Stainless Steel Fabrication: From Start to Finish
Shopping Product ReviewsStainless steel manufacturing provides us with an incredible variety of domestic and industrial products. The role of steel fabricators is to take the precast raw material and transform it into finished items, from shower trays to cutlery. Join us as we take a look at the nuts and bolts that hold this powerhouse industry together.
Stainless Steel Fabrication: A Brief History
In the days of old, there were many different types of metal fabricators. Jewelry making, for example, has been around since prehistoric times. The fledgling jewelry market was less about Beyoncé-backed “Put a ring on it” urges, and more about showing who had defeated the most tribal rivals to claim divine ownership of five acres of blood-soaked mud. It also required a bit more skill than the ability to drill and chew gold into a ring the size of a head. However, as metal fabrication (and humanity) evolved, it became increasingly sophisticated and specialized. Techniques were developed to increase the purity, durability, and strength of such products, and the blacksmith profession was born.
Blacksmiths hammered the earliest steels into forms as diverse as horseshoes, weapons, armor, tools, and jewelry. Then there were items like chains, padlocks, and keys, not to mention machine parts like siege engines, rakes, or even instruments of torture. While all of these required a wide variety of manufacturing skills, the range and quality of products is small compared to the wide range of products made by stainless steel fabricators today.
Stainless steel fabricators: experts and specialists
Given the ubiquity of stainless steel in modern industry, agriculture, architecture, hospitality, and in homes around the world, today’s blacksmith would really need to be a jack of all trades to understand the incredible variety of industries whom this profession serves.
Fortunately, with the industrial revolution came specialization, reducing the knowledge needed. These days, the best fabricators know how to make specific types of unique and durable products for each customer, and they also know the best steels for the job at hand. This division of labor, to use a term one would normally expect to hear from dreadlocked students spouting Marxism, provides a vital specification for the contemporary client. For example, a car is a car, but you wouldn’t take a Toyota problem to a Mercedes garage, would you? Stainless steel fabricators know their products, their customers and the support that is required after the sale. In fact, they have to know this in a market that demands experience and specialized knowledge.
The main reason for this is that such products will last a lifetime. It is used in the construction of buildings that are designed to withstand generations of weathering and in tools that must withstand decades of canvas and friction. It is used to make sterile, non-reactive containers for transporting everything from purified drinking water to hazardous corrosive materials, sewage and waste products. It is used in laboratories, showers and kitchens. On top of that, these products will never chip, crack, or rust. Have you ever wondered why Superman was called the Man of Steel? Stainless steel products are nearly indestructible, as well as being hygienic and cost effective.
The vast majority of steel fabrications are made completely to measure, adapting to the specific requirements of the client. Such manufacturers enjoy a working relationship that is more akin to partnership than client-client. Since they will be creating a unique product that will last a lifetime, it is in both parties’ interest to communicate closely. Stainless steel fabricators are well versed not only in the production aspect, but also in installation and maintenance issues.
Stainless Steel Manufacturing: Guaranteed Professionalism
Any manufacturer worth his salt will be able to give the customer a guarantee based on fundamental principles. These will relate to the fact that bespoke orders are a large part of stainless steel manufacturing, meaning projects come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. As industrial procedures evolve or trends in home aesthetics change, stainless steel fabricators must adapt to meet the changing needs of their customers. The client needs an experienced team that can work with them on the job, attending to their unique requirements and paying close attention to each stage of the project. An industry leading manufacturer will have a highly experienced team and a reputation established for years, if not decades. They will take the product from the beginning and will go through all the necessary stages, from cutting and shaping the prefabricated materials, through fixing and welding, to the finished and polished product, maintaining all the dialogue with the client to guarantee that the work meets the highest standards and quality. From start to finish, stainless steel fabrication should be an exercise in attention to detail and customer service.