What Are The Different Ways of Cutting Metal for Fabrication?

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What Are The Different Ways of Cutting Metal for
Fabrication?
Cutting is one of the most important processes
for Metal Fabrication. In most of the cases, its
the foremost step as well. For the metal to be
altered into different shapes and sizes, it needs
to be cut with required precision and expertise.
Different metals differ in quality and properties
and therefore different cutting methods are
required to cut them. In this article we will
discuss about the different ways of cutting metal
for fabrication.
Manual Cutting For small scale jobs, manual
cutting may be preferred to get the desired shape
out of a metal sheet. Mostly, only thin and
flexible metals like thinner gauge
aluminum, copper, brass, etc. are preferred for
this kind of cutting. Hand tools are employed to
do the work manually. This method is not ideal
for cutting smaller pieces as it might just break
the metal instead of cutting them into precise
sizes.
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Grinding Grinding is preferred for doing high
quality jobs when the surface of the metal
requires to be smooth and polished. In this
method, a grinding machine is used, which
consists of an abrasive wheel. Friction is used
to wear down the surface of the metal to get the
desired finishing of the product. Laser cutting
Its the latest technology involved in metal
cutting and is increasingly being used for the
process. High powered and concentrated beams
facilitate the cutting of the metal with the help
of a focus lens and other laser parts. It is an
automated process where the design is programmed
into the computer which controls the laser. Laser
cutting is a very consistent and steady process
which is used to cut metals of precise
measurements. It offers unmatched flexibility by
accurately extracting the most complex of designs
out of metal sheets. Welding or Burning As
the name suggests, heat is the medium to cut the
metal. Intense hot flames are used to cut the
metal by burning and melting it. Plasma cutters
are the latest technology to support this method
of metal cutting as it provides high degree of
accuracy because of much higher temperature. In a
plasma torch, oxygen or other inert gases are
pumped through its nozzle at a tremendous speed
along with an electrical arc. Its the most
accurate method after laser cutting. Water Jet
This method is mostly favored for metals that
dont go well with heat. Under this method, a
highly concentrated jet of water cuts through the
metal to get the desired shape. The
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• water is often mixed with abrasive compounds to
  ease the process of cutting metals.
• Punch Another much employed method of cutting
  metals, punch involves the use of extreme
  pressure to force sharp blades into the metal and
  cut them. Though it might sound similar to manual
  cutting of metals, machines are capable of
  putting much more force than humans and
  therefore, are able to cut heavier metals at a
  rapid speed. Its one of the most productive
  methods of cutting metals.
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