5 Things to Do Before for Your Next OSHA Crane Inspection

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There were over 5,000 fatal work-related injuries in 2017 in the United States.

That’s a startling statistic.

OSHA performs inspections to ensure that equipment and businesses are following safety regulations to prevent injuries.

Having a crane inspection can be a stressful experience. You want to be sure that you’re adequately prepared so that you can pass with flying colors. Check out these five things you must do before your next OSHA crane inspection.

1. Be Prepared  

You should always be prepared for an unexpected OSHA inspection. OSHA inspections can happen virtually anytime. It’s rare that you get a heads up before they show up.

When you’re already prepared and know what to expect, it will help your odds of passing and relieve stress. You should be educated on OSHA crane inspection requirements so that you know what will be looked at during the visit.

2. Mind Your Manners

You should always be polite and treat the OSHA inspector with respect when they arrive for a crane test. Professionally conduct yourself and avoid oversharing. Treat them with kindness so that they can return the gesture.

If, however, the visit becomes tense or the inspector becomes confrontational, keep your cool. You will also want to call the OSHA office and let them know of the situation.

3. Give Responsibilities

Prior to the OSHA visit, you should already know who within the company will meet with the investigator. This responsibility should already be set in place. This person should be aware of all proper procedures and know where all important documentation is located.

4. Keep Documentation and Records

Speaking of documentation, you need to be sure that you keep good records so that you’re prepared for inspections. You should have documentation and records of all the training performed by all employees. All these documents should be in a safe place along with safety policies, insurance documents, performed maintenance, and third-party audits.

Along with keeping proper documentation of paperwork, you may also want to keep records of the inspection itself. While you’re with the inspector during the visit, consider writing down the things that he or she observes.

5. Understand Your Rights

It’s important to know that you and your employees have rights when it comes to an OSHA inspection. Employees are under no obligation to speak to the inspector. If an employee chooses to talk to an OSHA inspector, the conversation should not be recorded, and the employee is not required to sign a witness statement.

Pass Your OSHA Crane Inspection

When an inspector shows up for an OSHA crane inspection, don’t panic. Follow these tips and understand the OSHA overhead crane regulations so that you’re prepared to pass the inspection with flying colors.

Do you have questions regarding overhead crane inspections and crane load tests? Contact us today, and we will provide you with the answers you’re looking for.

Stopping Power: Is Your Caliper Brake Seized or Sticking?

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Heavy machinery causes up to 63 percent of heavy equipment operator deaths.  Sometimes the causes are easily preventable, sometimes freak accidents happen, and sometimes they’re caused by things we commonly overlook.

Today, we want to talk about the commonly overlooked. Too many operators take their braking system for granted. For those using pad-driven systems, the humble caliper often gets overlooked.

When caliper systems become seized or stuck, operators and those on the construction site are all at risk. Seized or stuck calipers drastically, and sometimes all together, reduce stopping power.

So to help keep you safe, we’re breaking down how to tell if your caliper brake is seized or stuck.

What are Calipers and How Do They Work?

Caliper brakes work in tandem with your brake pads to engage the rotors and stop your machine. Think of a brake system in three parts. First, you have the brake pads. They’re small, abrasive components that help stop the machine.

Next, you have the rotors. The rotors are circular metal components that the brake pads rub against to create friction thus stopping the machine. The calipers are the component that forces the brake pads against the rotors.

Your brake fluid creates hydraulic pressure within the brake caliper that then causes the pads to pinch against the rotor. The resulting friction stops your machine.

When you calipers seize or stick, they can no longer push the brake pads against the rotors. When the pads can’t rub against the rotors, your machine can’t stop.

What Causes them to Seize or Stick?

To understand why calipers seize or stick we have to know how calipers push the brake pads against the rotors. When you apply the brake pedal, hydraulic fluid builds pressure in the caliper which forces a piston to pinch the caliper together and engage the brake pads on the rotors.

