Welding and Fabrication of Mild Steel: Do It the Right Way

01 September 2019

To a fabrication shop, what does a do-it-the-right-way methodology entail? That’s a question that can make a seasoned welder or machinist stop in his tracks, at least for a minute. The work-at-hand demands attention, and there’s a safety margin to remember, too. At any rate, free to think about the matter, we’ll ponder this issue. Come on, for an expertly addressed welding and fabrication operation, let’s determine our high-yield workflow.

Don’t Leapfrog S.O.P

Standard operating procedures make the difference. Between an average joe who’s working out of his garage and a professionally equipped fabrication service, one who has years of experience, there’s no real competition, right? Every time, without fail, a customer who’s pursuing a high-quality, performance-oriented shop owner will always choose a fully-equipped workshop. Moreover, the customer in question won’t choose someone who has no idea how to run that gear. The shortlisted engineering service must come with a qualified team of eager workers, with people who have the competence-tested goods to deliver a desired end service. Finally, before even getting onto the machine shop floor, there are dozens of decisions to make. Design plans need to be drawn up, discussions made between the client and the job manager, then there’s the tool setup work to address.

Competence-Tested Fabrication Skills

While it’s true that milling equipment and drilling benches are all entering a new and exciting development phase, they’re mainly made to facilitate mass production runs. CAD machinery and electronic workstations automatically fabricate parts. They accurately apply repeatably drilled holes and bends, plus all kinds of geometrically dense details. Moving on multiple axes, Computer-Aided Design equipment has indeed transformed our industry beyond all recognition. Still, they’re not about to replace a skilled journeyman. For instance, trained welders know the various ins-and-outs of coded fabrication work in a way that no machine can ever match. Likewise, master fabricators can incorporate fine details and artistically adorned elements in a way that no automated CAD system can duplicate.

The right fabrication and welding service carries out all necessary prep work. Again, that’s not a feature that can be attributed to an automated machine, nor is it one that’s usually awarded to a fly-by-night operation. Coded welders select the right seam procedures and positional joints, as assigned to a GMAW arc welding rig or an oxy-fuel setup. Aesthetical considerations are properly conveyed by customers, transformed into blueprints by design engineers, and transformed into real-world products by line fabricators. Repairs or revisions, original product designs or single-run customized part, the results are certain. They’re designed in-house and brought to life by professionals. That, in a nutshell, is how the Sureweld Engineering mission statement defines a quality-oriented workflow.