Stainless Steel Fabrication: What is so special with stainless steels?

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Almost all of our appliances, automobiles, industrial machines, kitchen wares have parts that are composed of stainless steels. Really what is so special about stainless steels? Let’s check it out!

Stainless Steel

Stainless is a term early used in the development of steels for cutlery applications. It was adopted as a generic name for these steels and now covers a wide range of steel types and grades for corrosion or oxidation resistant applications.

Composition

Stainless steel is an alloy of Iron with a minimum of 10.5% Chromium. Chromium produces a thin layer of oxide on the steel surface, which is known as the passive layer. This layer prevents corrosion of the surface. Having an increase in the amount of Chromium will give the steel an increased resistance to corrosion.

It also contains various amounts of Carbon, Silicon and Manganese. Nickel and Molybdenum may be added to impart other useful properties such as increased in formability and increased corrosion resistance.

Applications

The resistance to corrosion and staining, low maintenance and sparkling luster of stainless steels are what make them an ideal material for so many applications.

Stainless steels are milled into coils, plates, bars, wire, sheets and tubing to be used in cookware, cutlery, household hardware, surgical instruments, major appliances, industrial equipment and as an automotive or aerospace structural alloy and as well as a construction material in buildings. It can also be used in storage tanks and tankers transporting food products like juices and fresh fruits are often made of stainless steels, because of its corrosion resistance. This fact also influences the use of the said steel in commercial kitchens and food processing plants, as it can be steam-cleaned and sterilized and does not need paint or other surface finishes.

Stainless steel does not easily corrode, stain or rust with water as what happens to ordinary steel. However, it is not fully stain-proof in low-oxygen, high-salinity or poor air-circulation environments. There are different grades and surface finishes of stainless steel to suit the environment the alloy must endure.

Basically, stainless steel is used where both the properties of steel and corrosion resistance are required. This is the reason why stainless steels are special!

Need stainless steel fabrication in the Philippines? Visit TKL now!



For further reading: Stainless Steel Fabrication Process

Have you ever wondered how concrete blocks are made?

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Concrete blocks made the large portion of our houses today. But how they are made by your supplier of construction materials Philippines? Got any idea? Then, here’s how they came into the form.

A bit of History

The very first concrete block was designed by Harmon S. Palmer in the US in 1890. It took him to experiment for ten years before patented the design in 1900. The dimensions of his block were 8 inches by 10 inches by 30 inches and they are so heavy that you need a small crane to lift them up.

By 1905, there are about 1,500 companies manufacturing concrete blocks in the US. These blocks are casted by hand, and the average output was about ten blocks per person per hour.

Materials used

The primary raw material that is commonly used to make concrete block is the concrete. The concrete is a mixture of powdered Portland cement, sand, gravel and water. The product of this mixture is a light gray block with a fine surface texture and a high comprehensive strength.

The sand and gravel can be replaced by granulated coal or volcanic cinders, which will produce on what we commonly called cinder block. It is a dark grey colored block, good strength and higher thermal insulating value than the concrete block.

If you replaced the sand and gravel with expanded clay, shale or slate, it will produce a lightweight concrete block. This is used to build a non-load-bearing partitions and walls.

The process

It is known that there are four stages or processes in the production of concrete blocks. These are the mixing, molding, curing and cubing.

1. Mixing - It is the process where-in the sand and gravel, together with Portland cement are mixed together. Nowadays this process is done using the modern technology equipment which made the process better and faster.

2. Molding – after the sand, gravel and cement are mixed together, it is time to mold them into the form of concrete block.

3. Curing – the hardened blocks are cured in a curing water tank. This will be their home for at least two weeks. Through this process, the blocks are being kept continuously moist.

4. Cubing – after weeks in the curing tanks, the blocks then put into a cuber which aligns each block and then stacks them into a cube, three blocks across by six blocks deep by three blocks high. Then these cubes are carried out and placed in storage.

Bright Future

As experts say, concrete block will continue to evolve as architects and manufactures develop new shapes and sizes. These futuristic blocks are to promise making building construction faster and less expensive which will result in structures that are more energy efficient and durable.

Some of the possible designs includes but not limited to:

• Biaxial block – has cavities running horizontally and vertically to allow access for plumbing and electrical conduits
• Stacked siding block – stores heat to cool the interior rooms in summer and heat them in the winter days.

This is how concrete blocks came into your house and the future of them is knocking on your door!