Calipers frequently become stuck when that piston no longer moves. This usually happens because of corrosion. When your machine sits for too long, the piston rusts and the caliper becomes stuck.

Lack of brake fluid is another cause. If you’re low on brake fluid, the hydraulic pressure won’t build, and the piston won’t cause the caliper to pinch shut.

Symptoms of a Stuck or Seized Caliper

Stuck or seized calipers make driving impossible. Partially stuck or seized calipers make driving extremely dangerous. Depending on the issue, you’ll know that you have a problem based on how your machine reacts.

Calipers stuck closed will make a very loud grinding noise. You might also feel a “flimsy” brake pedal that depresses without much effort. Machines without any brake fluid won’t stop at all. The brake pedal will have zero resistance.

Repair or Replace?

Repairing a caliper is the cheapest (upfront) solution to your woes. Someone with a little bit of mechanical know-how can probably fix their own caliper. That said, like any mechanical part, calipers wear down over time. Every time your caliper gets stuck its lifespan significantly decreases.

Replacing your caliper will cost more upfront but could save you money in the long run. While repair is technically free, it does cost your time. And if you take it to the mechanic, you’re looking at a costly bill. If you replace your caliper, you’re ensuring that the piston won’t stick ever again.

Buying a Caliper Brake

Buying a new caliper brake is fairly daunting. Your local dealer will want to upsell you; the mechanic probably wants to upsell you as well, while third-party manufacturers don’t offer high-quality products.

That’s where we come into play. We offer top-quality industrial calipers for a variety of different applications. If you need help navigating our catalog, feel free to contact us. We’ll help ensure your machines are running smoothly.

Keep Your Jib Crane Running with Modern Upgrades

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As the construction industry has bounced back from the recession of a decade ago, construction hiring has shown no sign of slowing.

Even with systems that are more efficient than ever before, there’s no shortage of people needed to work and supervise them. To stay competitive, you need to modernize every element of your worksite, from better-trained staff to replacing every old component on your jib crane.

To keep your jib crane moving faster and more efficiently, make some of these modern upgrades.

Sometimes You’re Forced to Modernize

If you’ve been inspected recently, you might have seen issues with your jib’s equipment. Whether or not your crane passed the OSHA inspection is irrelevant if you noticed problems that need to be fixed. Having a regular inspection is essential for things to move safely and efficiently, but you can also uncover inefficiencies in your hoist equipment.

If you want to extend the life of your crane and keep from dealing with costly downtime, look for wear and tear on components that do the most work. If you notice your reels aren’t working the way you need to, look into some modern motor-driven reels to keep things moving.

Even hoist brake technology could help you if you notice your brakes aren’t in the shape you want them to be in. With a new set of hoist brakes, you get more accurate movement and help ensure safety on your site.

Sometimes Old Parts Aren’t Available

If your crane is getting older, you’ll notice it’s gotten harder to find the components that you need to keep it running. If you’re only able to find used components to replace the OEM parts on your crane, you should consider upgrading. You’ll work more efficiently and have parts you can depend on with an upgrade

Bumpers and buffers are one type of component that can be hard to find. If your crane hasn’t been manufactured for a few decades, finding unused bumpers and buffers is going to be a considerable challenge. When you buy new buffers and bumpers made with modern materials, you get more durability from components that are much easier to track down.

Sometimes Safety Means Everything

Control systems for cranes are changing rapidly. Even older cranes are now being outfitted with remote-controlled systems. The operator cab can be removed altogether in some cases.

Rather than putting personnel at risk on the floor of a massive worksite, having a crane that works via radio control saves lives. You can maneuver a crane hook all over a site without worrying about safety. You’ll move and operate cranes with great ease, never once putting anyone at risk.

A Jib Crane Needs Constant Work

Even though it costs a fortune to buy a jib crane, you need to maintain it consistently to get the most out of it. If you want to ensure that you have equipment that lasts as long as you need it, replace components with better elements if possible.

For a maintenance checklist to use on your crane, check out our guide.

