Custom metal fabricating is the craft for the skilled fabricators of Halifax Fabrication, beginning with raw metal and then working with it so that it can be transformed into different tools, shapes, pieces, and uses. Typically, this process is employed to create industrial machinery or pieces for machinery.

The fabrication process involves multiple steps and is typically engaged by a means of combining personal and automated processes. Our fabricators attend to the smaller steps, while our machinery checks for accuracy and take care of the steps a human cannot do as rapidly. By combining these, we can be sure that any metal fabrication is perfectly rendered.

Two of our specialties include custom metal driveway gates and custom metal docks.
 
Shearing
Shearing begins the process of custom fabricating and involves cutting huge metal sheets into smaller, more manageable sheets or pieces of metal. If starting with a smaller sheet of metal, to begin with, these can sometimes be cut by hand. Most of the time, however when it comes to the task of shearing metal sheets, it is advised to cut the sheets by machine. It’s more practical to do this because machines help to keep cuts straighter, and more accurate cuts, and they can easily cut through much harder metals. Shearing is an essential first step in this process because it makes the metal easier to deal with.

Forming
Forming is the second step of the process in which the previously cut steel is then bent into various forms and shapes. This is accomplished by employing specialized dyes or other materials that are meant to not crack or break the metal, while still forcing it into shape. In this process, the steel is bent and formed into a 3D shape, no longer only being a piece of flat metal. When working with softer metals, human hands can usually be used to bend and form them. However, if working with hard metal, it is best to employ machines that are designed to form metal into shapes, without taking any metal away.
 
Grinding
Grinding is the third step of the custom fabrication process. Once the metal is bent and welded into place, grinding helps to finish out whatever metal part is being worked with. Grinding is used effectively to remove any sharp edges and also helps to round out pointy corners. This makes sure that the metal pieces are safe to be handled by the end user. If the pieces we are working with are small in this step, we can use small hand sanders to make sure all rough spots are removed. If the piece is larger, it’s best to use industrial machines to finish the metal.
 
Finalizing
Finalizing is the fourth and last step in the custom metal fabrication process. This is a final go-through, looking for rough spots, flaws, or irregularities that may have been missed. It’s our last chance to grind them down and smooth them out. This is when we will also paint and treat the metal if it’s required. In some cases, we are intentionally adding a grain finish to the metal so that it performs as it should. For added protection and life span, we often add a sealant for protection as well. Then the time comes that we ship off the metal part to whatever client ordered it.

We'd love to talk to you about your next unique custom fabrication project.  Call 902-800-7971 now.