Choosing the right steel fabricator can be a difficult task. In Saudi Arabia, there are so many fabricators to choose from. When looking for a metal fabricator there are a lot of things you should take care of. They are paramount to ensuring a high-quality fabrication job. This blog is for everyone who is in search of a metal fabricator. Whether you are someone who has experience or is completely new to the industry, this blog can prove to be beneficial for you. This blog acts as a guide to choosing the right steel fabricator. So don’t skip. Read till the end to make your decision process a lot easier.
To make useful products from steel, it needs to be “fabricated”. A fabricator essentially is someone who uses different techniques to make products from steel. These techniques can be a combination of different methods or a single method of steel fabrication. The most common techniques used worldwide are cutting, shaping, etc.
Steel is useless until and unless useful products are fabricated from it. A metal fabricator is a skilled craftsman that crafts the required products from it. Having a highly skilled fabricator is important as they ensure high standards of the product. Employing unskilled fabricators can cause problems such as bad finish, compromised quality of the product, etc. Thus, you should always make sure that the fabricator you employ is skilled enough for the job.
There are a lot of methods and techniques that go into steel fabrication. Depending on the required output, it can be a combination of several techniques. The three basic techniques of steel fabrication are cutting, bending, and assembling. They can be expanded into the following methods:
Welding is one of the oldest methods of fabrication steel fabricators use. It consists of heating the steel until it converts into a molten state. Then with the help of a hammer, it is shaped into place. This method is very effective and is still used in the fabrication process.
Metal casting is somewhat similar to forging. It also turns the metal into molten state however there is one major difference. After the metal has been heated into its molten state, it is poured into a mold. The mold is like a container shaped into the desired product. When the molten steel is poured into it, it takes the shape of a mold. It makes the job easy as the steel fabricators do not have to use hammers. This technique comes in handy when you have to make a large quantity of similar products. It speeds up the process and provides predictable results.
Not every product requires a lot of thickness. Some products require a thin sheet of steel. For example: door flanges are made from a thin sheet of metal. In such cases, it is important to thin out the sheet of metal first. Metal drawing does precisely the same thing. In metal drawing, the metal sheet is pulled by using tensile strength. The pulling stretches the sheet making it thinner. Thin sheets are used in the fabrication of a lot of products. They are easier to fabricate as well thus they are commonly used.
Another important process of steel fabrication is steel cutting. This process makes sure that the steel is cut to size before it can be shaped. Accurate cutting of metal is very important. Cutting too much can make the sheet useless, and cutting too little can also cause issues. There are many techniques of metal cutting. For example: laser cutting, flame cutting, plasma cutting, etc. Metal cutting techniques do not affect the final product as the output is widely the same. They can, however, vary in aspects such as time, ease, etc.
After the metal has been cut to size, it is then shaped as per requirements. This is also an important method and requires skill. There are a lot of shaping techniques that a steel fabricator can choose from. Each has its benefits. In the earlier days, the metal was shaped by hitting it repeatedly with a hammer. This technique would take a lot of time and would cause inconsistencies. Ever since many other shaping techniques have been introduced. These techniques make the shaping process a lot easier. Other commonly used shaping methods are bending, rolling, forging, etc. Although many other shaping techniques have been introduced, forging is still used in the fabrication of some products.
Finally, after the completion of the fabrication process, assembling takes place. Welding is the most used process as it is very strong. However, apart from welding other processes such as brazing, soldering, etc. are also used. All of these processes are good for assembling the products. However, it is up to the steel fabricator to choose what process he wants to go with. That is because depending on the expected load and usage, the assembling technique can vary.
When looking for a steel fabricator in Saudi Arabia, there are a couple of things you should have in mind. They are listed below:
Whenever you are looking for a metal fabricator always look at their experience. Metal fabrication is a very serious job. Small problems and oversights can lead to catastrophic failures. The best way to judge a craftsman’s skill is to look at their past work. You can check this by looking at their previous work. In today’s modern times, you can google their work or simply ask the fabricator to show their previous work.