Recommended for reading:

Steel Fabrication Company: Steel Buildings Pros and Cons - What are the pros and cons of steel buildings? Here are the answers

Choosing the Right Supplier of Construction Materials - It definitely makes sense to hire professionals rather than take the job yourself. But choosing the wrong supplier can lead to delays, subpar work, and even legal problems. So with that here is an article which will help you land the perfect construction supplier.

Basic Construction supplies you need in building your new House

Construction Materials Supplier

All of us want to have our own dream house. But not all has the financial capacity to do it. I remember my teacher who used to say “take one question at a time” during our examinations and this principle is what I applied in building our new house. Take first the important parts of the house then take the accessories later.

What do I really mean by this? I just want to say that if our pockets don’t have the funds yet, let’s start building the foundation of the house. Let it just rough walls, or no wall paper, just the plain house and from there we can add the other stuffs one at a time.

So what are the basic construction materials you need in building your new house? Here are they.

Cement

Technically, cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens and can bind other materials together. This is commonly partnered with sand and gravel to build a concrete wall with the addition of hollow blocks which serves as the skeleton.

Hollow Blocks

It is a large rectangular blocked used in construction. Concrete blocks are made from the cast concrete, usually sand and fine gravel for high-density blocks. Lower density blocks may use industrial wastes as an aggregate. Lightweight blocks can also be produced using aerated concrete.

Steel Rod

You need this to strengthen your concrete wall.

Lumber

It is a wood that has been processed into beams and planks. Lumber is mainly used for structural purposes but has many other uses as well.

Sand and Gravel

Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range.

These are just the basic things you need to start building your house, aside from hammer, nails and other tools. Just build your structure and add things in the future!

Steel Fabrication Company: Steel Buildings Pros and Cons

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Steel Fabrication Companies are in charge in making steel buildings. These buildings are the most cost-effective and structurally-sound structures in architecture in the modern world of today.

As of this day, it’s so hard to find an example of a steel building that has collapsed (except to the World Trade Center Towers). It is not only that steel metal buildings are cheap to build, but they are also resilient, resisting the elements, termites and even natural disasters like earthquakes. These kinds of buildings are reinforced with the additions of heating and cooling upgrades which is much easier than with wood structures, as experts say.

So what are the PROS of erecting steel buildings?

1. Quick and easy to build

There are dealers that offer steel buildings in the form of pre-engineered structures. These can be sent immediately to the site where you need intend to have the building erected for instant assembling,

2. Versatility

Steel buildings are available with adjustable panels, thus you can changed the size of each unit as per individual requirements. These will also allow expansion easier than in traditional building construction.

3. Strong

Steel buildings can withstand unfavorable weather conditions like hurricanes, strong winds, heavy snow and even earthquakes. They are also resistant to termites, creeping, cracks splitting and rotting

4. Cost-effective

Steel buildings don’t come exactly at low prices but still it is much cheaper than traditional methods since it has a reduced risk of fire and easy maintenance.

5. Environment friendly

Using steel as the main component in building materials can undoubtedly save those trees in the forest. Aside from these, steel buildings can be recycled sop there’s no need to cut more trees for expansion or remodeling,

What are the cons?

• Not all builders are familiar with building metal structure
• Special tools are required to work with this building, which not every builder will have
• Some metals are coated in oil, which may cause a toxic odor
• It is an excellent conductor of heat, so in colder areas, the heat can be absorbed into the structure and quickly lost

In conclusion, steel buildings can be purchased in large pieces, pre-assembled or as a modular unit deliverable by truck. With Computer Aided Design, steel building systems have gotten much more reliable and accurate over time, opening the door for many amateur builders to try their hand at building a home, small steel barn or a pre-engineered shed. Even so, most people prefer steel buildings than the traditional ones.


Need steel fabricators in the Philippines? Visit TKL Hardware and Construction.

TAGS: Steel Fabrication Companies in the Philippines, steel fabricators in the Philippines, supplier of construction materials philippines

What are the products of a Steel Fabrication Company?

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We are in the process of redesigning our house when our contractor sites that the steel stuffs we need for the terrace should be ordered from a steel fabricator company. As I heard this, I felt that curiosity runs on my nerves, drives me towards the computer to search for the steel fabrication company. What is this steel fabrication company and why do we need them?

As I browse the internet, I learned that steel fab company makes steel projects. They made it through, bending, cutting and assembling. Also I found out the four major products of a steel fabrication company in the Philippines. Below are they.

