Explaining the Differences between Steel Fabrication and Steel Welding
28 April 2021
Depending on your level of knowledge on the subject, this blog topic may seem confusing to you. It’s common for the terms ‘steel fabrication’ and ‘steel welding’ to be used interchangeably, but in fact, the two are very different processes.
As steel is an alloy that contains iron, it can be an incredibly reliable material to create a variety of items. We think it’s important that customers understand the process to appreciate the orders that they place. The experts here at Buy A Beam deal with many steel suppliers who use varying processes to meet customers requests, so we’ve created this guide to help you differentiate between fabrication and welding.
What is Steel Fabrication?
Steel fabrication is a precise and potentially complex process. It consists of numerous individual processes, all of which involve the transformation of raw steel into a required object. Structural steel fabricators are generally occupied with metal cutting, machining, and bending to create the requested items.
The fabrication process often starts with trimming the supplied steel down to the required size. Fabricators complete this task using different cutting machines, including mechanical saws, laser cutters, and plasma torches. A steel fabricator will then use a lathe to remove sections of the metal to create holes for bolts to pass through. Bending machines such as stretchers and shears can then add any necessary angles to the piece of metal.
Depending on the requests that steel fabricators receive, they may also be required to layout and design the item before fabricating it. The range of skills needed in structural steel fabrication is that the tradespeople involved in this task have to learn various talents and understand which methods and equipment to use to create the best result. One of the many skills required is welding, which has a very particular purpose.
What is Steel Welding?
Steel welding is, as already mentioned, a singular process that requires particular skills and experience to be completed correctly. The principle of welding is straightforward; two pieces of steel are melted at a certain point to create a join, which, once cooled, becomes a solid and secure singular piece of structural steel. The explanation is simple; however, the process itself is not. Professional steel welders have to specifically train for this task due to the various parts of the role and the skills required, making welding a lot more complex than it seems.
Numerous different welding techniques exist, each of which has its particular strengths and weaknesses. Some of the various welding techniques used include:
- Shielded metal arc welding
- Gas metal arc welding
- Flux core arc welding
Given the different systems in place for welders to use, it’s not surprising that various tools need to be utilised correctly. Items such as welding clamps, torches and consumable electrodes are often used, along with the necessary safety equipment.
The complexity of the process means that specific training and certification are required before welders can complete this task professionally. If you see the term ‘coded welder’, a professional in the field has completed a Welder Approval Test for a specific welding technique. To achieve this, the welder will provide a welding sample that mirrors the desired job as closely as possible, which an approved test examiner then examines to check whether the welder can do the job to the required standard.
The Differences Between Steel Fabrication and Steel Welding
As experts in various steps of creating structural steel products, fabricators have knowledge and skills in a variety of metalworking strategies. In contrast, steel welders have the specific task of permanently bonding multiple pieces of steel together. However, in many situations, welding and fabrication are intrinsically linked. Steel fabricators occasionally use welding as one of their processes to complete a task as efficiently as possible, whilst steel welders can achieve specific fabrication tasks.
Despite these links, many companies (including many on Buy A Beam’s supplier lists) wouldn’t instruct a coded welder to handle every task of a steel fabrication project. Steel welders and fabricators have different skill sets, and they must all be utilised correctly to complete specific tasks.
Find Local Steel Fabricators and Welders
If you require structural steel from a local company that you can trust, look no further than Buy A Beam. We are your one-stop shop for buying structural steel online, and in just a few clicks, we can find your local structural steel fabricators who can create exactly what you’re looking for. Orders can be placed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we provide all the pricing information to help you make your decision. Interested? Simply enter your postcode here to see what is available in your local area.