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← Metal fabricator
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Articles
Articles
Articles
18
Welding methods in metal fabrication
Welding · 8 min
A review of the main welding methods a metal fabricator encounters daily — MIG MAG TIG arc welding and gas — with focus on what they are suitable for and which materials they are used on.
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Metal processing: chip-removing and chipless
Processing · 7 min
An introduction to the basic processing principles in the metal-working trade — divided into chip-forming and chipless processing — and the machines and tools that belong to them.
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CNC and modern production
Production · 6 min
An introduction to CNC technology in the metal-working trade — what CNC means, how a program is built up, and how the technology works with drawings and quality requirements.
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Material science: steel stainless and aluminium
Material science · 8 min
A review of the most important construction metals in the metal fabrication trade — unalloyed and alloyed steel stainless steel and aluminium — with focus on their properties designations and how choice affects processing and welding.
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Drawing reading and tolerances
Construction · 8 min
An introduction to technical drawing in the metal-working trade — projections, dimensioning, tolerances and surfaces — so you can translate a drawing correctly to a finished part.
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Corrosion and surface treatment
Material science · 7 min
A review of corrosion and the most common ways to protect metal — from galvanizing and painting to choice of corrosion-resistant materials — and how the surface is prepared.
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EN 1090 and CE-marking of steel structures
Standards · 9 min
A review of the rule set that makes it legal to sell load-bearing steel structures in Europe — EN 1090 with its execution classes requirements for welding coordinator and the factory's own production control. It is the framework for all serious construction welding work.
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Work environment in the metalworking workshop
Work environment · 8 min
Welding fume is not the only health risk in a metalworking shop. This article looks at the strains that wear down the body over time — noise, vibration, heavy lifting, repetitive work and chemical products — and how to work so you can sustain a full working life.
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Heat treatment and hardening of steel
Material science · 8 min
Steel can be made harder, softer or tougher by heating it up and cooling it down in certain ways. This article explains the basic heat treatments — hardening, tempering, soft annealing and normalizing — and why the metal fabricator must understand them even when he 'just' welds.
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History of metal fabrication: from the glow of the forge to the CNC hall
History · 11 min
Blacksmithing is one of mankind's oldest crafts. This article follows the trade from the Iron Age's primitive smelting furnaces through the Middle Ages' guilds and industrialization's steam hammers to today's computer-controlled production — and shows how tools, materials and knowledge have changed along the way.
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Welder certification according to DS/EN ISO 9606-1
Standards · 8 min
A review of why welders must be certified what DS/EN ISO 9606-1 requires and how a welding test happens in practice. The certification is the individual welder's counterpart to the company's EN 1090 approval and must be renewed continuously.
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Non-destructive testing of welds
Quality control · 8 min
An introduction to the most commonly used NDT methods in the metal-working trade — visual inspection, dye penetrant testing, ultrasound and x-ray. The article explains what each method finds and when to use which, without damaging the finished part.
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Welding fume and process ventilation
Work environment · 7 min
Welding fume is one of the most underestimated health hazards in the metal fabrication trade. The article reviews what welding fume consists of, why process ventilation at the source is the preferred solution, and how respiratory protection comes in as a last resort.
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Robot welding and automation in the modern workshop
Production · 8 min
Robot welding has spread from the automotive industry to smaller and medium-sized forges. The article reviews why companies automate welding, how a robot welding cell is set up, and what role the metal fabricator plays when the robot takes over the arc itself.
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Plasma and laser cutting of metal
Technique · 7 min
Plasma and laser cutting are both thermal cutting methods that have become a permanent part of the modern metal fabricator's workshop. The article explains how each method works, where they differ in price and precision, and what factors determine which method fits best for a given task.
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Soldering: soft soldering and hard soldering
Technique · 7 min
Soldering is an ancient joining method where an added metal melts and binds two items together without the base material melting. The article explains the difference between soft soldering and hard soldering, when to choose soldering over welding, and what surface preparation requires.
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Threads, bolts and fastening elements
Construction · 7 min
Thread is one of the most common assembly methods in metalworking. The article covers the metric thread system according to ISO 68-1, designation and tolerance according to ISO 965, as well as preload and securing against unintended loosening.
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Structure and specialties of metal fabricator training
Career · 8 min
A review of how the metal fabrication apprenticeship is built from basic course to main course what specialties you can choose between and what the journeyman exam entails. The article also looks at the career paths that open up after the journeyman certificate.
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