PIPES

Pipes are a tubular section or hollow cylinder. They used mainly to convey substances which can flow, like liquids and gasses among others. It can also be used for structural applications.

STEEL PLATES

Steel plates are often referred to as flat steel. They are bused to create metal products. They are manufactured to different thickness and widths. They are cut ad welded together to create a final product.

Some types of plates are used in the construction of buildings while others are used in the creation of daily items like wood furnaces. A common example is the structural steel, which is used in creation of building girders and reinforcing plates.

[See How Steel Fabrication Companies are making the World a Better Place]

PURLIN

The term purlin refers to roof framing members that span parallel to the building eave. They basically support the roof decking or sheeting. The purlins are in turn supported by rafters or walls. They are commonly used in metal building systems.

SHEET METAL

Sheet metal is formed by an industrial process into thin, flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking and can be cut and bent into different shapes.

A lot of objects are constructed with and from sheet metal. Their thickness varies significantly. Extreme thicknesses are called foil or leaf and pieces thicker than 0.25 inches are considered plate.

Sheet metals are used for car bodies, medical tables, roofs, airplane wings and many other applications.


These products are also available at your favorite supplier of construction materials in the Philippines. If you want customization steel projects you can go consult any steel fabricators in the Philippines.

Related Posts

• Supplier of construction materials: How much do you know him?
• Supplier of Construction Materials Really Plays an Important Role
• Stainless Steel Fabrication Process

Things to Look For In Steel Fabrication Company in the Philippines

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Steel fabrication services vary from company to company. Some prioritize bulk production runs at a lower cost, while others focus on smaller business with more options for customizations. Others run in services, while some choose to specialize in only a few types of services. With these, decision making in which steel fabrication company in the Philippines will you deal with makes things more complicated.

Before deciding the best partner for steel fab services, you must look at each option from multiple angles. Below are some of the considerations when selecting the right steel fab company.

1. Capabilities

When considering capabilities, you should ask if it is large enough to meet your business needs, without the risk of problems during production. What are the services being offered? What materials does the company work with? What specific production services are offered?

Answers to these questions will help you decide whether or not they have the capabilities you need for your business.

2. Products

You should also check their product line. Are they making or selling the product you need not just at this time, but also steel products you need in the future. Having a wide variety of steel will definitely benefit you. You don’t need a lot of suppliers if the one you dealt with at first have a long range, wide variety of products.

[See Supplier of Construction Materials in the Philippines Really Plays an Important Role]

3. Experience

Manufacturing is an industry where experience matters. From employees to the business itself, you must be assured that your steel fabricator company is sufficiently experienced to avoid costly mistakes.

You may ask the companies you are considering about their knowledge as it relates to industry codes and regulations. Have them describe how they turned their operations to be as efficient and safe as possible. You may want to see their portfolios and the projects they have done in the past. Asking customers for reviews and opinions are highly recommended.

[See Steel fabricators in the Philippines]

4. Prioritize Customer Service

Customer service is the key for a long-term relationship with a steel fabrication company. After all, you don’t want to do business with a company that fails to recognize your unique business needs or is unwilling to budget on details important to you.

You may ask previous clients about their customer service. How do they deal with the production deadline and other stuffs? How do they treat customers after they purchased from them.

5. Price Compared to Others

Get price lists form each, but don’t necessarily compare apples to apples. There’s a reason for price discrepancies which sometimes works in your favor.

For example, one company might use a higher quality metal or more precise cutting tools – meaning you can expect fewer costly mistakes in the long term.

Some are priced higher because they are smaller shops that offer more customized services, while bulk orders can be cheaper. Location can also negate the cost savings of a cheaper company.

6. Facility Location

Is the facility location convenient for you? Does it make a sense for the business?

Location is extremely relevant, especially in the manufacturing industry. Centrally located industrial hubs would have sufficed in previous decades, fuel costs, proximity to customers and control over the product itself are increasingly important for doing good business.

Whether you prefer a steel fabricator near you, be sure to crunch the numbers and make sure the company’s location make the most business sense for you.

7.Technology and Techniques

Steel fabrication is an industry that is constantly changing in an effort to make the process more accurate and efficient. The company you choose to hire needs to have quality equipment in their shop. It is also important that they have the education and experience to operate this equipment properly and to its fullest advantage.

With a little research, you can easily know or at least have a glimpse that you are hiring the best company that will meet or exceed your fabrication needs.


