Contrary to what some people in pop culture circles might believe, metal fabrication is not a tall tale told by a heavy metal band. Nor is it the process of making metal. Rather metal fabrication is the process whereby machines, structures and products (or widgets) are built out of metal. Likewise, what many people also don’t realize is that metal fabrication involves more steps than they might think.

Shops that specialize in metal fabrication are called fab shops. If a fab shop is commissioned to work on a project, they will pass through the various steps of planning, engineering, obtaining raw materials, cutting and burning, forming, machining, welding, and the final assembly. Depending on the project, a fab shop may need to perform other duties such as casting, forging, punching, shearing etc. If you have ever seen a stainless steel platform, industrial ductwork, or any other piece of functional, shaped metal, you have seen the fruits of a fab shop’s metal fabrication labor. Texas Sheet Metal Houston (TSM Houston) is one such fab shop with a proven record of quality metal fabrication.

Of all the steps that a fab shop will go through to produce a high quality metal fabrication, welding is perhaps the most important one. After parts have been formed and machined, a welder essentially puts it all together according to the engineering plans. Basically, if planning is like a metal fabrication movie script, welding is the editing. After the welding is done, the final touches are added (painting, sand-blasting etc) and the project is complete – ready to be distributed.

The metal fabrication project can be a long and intensive one, but fab shops like TSM Houston, will be there to take them on one job at a time.