Fastest Way to Get Oil Rig Parts Now

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Oil rigging remains a crucial means to extract natural gas and petroleum far beneath the earth’s floor. In 2018, there were well over 900 onshore oil rigs in the US alone. In this same year, there were over 180 offshore ocean oil rigs worldwide, working hard to process oil through drilled wells.

With so much commerce at stake, it’s important to find replacement parts fast. If you’re a rig’s Installation Manager, you need a purchasing process that helps you reach the right oil rig parts when you need them most.

Read further to find out how to shape a procurement process and find the parts that are right for you.

Rig Industry Basics

Oilfield parts companies sell wares to many different kinds of drilling rigs. These rigs are classified as either offshore or onshore rigs.

Offshore and onshore rigs share some similarities. They both use disc braking systems to control draw works. They both have projecting girders raised with hoisting systems.

Onshore models use cable tool drilling methods to raise and drop a metal bit into the ground. This metal bit penetrates the earth’s service.

Offshore rigs are either fixed or floating platforms. These offshore platforms fall within the following general formats:

Semi-submersible Rig

This rig model is a floating deck reinforced by pontoons and mooring lines. Semi-submersible rigs can operate in water depths over 12,000 square feet.

Drillship

Drillships are used at remote locations and operate and water depths around 10,000 feet. These “floaters” stay put with anchors and computerized positioning devices.

Jack-Up Drilling Rig

These rigs operate in shallower depths up to 500 feet. The Jack-up rig power system lower’s support legs to the ocean floor and raises the platform above the water’s surface.

Barge Rig

These offshore vessels are towed to their location where their hull is filled with water. These rigs work best in shallow areas and can drill in depths between 10 and 20 feet.

Oil Rig Parts Procurement and Planning

With so many different rig styles in operation today, it’s best to find an oil rig parts supplier that has the correct inventory to meet your specific needs. For example, if you’re operating a Semi-submersible Rig, you’ll need a steady supply of position-keeping propellers for quick repairs.

It’s also important to find the right company that can provide maintenance or service on surface or down-hole equipment. These companies not only sell you your oil rig parts but are also capable of making the repairs or workover that your rig might need.

The best way to make sure the right oil rig parts are available when you need them is to create a maintenance replacement plan. Maintenance replacement plans will allow you to have a stockpile of extra parts and limit your waiting for parts to arrive.

Your maintenance repair plan should also address the different power systems you have in place for your rigging option. These systems help protect your rigs ailing components until the scheduled repairs or replacements are necessary.

Next Steps

Create your oil rig maintenance replacement plan today. Regular attention to these factors can help extend your machinery’s lifespan.

Perform regular maintenance reviews on your hoist or circulation systems. These power systems will keep your rig alive until replacement parts arrive.

Keep an extra supply of augers and hydraulic hoses on sight. Without them, your production could come to a grinding (and expensive) halt.

Don’t forget to check out our website for more information on resourcing oil rig parts.  It’s our job to help you in all ways possible.

How to Avoid a Massive Crane Failure

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Cranes have many uses in the industrial world. They help to make light work of heavy-lifting tasks that would take time and a lot of workforces to complete.

Although no crane user wants to experience crane failure, it may happen at their workplace. This may result in downtime, but also cause injury and even death.

From 2011 to 2015, 220 total crane-related deaths occurred, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). As a crane user, you should take all the necessary steps to reduce this number.

Before starting any crane operations at your workplace, take the following precautionary measures.

1. Carry out Inspections to Avoid Crane Failure

Consider implementing a crane maintenance and inspection program.

The program will allow you to document the inspection results and use them to solve future problems. Inspect the machine by abiding by the manufacturer’s regulation.

Hire a certified crane inspector to conduct this activity.

2. Enact Policies on the Crane’s Operations

You can enact company policies to help prevent overhead crane accidents. The guidelines may offer insights on the integrity of the crane and worksite hazards.