With these seven considerations, I bet that you can land the best and suitable fabrication company you need. Remember that their products and services matters to your business, so don’t just hire anyone without applying these considerations.


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What does a Steel Fabricator Do?

Steel Fabricator in the Philippines Job Description

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Truly there is a demand for steel fabricators in the Philippines and with this matter; a lot of young students are looking forward to a land career in a fabrication company in the country.

To help the young aspirant fabricators, I list here the job description and responsibilities of a steel fabricator.

Nature of the Job

Basically a steel fabricator creates and assembles metal products that would be used in construction of buildings, bridges, vehicles, houses and other infrastructures that is made of steel or metal. The man ensures that the metal parts would fit perfectly with the other parts and that conforms to the specified sizes and thicknesses.

Responsibility

The responsibility of the job may vary, depending on a lot of factors. Many steel fabricators are focused on the production of small metal components needed in electronic equipment, while others specialize in the production of large metal panels and connecting it together with fasteners or welding.

Tasks may include:

• Operates fabricating machine, such as brakes, rolls, shears, cutter and drill presses
• Bends and straighten metal by hammering, chipping and grinding it
• Use hand torch or furnace to pre-heat work-pieces
• Fits and welds metal parts together
• Design and creates templates and fixtures
• Checks if a work-piece meets the specifications by using square, ruler and measuring tape
• Fabricate and assemble sheet metal products
• Set-up and operate machine tools associated with fabricating shops, such as radial drill press, end mill and edge planer

Required Education and Training

Fabricators must have the skills in welding, soldering and metallurgy. He needs the ability to interpret blueprints and technical drawings to correctly assemble products. Average knowledge in math is required to calculate temperance and adjust construction angles. Skills in reading complex instructions are required. Oral communication abilities are also needed to effectively work with other steel fabricators since much of the manufacturing process involves teamwork.

 Required Skills

Steel fabricators should have mechanical skills as they would operate different plant of the machines. As they would often measure thickness and sizes of metals, basic knowledge of trigonometry is also required. A skill in welding, metallurgy and soldering is a must. He would often assemble metal pieces based on a blueprint so he needs to be able to interpret this technical drawing and understand complex instructions. 

Work Environment

A steel fabricator usually works in a manufacturing or production plant. The environment is noisy and the air quality may not be safe without gears because of the petroleum products they used to lubricate the equipment. For safety purposes and to avoid health hazards, this job requires protective eye wear, dust-resistant mouth and nose shields or welding masks.

Hoping that all the information provided in this blog will help you prepare to land your dream job. If I missed anything, please let me know by dropping your comments and feedbacks below.

Related Post:

How Steel Fabrication Companies are making the World a Better Place

Careers in Metal Fabrication Industry

Did you know? 5 Interesting Facts about Steel Fabrication

Have you played a role playing video game? If so, you are familiar with a character type of Blacksmith? Yeah! I love being a blacksmith in an rpg game.  Did you know that Blacksmiths really exist in modern day? Yes they are and their modern name is Metal Fabricators.

Just like in an rpg game, Metal Fabricators do very cool things. Here I list 5 interesting facts about metal fabricators and their steel fabrication projects back in history.

Did you know that?

1. The first fabricators are the ancient Egyptians, approximately around 4000 BC when they learned how to bend and shape gold to fashion jewelry. This is the earliest form of metal fabrication written in history.
2. During the building of Sydney Harbor Bridge (1924-1932) over 4000 riggers, painters, laborers and blacksmiths were employed and surprisingly, there were no welders. Why is that? Because at this time welding was still in its infancy and therefore no welding carried out. How the bridge was then built? Simply, 6 million steel rivets held the bridge together.
3. In 1889, Eiffel Tower was built and contains 18,038 pieces or wrought iron. All of which had to be fabricated and held in place by over 2 million rivets
4. The world’s tallest building – The Burj Khalifa – uses just over a half the amount of steel that is contained in the Empire State Building, yet at its height of 828m, Burj Khalifa is 385m taller!
5. Over 50% of all products that are available require either some form of fabrication or some work of welding.  The computer you are currently using to read this post, the table your pc lays, the chair you are sitting on are some examples, as well as the boats, bridges, cars, air crafts, mobile phones, properties and a lot more.

Wow! These things are amazing. Give credit to steel fabricators. Without their skills and expertise, I don’t think we have these amazing structures. Thanks to their effort and dedication.  The metal fabrication technology is definitely growing as the years passed by. Can you imagine what we have in the future if they continue to improve this?