Having skillful labor at hand that can perform all sorts of steel fabrication is very important. They should be professional enough to handle any problems that occur during the job. Steel fabricators that use shortcuts to get the job done are what cause problems in the first place. Especially in the case of industry-grade equipment, having a skilled steel fabricator is very important. Such equipment is subjected to a lot of weight and pressure. If they are not fabricated properly, they may break and cause damage to the operators as well as other equipment.
There is a growing demand for steel fabrication in Saudi Arabia. To cater to the rising need there are a lot of fabricators in the market as well. Even though they might be good, not a lot of them are compliant with local standards. Why is compliance with such standards important, you may ask? This shows that the steel fabrication company uses best practices and standards for its fabrication jobs. This ensures a higher quality product. If you are buying products from a foreign company, make sure they are compliant with international standards. This can be checked very simply. Companies that are compliant with certain standards are issued compliance certificates by the monitoring bodies. Keep an out for them as this will help you filter good fabricators.
One of the problems people face with their steel fabrication companies is their inability to do custom fabrication. This may not seem important to you now, but you may need it down the road. In such an instance, having a metal fabrication company able to do custom work is a blessing. This allows all the fabrication work to be completed in-house.
Keeping up to date with the latest technology is very important. This helps ensure a higher quality product. By making use of processes and technology that promote higher precision, quality can be improved. It is not only about the steel fabricator himself but also the technology he uses. Thus, you should also pay attention to what technology the fabrication company is using.
This is one of the most important things for you as a customer. This is also one of those aspects that dictate the overall experience for a customer. Good customer service is essential. The company should have a strong customer service network to ensure a good customer experience. For example: you purchased a steel pallet from Al Safrik Steel. However, after two months of your purchase, you start facing some issues. A good customer service experience will ensure all your problems are resolved by the company. Moreover, it will also ensure that you are completely guided during your initial purchase process. Al Safrik Steel offers great after-sales support. You can get help any time and our representatives will be there to help you.
Finally, your company of choice should also offer good pricing. Providing competitive pricing ensures that you are not being overcharged at all. You can ensure this by getting quotations from multiple steel fabricators. This will tell you what other companies are charging. However, it is advised to set a budget before going into the market. This will help you make better decisions without emptying your pockets.
Al Safrik Steel has been in the steel fabrication industry for many years. We have a lot of products to choose from. Our products are carefully designed to cater to the general needs of the industry—no matter what kind of products, Al Safrik Steel has it. Ever since our inception, we have been focusing on quality and customer satisfaction. We understand that there is a lack of high-quality steel products in Saudi Arabia. Thus, to fulfill the needs of every customer we have introduced our carefully fabricated lineup of products.
Apart from generic products, Al Safrik Steel proudly deals in custom products. We can help you bring your ideas to reality. You can get in touch with our online support team to walk you through some of the best steel products we have to offer. If you have any questions, you can contact our online support team. At Al Safrik we believe in 100% customer satisfaction. Get in touch today to bring your products to reality.
Steel in its various types is a vital component of the United States economy. As of January 2020, domestic steel production was at 1,928,000 tons — making steel one of the most widely consumed domestic manufacturing products. From buildings to medical equipment and vehicles, the world literally runs on steel products. But not all steel materials are made alike.
There are multiple steel types and alloys that each have unique properties — making them each suited to specific production goals. Some steels are sturdy and heavy, while other steels are ductile and versatile.
Frequently, our customers approach us regarding the best type of steel for their application. We put together this quick guide to help you navigate the language of steel. Of course, you may still have questions regarding the application. Feel free to reach out to us with any unique property needs so that we can help you find the right steel and manufacturer for your needs.
Technically, carbon steel is a metal alloy that contains both iron and carbon. But in the manufacturing industry, carbon steel is often defined in multiple ways. Both of the following constitutes a “carbon steel” in the metals market.
