Why you should be a metal fabricator in 2019:
Metal fabrication is a profession that many of us don’t consider. If you’re thinking about adopting a new profession such as being a metal fabricator, this metal fabrication guide will explain all the details about being a metal fabricator, what metal fabrication is, and the perks and benefits.
What is fabrication/welding?
What comes to mind when you hear the term “metal fabrication”? Metal fabrication, in simple terms, is the art of molding steel or metal plates into various shapes through welding or other procedures and joining the smaller pieces to build a larger structure.
How one can become a metal fabricator:
Some people ask “Should I practice by myself in a workshop”? Well, many schools and training institutes are out there, such as ours, which provide an opportunity to interested people, so those prospect students can eventually have a successful career in metal fabrication. However, selecting the best metal fabrication school on the list is exhausting. American Fabrication Academy is the best welding school/metal fabrication school that gives professional training to students with focus on making them an expert in this field. So, if you want to pursue your career as a metal fabricator in 2019, you should visit American Fabrication Academy based in Corona CA.
What are the responsibilities of a metal fabricator/welder?
One cannot consider constructing a stable building without the help of a metal fabricator. Before actually doing work as a fabricator you must understand the basics of engineering designs. It is important to pinpoint the areas where metal welding is needed and to identify how the work will be done successfully. Welded structures should be built in accordance to the engineering drawings. For a metal fabricator, the use of metal forming techniques is necessary with learning engineering drawings. They should have an idea of how work is done through computer and manual operations. Other than that, a metal fabricator should know about industrial level welding, residential level welding and about the tools that are required for manufacturing the desired items.
Process of fabrication:
- The process of metal fabrication starts from using the raw material, i.e., selecting your metal.
- Then it comes to cutting the material and softening (heating) it by using different tools.
- After cutting the metal to the desired shape and heating it, the forming process can be started where in this stage you put pressure on the material to mold it into the shape needed for the current project.
Examples of work done by a welder/metal fabricator
As we mentioned earlier there are generally two types of metal fabrication, so by keeping this in mind remember that the work that is done differs from type to type.
Example of heavy fabrication work:
- Manufacturing bridge structures
- Building ship structures.
- Crane structures
- Constructing wind towers
Examples of light fabrication work:
- Metal work of motorcycle bodies
- Developing water tanks structures
- Metal chairs and so on
Not to mention, metal fabrication work includes the welding of broken structures to give them their shape, repairing of shafts, fixing of moving items likes plates or blades and the rebuilding of metal parts.
Is metal fabrication/welding the right profession choice for my career?
Why not? It is the right profession with a bright career if ones pursue it. If you are one of those who has an interest or love to build structures using their hands and their creativity, then this job certainly would suit you. Constructing metal structures using engineering techniques is truly an art. People who enter the metal fabrication profession aren’t ordinary people, instead they possess special skills and talent to do pressure related construction in structural fabrication. In short, it is an excellent choice for everyone because the metal fabricator profession is in high demand these days at the industrial level and earn handsome salaries as well.
What career opportunities or employment are for welding/fabrication?
In construction and manufacturing fields, metal fabricators are in huge demand currently. Bigger companies are looking for fabrication/welding experts for their tasks. The increase in demand is because the work done requires highly skilled people having enough know-how given the quality work, and that leads to generally high wages.
Here is the list of career or employment opportunities for a metal fabricator:
- They could hire by the companies on a permanent or contract basis.
- You can start your own business if you like to work on your own terms.
- If you get specialized training, such as underwater welding, you can get specialized jobs.
- You can become a welding or fabricator inspector to offer supervising to any company.
What skills must a fabricator/welder develop?
As a metal fabrication or welding tradespersons, you must possess the following skills set to become successful in your field:
- One must have a deep understanding of constructing metal structures of buildings.
- For a metal fabricator, understanding and interpreting engineering drawing is essential.
- You must know geometric development techniques to build structures.
- You should be aware of different welding processes, to broaden your horizons.
- A metal fabricator should have developed artistic skills related to welding so he can join a number of metals in multiple positions.
Is there any training or qualifications needed for fabricator/welders?
No one will hire you based on your interest or artistic skills regarding metal fabrication. When a company is paying huge wages to a person, they’ll look for an experienced and qualified potential employee. So when starting up your career as a metal fabricator it is essential that you enroll in a good program (American Fabrication Academy) to earn all the necessary certificates to get started.