Ask your workers to stick to a specific load rating and capacity of the equipment they’re using.

Take disciplinary action against employees that breach workplace rules.

Install collision-avoidance gadgets or circuitry on your cranes to implement your safety regulations.

Other devices to install include weigh scales, overload limiting gadgets, stop-limit and slow-down switches. Make every operator accountable for using these devices.

3. Train Your Personnel in Crane Maintenance and Operation Safety

Your company’s technicians must be knowledgeable about the safe practices for operating cranes. Their expertise should lie in troubleshooting, maintaining and repairing crane parts. Train them on worksite conduct and job-site safety.

Mandate your employees to use hand signals, warning lights, and radios to communicate crane failure. Ensure that they have the contacts of the technicians needed to initiate repairs.

They should also stay updated on the CMAA guidelines and other safety policies.

4. Grease the Bearings of the Sheaves Regularly

Lubricate the bearings of the crane’s sheaves to prevent crane noise.

Greasing helps prevent wear and tear caused by friction. Though this exercise is tiring and time-consuming to execute, it enables you to save the money needed for sheave repairs.

Your technicians can use rigging to access the sheaves and grease them.

5. Get a Crane Suited for a Specific Use

Cranes come in various forms, which each style tailored to a particular application. The smallest ones facilitate lifting operations inside workshops. You can find tall tower cranes used to construct high-rise buildings.

Ensure that your company the right crane to prevent injuries, damage or crane failure.

Don’t Let Crane Failure Degrade Your Company’s Productivity

Mitigate crane failure risks by carrying out routine maintenance and inspections. Seek out a competent person to identify mechanical problems in parts such as the crane motor. Check for damaged parts, worn-out wiring/ropes, fluid leakages, and cracks.

We perform modernizations and upgrades on crane equipment. We can also perform repair work on the equipment. We stock a range of crane spare parts to make the repair process smooth and fast.

Contact us in case you can’t find the part, product or service you need or to request a quote.

5 Signs of a Bad Clutch to Watch for with Your Farm Equipment

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When the clutch goes in farm equipment, it can take machinery out of action for weeks. The cost of farm vehicle downtime is too high a risk for large commercial and small farms to take.

That’s why it’s important to replace your clutch before it breaks. You’ll be able to plan maintenance downtime around other essential tasks, and your farm equipment won’t break right when you need it most.

Check out these signs of a bad clutch in need of repair. If any of your farm vehicles are showing these signs, it’s time to schedule a replacement before it breaks.

Signs of a Bad Clutch in Farm Equipment

The symptoms below are common indicators that an industrial clutch is in need of immediate replacement if you don’t want to face costly downtime of your equipment.

1. A Sticky Clutch

A clutch that refuses to come back with your foot is a sure sign of the slow road to failure. The clutch should return to the disengaged position as your foot moves up and away from the pedal. If it takes time to return or stays in the engaged position, there’s a problem.

A soft clutch is bad too, as this reduces the overall control the operator has over the equipment. However, a sticky clutch can make farm equipment tricky to operate and unreliable as changing gears becomes difficult.

On secondary clutch systems, you may also notice a belt pulley takes longer to come to a stop.

2. A Hard Clutch

Rather than sticking in the engaged position, a hard clutch is difficult to operate for both engagement and disengagement.

When pushed, a clutch should respond with a small amount of force to engage. A too-soft or too-hard clutch makes farm equipment challenging to operate and results in a rough ride when changing gears.

A secondary clutch, such as on a pulley system, may take longer to engage as a sign of a hard clutch on a more complex tractor and thresher systems.

A sticky two-stage clutch will result in difficulty finding the mid-way point between full disengagement, engine disengagement, and PTO disengagement.

3. High Engine Revs When the Clutch Is Engaged

Does the engine rev higher than usual when the clutch is depressed and fully engaged?

This is a sign of a slipping clutch, caused by a worn friction plate. Less friction on the flywheel and pressure plate causes higher engine revs, slow acceleration, and faster clutch disengagement.