You may also notice the term “carbon steel” applied to steels with less than 0.4% copper or steels that have certain magnesium to copper contents, though those definitions are contested across industries. For the purposes of this, we’re talking about the first two definitions.
There are three ways that carbon steel is classified — low, medium, and high
Low carbon steel (or “mild carbon steel” or “plain carbon steel”) refers to carbon steels that have up to 0.30% carbon content. This is, by far, the most common type of steel on the metals market. There are a few reasons for this. For starters, low carbon steel is relatively inexpensive. Also, since the carbon content is lower than medium and high steels, low carbon steel is easy to form and is perfect for applications where tensile strength isn’t an immediate issue, such as structural beams.
Another benefit of low carbon steel is that its properties can be improved relatively easily by adding additional elements, such as magnesium. Low carbon steel is also an ideal choice for carburizing, which improves case hardness without impacting ductility or toughness.
What are some common uses for low carbon steel?
Core properties of low carbon steel:
Medium carbon steel refers to carbon steels that have between 0.31% and 0.60% carbon content and between 0.31% and 1.60% magnesium. One of the biggest benefits of medium carbon steel is its strength. However, that comes with some tradeoffs. Medium carbon steel has low ductility and toughness — making it more difficult to form and weld.
What are some common uses for medium carbon steel?
Core properties of medium carbon steel:
High carbon steel refers to carbon steels that have between 0.61% and 1.50% carbon content and between 0.31 and 0.90 magnesium. When it comes to hardness and toughness, high carbon steel is the carbon steel of choice. However, this comes at a tradeoff. It’s very difficult to weld, cut, or form high carbon steel.
What are some common uses for high carbon steel?
Core properties of high carbon steel:
While carbon steel is typically defined by its carbon content, stainless steel is defined by its 10.5% minimum chromium content. Like carbon steel, stainless steel also contains carbon and iron, but the extra chromium is the key that gives it its unique properties. One of the biggest benefits of stainless steel is that it protects the steel for oxidization — which degrades metals over time. Stainless steel is also identified by its sheen, a property provided by the chromium. You will often see stainless steel utilized in cookware, knives, and medical equipment.
Like carbon steel, there are various types of stainless steel, each with a unique market price and properties.
Stainless steel austenitic alloys are, by far, the most common types of stainless steel metals on the market. They resist oxidation, provide a unique look, and are non-magnetic (though they can become magnetic in certain circumstances).
There are two common austenitic alloy grades:
Grades of austenitic alloys also include 301, 302, 303, 309, and 321.
Stainless steel ferritic alloys are another semi-common stainless steel alloy. Unlike austenitic alloys, they are magnetic — lending them to applications where magnetism is necessary. These are typically the cheapest stainless steel alloys due to their relatively low nickel content.
There are two common ferritic alloy grades:
Stainless steel martensitic alloys are the least common stainless steel alloy. These alloys have incredible hardiness and toughness, but they have poor oxidation properties, making them only suited for applications that require incredible hardiness.
There is one common martensitic alloy grade:
The widest and most diverse range of steel alloys is “alloy steels.” These are made by combining carbon steel with various alloying elements to provide unique properties to each steel. There is an incredibly wide range of alloy steels, but some of the most common include:
Due to the incredible variety of alloy steels, you can create steels with almost every possible property using alloy elements. That being said, some of these steels are relatively expensive.
The final steel group is tooling steels. These are steels used for tooling activities such as drilling. Commonly made up of molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten, and cobalt, tooling steels are heat-resistant, durable, and strong.
There are 6 grades of tool steel:
Staub Manufacturing offers services using most of the steels listed above. If your company needs best-fit steel parts to manufacture high-quality products, contact us. We’re American ISO 9001:2105 certified manufacturers who are ready to help you deliver superior fabricated steel products.
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