Really amazing! Clap clap for Steel Fabricators!

This article is made possible by: TKL Hardware and Construction.

The ABCs of Metal Fabrication

Metal fabrication for an ordinary person is hard to understand. They may say, “Ok I got it “or “Yes I understand”. But the truth is they don’t really understand what metal fabrication is all about. The question is; “Is it essential for an ordinary people to know about this thing?” For me, it is a BIG YES. Why? Simply because we live in the age that we utilize the use of metals, where-in we use this hard thing as a solid foundation for modern day building and structures.

This is the very goal of this writing, for us ordinary peeps understand the process. So what really is metal fabrication? Here is its ABC’s – literally A-B-C but let’s get it this way, C – B – A

Metal fabrication is building of metal structure through CUTTING, BENDING and ASSEMBLING Process.

source: http://image.stockcarracing.com/

Cutting – this is done by sawing, shearing/chiseling, torching with the use of hand-held torches, and via numerical control cutters – using a laser, torch or water jet. This is the very first step. Through cutting you are preparing your materials.

source: http://www.barnshaws.com/

Bending – or can I say forming?? This is done by hammering either by manual or powered by press breaks and similar tools. Fabricators nowadays utilize the use of press brakes to either coin or air-bend metal sheet into form.    

source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/

Assembling – simply joining the pieces. This is the final part of the process. This is basically done by welding, binding with adhesives, riveting, threaded fasteners, and more bending in the form of a crimped seam. Structural steel and sheet metal along with the welding wire flux and fasteners that will join the pieces are the usual starting materials for fabrication.  

With this ABCs (or CBAs) we clearly sees what is metal fabrication and how is it done. Metal fabricators cut the metal, bend it to form the structural shape and lastly assemble them into the metal structure we desired. It’s very simple right? Where’s the hard stuff now? Metal fabrication is as easy as ABC!

For more cool stuff about metal fabrication you may click here.

Finding Your Metal Fabricator

source: http://www.atc-midwest.com.au/

If you are in the metal fabrication industry, your fabricator is your asset. He is your man! Every metal item you sell is a product of your fabricator. It is essential for you to have this kind of guy to increase sales and to have a good market reputation within the region.

How to find the right man for the job?

There is no specific, guaranteed ways to find him, but I got you some tips than sure can help!

EXPERIENCE

This is the number one qualification and requirement for your man, to be productive, as well as for you to have trust and confidence in him. It demonstrates his track record that holds the reason for his present success and reputation. This kind of a guy will definitely help you avoiding process errors that can lead in wasted time and money. Very unfortunate if happened, I hope not!

You and the company will surely benefit from a fabricator that has experience and knowledge in:

•       Industry Standards, Regulations, Relevant Codes and Ethics
•       Knows what is the most effective and efficient methodologies that will not suffer cost and quality

SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES

For your fabricator to be successful, he should have the set of skills as well as the right attitude in order for him to meet the specific challenges of the project.

Important areas to look for are:

Design capabilities -  he can understand and work from any drawing, whether digital or print copy, also has the ability to translate these drawings into shop drawings and most importantly, he can work a design from scratch.

Materials capabilities – he can work with available sufficient range of metals as well as range of sizes and thickness

             Production capabilities – a wide scope of skills and expertise, includes but not limited to the following:

source: http://www.fabricatingandmetalworking.com/

·         Cutting

·         Metal forming

·         Welding

·         Assembling

·         Fastening

·         Metal finishing – painting or blasting

·         Etch.

He must also produce quality outputs. You can check this by the following criteria:

·         Regular inspection and monitoring of the machinery and equipment

·         Quality Control monitoring of products

·         Meets Client and Industry standards

·         Work side by side with the upper management, clients and subordinates

Management Capabilities – it is not enough that your fabricator is skilled, it is essential that your man has also good management skills so that you will be properly informed about the status of the projects. Your man must provide:

·         Project Time Line and Deadlines

·         Project Status and Reports

·         Quick response to client’s issues and concerns

·         Trouble shooting and accurate problem solving

·         Proper Coordination with the clients and management

These are just some of the tips that definitely help you find the right man for your company. Will you consider them? I hope so.

Hiring this kind of fabricator is not easy at all, but it worth the patience, for this will surely increase your sales, profits, market value and reputation of your company.

This article is made possible by TKL Hardware and Construction.