If you’re unsure if the clutch is slipping, but there is a distinct burning smell accompanying slightly higher engine revs during clutch engagement, that’s a sure sign of a slipping clutch.

4. Strange Noises During Clutch Use

Carefully listen when you take the clutch through every motion. Strange sounds, squeals, hissing noises, or any loud clicks are all signs that something is wrong with your clutch.

A clutch should run smoothly without any additional noise. Familiar noises, such as squealing, could be a simple repair such as adding grease or removing rust. However, as soon as your clutch makes an abnormal noise, it’s time to take your clutch apart to diagnose the problem in case a full replacement is required.

5. Not Enough (or Too Much) Pedal Give

A good clutch should have about two inches of give when depressed before it begins to engage.

If your clutch travels a long way before engaging, or engages almost instantly when touched, it’s a sure sign that a repair or replacement is needed soon.

Where to Buy Your Industrial Clutch Replacement

If your farm equipment is showing any of the above signs of a bad clutch, it’s time to arrange downtime for the machinery urgently. You can then investigate and repair or replace parts without the detrimental effects of a sudden breakdown.

However, finding replacement parts can be difficult. Many industrial clutch parts are specialist and hard to track down.

We’re experts in finding custom or rare parts for industrial and farm machinery. If your clutch needs replacing, get in touch today.

7 Common Problems Caused by Overhead Cranes and How to Avoid Them

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Crane accidents result in loss of human life and can cost billions of dollars in property loss.

Unfortunately, many of the overhead crane accidents that occur could have been avoided with regular maintenance or proper operation.

We’ve gathered this list of seven of the most common problems seen in overhead cranes in hopes that you’ll avoid your own disaster on the job.

Keep reading to find out more about what to watch out for when using this potentially dangerous type of heavy machinery.

1. Damaged Wire Rope

Over time, the wire rope can become damaged due to normal wear and tear. It can also be damaged because of improper operation or environmental factors.

The three ways to tell a wire rope is too damaged to use are when you spot:

  • Birdcaging or unraveling of the strands
  • Corrosion
  • Visible damage

Immediately stop if you notice any of these during an inspection or operation.

2. Bent or Damaged Hooks

Another part of the overhead crane that can become damaged over time is the hook. Most often, these are damaged because of overloading. When they bend, there’s a higher chance they could break and lose the entire load.

3. Worn Out End Truck Wheels

The end truck wheels can become worn out naturally over time, or wear out more quickly than they should because of malaligned runways. Either way, if these wheels aren’t replaced as soon as necessary, it could spell disaster.

4. Malaligned Runways

If you hear loud scraping sounds, notice strange movements of the wheels or abnormal wear on the wheels, there’s a good chance the runways are malaligned. This is another problem with cranes that requires immediate attention.

5. Faulty Circuit

An overhead crane requires a large amount of power. Even so, it shouldn’t be blowing fuses regularly. If it is, it might have a faulty circuit which puts your entire team at risk.

6. Interrupted Contact

Another electrical problem many cranes have is with poor contact between the collector and the contact bars.

Interrupted contact can be caused by:

  • Alignment issues
  • Oxidization
  • Corrosion
  • Carbon graphite buildup

When contact is interrupted, it makes the crane far more difficult to operate, even for the most skilled of operators. This makes for a hazardous situation.

7. Electrical Hazards

This final common problem with overhead cranes has to do more with the operation of it rather than the crane itself.

When crane operators aren’t paying attention to their surroundings, they may come into contact with electrical lines. This can cause the entire crane to become electrified and often leads to the death of the operator and others nearby.

Want to Learn More About Over Head Crane Safety?

Now you know what some of the most common problems are with overhead cranes. Keep an eye out for these things, and you can help prevent a disaster in your company.

If you want to learn more about overhead crane safety, check out our blog. There are tons of posts there to help you better understand all types of heavy machinery.

