. Here is a guide to some of the most important metalworking processes used today.
Cutting
The majority of metals need to be cut before they can be worked with. Freshly produced metals such as steel and iron usually arrive at a metalworking facility in large sheets or long poles. In order to be worked on and made into finished objects, heavy-duty cutting equipment needs to be brought to bear upon sections of metal. In many large foundries and metalworking environments, the cutting process is highly automated. Automated lasers and plasma torches receive data from human sources and use sensors to accurately create uniform workable sections of metal.
Folding
One of the most technically complex metalworking processes is folding. Metals need to be folded for many reasons: to create joins, to blunt ends, and to shape completed products. Most folding processes involve the use of extreme heat. An immensely powerful heating element is applied to the area that needs to be folded, which is then manipulated. Heating can weaken and expand metal, so mathematical equations governing the tolerances of the material need to be worked out and adhered to by metalworking engineers. Engineers need to work out the specific heat capacity of the metal they are intending to fold.
Welding
Welding is one of the most common and effective ways of joining two metal objects together. During welding, surfaces are heated to the point where they melt and join together at a particular level. There are many kinds of welding—each suited to a different application. Industrial metalworkers typically use the arc welding process, which involves the creation of an intensely powerful electrical arc.
Machining
When a machine is used to remove portions of a metal object, this process is known as machining. Machining is typically caried out using a lathe, drill, or vertical lathe. These tools use drill bits and lathe blades that spin in order to efficiently remove metallic materials. Almost all metalworking involves some machining, which is used to create space for connectors and shape finished objects. Machinists are some of the most important people in the metalworking industry, and they develop specialist precision engineering skills.
Casting
One of the most ancient forms of metalworking processes is still one of the most useful: casting. Casting involves the melting of metals, which are then poured into molds and left to harden during the cooling process. Casting can be used to make incredibly strong iron structures and is commonly used during the recycling of old metal objects. Casting is also essential in the creation of workable metal sheets and girders. Casting companies such as cdocast.com specialize in the refinement of casting processes—ensuring that cast metals remain pure and workable.
Stamping
Stamping is the quickest way of shaping metals—although it produces shapes that are far less hardwearing than those produced by casting. Stamping is achieved through the dropping of vast and weighty hammers over a shaped die.
