Advanced Custom Aluminium Fabrication to Fit Your Project and Production Requirements

Custom aluminium fabrication is the creation of an end product from raw or semi-finished materials, to meet specific project and production requirements. Instead of end products being assembled from ready-made components, this process is used when a job requires something other than a stock-standard product. The processes used by aluminium fabrication services providers depend upon the desired end-product. Fabricators often start with stock metal components, such as sheet metal and metal bars, and apply customisation or processing to create a new custom or specialty product. For example, an aluminium billet may be fabricated into a curved aluminium tube with the help of an extrusion process, followed by the folding of the tube.

The custom aluminium fabrication process may start with casting - where molten metal is poured into a mold or die, and allowed to cool and harden into the desired shape. This process is used for the mass-production of parts, and often involves the reuse of the same mould to create identical products. The casting process may also involve the creation of a vacuum. Permanent or semi-permanent mould casting may be used for this purpose. Sand casting is used for the creation of intricate designs, and it is generally more economical than other forms of casting.

Cutting and drawing methods

Aluminium fabrication services often involves cutting - fabricators cut a metal work piece into smaller sections. Modern cutting methods used in custom aluminium fabrication include waterjet cutting, plasma arc cutting, laser cutting power scissors and CNC cutters. Rotary die cutting uses a spinning cylindrical die to cut the material, while flatbed die cutting is used for cutting thicker metal materials. Drawing uses a tensile force to pull metal into and through a tapered die that stretches the metal into a thinner shape. In deep drawing, the end product has a depth that is equal to or greater than its radius. Deep drawing is used with sheet metal fabrication to turn sheets of metal into hollow cylinders or box-shaped vessels.

Folding, forging and extrusion processes

Folding is used by aluminum fabrication services providers bend a metal sheet at an angle. A press brake is used to create creases in the metal by pinching it. Forging uses compressive force to shape metal. Cold forging is done at room temperature while warm forging uses metal heated to a range of above room temperature to below its recrystallization temperature. It is one of the oldest methods of fabrication used by fabricators. In extrusion, the workpiece is forced through a die, reducing the diameter of the workpiece to the cross-section of the die. The resulting cylindrical item product is often a wire or a pipe. Impact extrusion is commonly used in steel fabrication to increase the strength of the part. Hot extrusion is commonly used in custom aluminium fabrication to keep the metal from hardening.

Machining and shearing

Machining processes such as drilling, turning and milling are used to shape metal by removing the unwanted material from it. A drill bit is used to cut a hole in the material that presses against the metal while being rotated quickly. Punching is used to hit the metal through or into a die to create holes. CNC punch presses are used by aluminium fabrication services providers for both heavy and light metal work. Shearing is used in custom aluminium fabrication to achieve a long, straight cut. The sheared edges are usually burred. This fabrication method is ideal for cutting smaller lengths and unusually shaped materials.

Stamping and welding

Stamping is used for indentation and forming shapes, letters or images in a metal panel or sheet. In welding, two or more pieces of metal are joined together through a combination of heat and pressure. Common welding methods used in custom metal fabrication processes include stick or arc welding, also known as shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), MIG welding, TIG welding and flux cored arc welding (FCAW).

Capacity planning tool for high product mix environments

Brisbane Metal Products (BMP) is the trusted custom metal fabricator in Australia. BMP uses a future-state value stream mapping (VPM) to show how information and materials could flow in significantly improved ways for projects. BMP’s capacity planning tools help them to regularly measure demand and available capacity, and adapt to takt time for high-product mix environments. This helps in determining the resources needed to proactively address bottlenecks and constraints in custom aluminium fabrication services and to allow for better output. BMP has over 50 years of experience in aluminium, stainless steel, brass, wire and other metal fabrication, and have completed projects for a variety of industries including spring and wire product manufacturing, aerospace, building and construction, architectural and structural metals manufacturing, machine shops and specialty manufacturing, among others.

BMP also owns advanced robotic automation equipment, CNC machines, cranes and other equipment required for custom metal fabrication - so that you get the right aluminium extrusion to fit your production requirement. BMP adheres to Australian fabrication standards and has nationwide distribution capabilities. The products produced by Brisbane Metal Products are of high quality and precision.

Expert Metal Specialists With over 50 years of experience we’ll ensure you always get the best guidance. Quality workmanship, client relationships, and reliability are the basis of our business and form a philosophy that we are extremely proud of.