5 Must-Follow Mine Safety Tips to Prevent Mining Accidents

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Mining accidents now claim more lives than ever worldwide. According to the Chicago Tribune, deaths and injuries reached an all-time high in 2017 with 15 deaths occurring in the United States.

And more recently, a mining accident in China killed 22 miners. But many of these mining accidents can be avoided sparing the lives of many mining professionals.

If you work in the mining industry, here’s what you need to know about mining to keep yourself and your employees safe.

5 Safety Tips to Prevent Mining Accidents

Accidents aren’t intentional, but they’re often preventable. Here are five crucial mine safety tips.

1. Be Aware Mining Is A Dangerous Business

The first thing you need to keep in your mind is that mining is a hazardous business. Be diligent of your surroundings while you work. You need to be vigilant and alert every second.

Be aware of not only your own actions and surroundings but the people around you.

2. Protect Yourself with Safety Equipment

Having the best mining equipment is a must, but when you’re down below, always wear safety equipment. Check to make sure your workers have on helmets and are wearing safety glasses and safety gloves.

It might feel more comfortable to work without safety equipment, but in the event of mining accidents, it can be the difference between life and death. If you’re the supervisor, insist safety equipment must be worn. Many workers’ lives have been saved by wearing helmets.

3. Don’t Overlook Safety for Production Goals

During planning stages, it’s important to consider safety as well as efficiency. As a supervisor, you may want to cut corners to reach work deadlines.

But never overlook safety requirements to speed up production, save time and boost revenue.

Investigate potential accidents, always evaluate risks. When you discover a risk, inform your workers with specific directions on how to avoid each risk or the possibility of mining accidents while working in the mines.

4. Clearly Define Safety Procedures

In the case of a mining accident, employees need to know how to handle it. To make this happen, clearly, define safety procedures from the outset. When documenting safety procedures, list the possible incidents that could take place.

Then follow up the potential incidents with the actions that need to be taken and the appropriate supervisor to contact. To keep safety procedures in the minds of workers, post signs in areas where your mining team can view them.

5. Know and Follow Up-to-Date Safety Standards

It’s essential to keep up to date with the most recent safety standards. Make sure your company services all safety equipment frequently and the equipment matches the current standards for safety.

When equipment no longer meets safety regulations, replace the equipment immediately even if you have to delay your project timeline. Don’t permit your miners to use outmoded safety equipment.

Final Thoughts on Preventing Mining Accidents

While there’s no guarantee that all mining accidents can be eradicated, many accidents can be prevented when exercising proper safety precautions.

Follow these five safety recommendations to avoid careless mistakes that others have made to keep your team safe and in the know, avoid mining accidents and possible tragedies.

Kor-Pak is your go-to provider for braking systems for mining applications and much more. Contact us today to learn more about our competitively priced mining products.

Magnesium Vs. Aluminum: How to Choose an Alloy for Your Custom Casting Project

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Casting is the process of using molds or other material to shape metal. Like a snowflake, every casting project is different.

Die casting, for example, uses dies made of high-quality steel to create the shape of the metal part. Die casting is one of the most efficient manufacturing processes. It allows you to make hundreds of parts using the same custom dies.

One crucial part of creating a custom casting system is deciding on the best metal. Two of the most common metals are aluminum and magnesium. And they are often used in combination with each other or other metals.

In this article, we’ll take a look at magnesium versus aluminum for your next custom casting project.

Why Choose an Alloy?

When a metal mixes with another metal or element, it forms an alloy. Alloys are stronger than using the pure metals themselves, which is what makes them better for the manufacturing process.

Each alloy has different properties that affect the strength and longevity of the pieces made with it. Alloys need at least one metal to start with. Trace amounts of other metals and elements, such as silicon and copper, are then added.

Let’s take a look at the two most common metal bases for alloys: Aluminum and magnesium.

Aluminum Alloys

Aluminum is the most common metal used in die casting. It’s lightweight, but still structurally sound. And it’s the cheapest of all the casting metals.

