Equipment Used by Structural Steel Fabricators

Specific Structural Steel Equipment

Structural steel fabricators use different tools, which are all required for the various processes involved. Each steel fabrication tool plays a vital part in creating the high-quality finish that structural steel provides. The experts here at Buy A Beam will go through some of the required tools below and explain why they’re necessary for structural steel fabrication.

Plasma Cutter

A plasma cutter is a tool that cuts structural steel by melting it using an accelerated jet of hot plasma. This thermal cutting process works by intensively heating compressed gases, which turns them into plasma, before firing it onto the steel to cut as necessary. Plasma cutting is used in fabrication shops and industrial construction and is a low-cost process. Due to the extreme heat involved, it’s essential to follow all health and safety requirements, in particular ensuring that your eyes and face are covered.

Gas Torch

Gas torches are standard tools used in steel fabrication to cut and weld structural steel together by applying extreme heat. Oxy-fuel welding involves joining separate sheets of steel together, using the temperature of the gas torch to melt the pieces of metal. The resulting molten steel can be pressed together and left to dry to create a single piece of structural steel. Oxy-fuel cutting also uses gas torches; however, it also requires a stream of oxygen to cut along the necessary shape once the steel has begun to melt. Gas torches are typically used in small-scale fabrication and require all standard health and safety precautions.

Beam Lines

Beam lines are machines that can drill, saw, punch, and shear various steel sections such as H beams, I beams, angle steel, flat bars, rectangular and square steel sections. Most commonly used in steel fabrication workshops, beam lines bring flexibility and versatility to the process of steel fabrication, meaning that they can significantly increase the quality of structural steel. Beam lines require all of the standard health and safety precautions.

Hand Shears

Hand shears are very commonly used within structural steel fabrication, as they cut steel without forming chips which can reduce the attractiveness of the structural steel sections. They come in either an electric version or a pneumatic version, depending on the specific needs that fabricators have for their shears. Structural steel fabricators use this device in workshops, and strict health and safety measures need to be followed.

Press Brakes

Press brakes are used in steel fabrication to shape and contour structural steel beams. This process works by lowering a punch onto a piece of steel lying on top of a shaped die. As the punch is lowered, the structural steel bends around the die, which can be repeated until the required shape has been created. After this process, the steel sections are sent for welding to be assembled into the final product. Press brakes are great for converting steel sheets and strips into channels, girders, and angles and require specific health and safety rules to be followed.

Other Important Structural Steel Tools

Apart from the equipment mentioned above, specific to structural steel fabrication, there are various additional tools that any steel fabricator should own to complete the job and keep themselves safe correctly.

• Safety equipment - items such as cutting glasses and auto-darkening helmets are vital to protect yourself whilst fabricating structural steel, along with any other safety items specified for tools and machines that need to be used.
• Angle grinder and discs - these tools are very common and are used for cutting, grinding, and polishing different types of metal. Ensure that you purchase a durable angle grinder to get good value for your money.
• Angle finder - a beneficial tool that guides whilst cutting to create the correct angle used in many different fabrication tasks and is, therefore, an essential piece of equipment.

Find Structural Steel Fabricators Online

If you want to buy steel online, look at Buy A Beam for an easy, hassle-free solution from local structural steel fabricators. Our online shop gives you the platform to order thousands of steel products, with a built-in, free steel beam calculator to provide you with instant prices based on your requirements. If you wish to register as a local structural steel supplier, contact us today to discuss becoming a supplier in your area.