Another great benefit of aluminum is that it is anti-corrosive. This gives your casted parts better longevity. It also has a high melting point which makes it stronger at higher temperatures than other metals, like zinc.

The higher the aluminum levels, the more risk you have of shrinkage or cracking. So it’s often mixed with silicon to allow for more fluidity. Or copper, which makes the alloy harder and stronger.

Magnesium Alloys

With magnesium, it’s weight is the biggest asset. Magnesium is the lightest of all alloys used for casting. It’s often combined with other elements, including aluminum, to create a lighter alloy.

Depending on your project, you may benefit from lower fuel costs by using magnesium parts instead of aluminum. Magnesium also takes less time to solidify after mold injection and is often considered to have better castability than aluminum.

Despite its advantages, magnesium is still not as stable as aluminum. It bends easier under stress. And it’s more expensive than aluminum.

Magnesium Versus Aluminum: The Choice is Yours

When trying to decide between magnesium versus aluminum, the choice is yours. Both metals create alloys that are useful for their respective applications.

Does your project call for stronger parts that won’t corrode over time? Then aluminum might be the best option.

Can you sacrifice some strength to get a lighter component? Then magnesium might work well for your design.

No matter what you decide, the experts at Kor-Pak are here to help you design your project. We want to see our customers succeed with custom fabricated parts. Contact us today to learn more about what we can offer you.

3 Top Techniques Metal Fabrication Companies Use on Custom Projects

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The very core of industry relies on the backs of metal fabrication companies.

Without them, we lose the ability of thousands of industries to operate as they do.

Even knowing this, what does metal fabrication mean? What do these companies do?

The answer is long and complex, but here are the basics.

Understanding Metal Fabrication Companies

It is always a good idea to know what you are buying before you buy it. Someone may tell you; you need a metal fabrication company. If you don’t know what they do, how do you know if that is the right idea?

What is metal fabrication? It is the entire process of taking raw metal materials and crafting them into useful objects.

The process includes smelting of metals, manufacturing alloys, and superalloys, and crafting these materials in the appropriate shapes.

The process has dozens of extra steps and techniques to get from raw materials to the machinery you need. Here are some of the more major ones.

Fabrication Techniques

These techniques are some of the most common you might request from a metal fabrication company. They are the foundation of altering raw materials to usable parts.

1. Cutting

Cutting is a simple action. When you deal with metal, a simple knife will not do. Working with metal requires precision and powerful tools.

A plasma torch is a standard tool for cutting through metal. The plasma torch can reach temperatures of over 45,000 degrees.

Other standard tools range from high power lasers to pressurized jets of water. Each of these tools can slice through metal with ease.

Cutting metal can be a dangerous process. This is why it is best to hire on professionals to do such tasks.

2. Bending

Bending metal into the perfect exact shape needs powerful, but accurate, tools.

Many machines need cylinders or curved pieces. You can’t hammer a piece of steel by hand and maintain that the precise curves and surface that the machine needs.

A key to metal bending is press brakes. These simple machines press the sheet metal between a wedge and a similarly shaped gap. This forces the metal to bend to the precise shape of the gap.

There are many other techniques. All of them based on a variety of bends and curves. A good machine metal fabricator can do any number of shapes as needed.

3. Welding

Sometimes you don’t need to alter one piece of metal but instead combine many parts together.

Welding is the act of superheating metal pieces along the connecting edges to melt them together. Done well, this creates a strong bond with minimal deformities.

Welding techniques range from handheld devices to large computer-driven machines.

Two common processes are MIG and TIG welding. MIG welding uses a continuous feed of energy through a single wire. TIG welding instead uses a tungsten electrode to produce the weld, using an inert gas like argon to protect the weld.

Fit It All Together

Metal fabrication companies put a lot of training and technology behind their process. The best in the industry have experts in their field and a refined process.

No matter what you might need, a good fabricator has you covered. Your business needs quality results, and we at Kor-Pak will lead you there every time.