The project report includes Present Market Position and Expected Future Demand, Market Size, Statistics, Trends, SWOT Analysis and Forecasts. Report provides a comprehensive analysis from industry covering detailed reporting and evaluates the position of the industry by providing insights to the SWOT analysis of the industry.
Fabrication is the process of constructing products by combining typically standardized parts using one or more individual processes. For example, steel fabrication is the production of metal structures using a range of processes such as cutting, bending and assembling. Metal fabrication will often form a complete assembly made from smaller sub-assemblies for use with readily available standard sections. This is achieved with computer-aided designs (CAD) that are often programmed using computer numerical control (CNC) technology which communicates directly with machinery on the factory floor. By using these technologies, the quality standards of production are increased and higher quality assemblies are produced. This ensures a more accurate and quicker steel erection time on site, which is vital in high volume production, reducing cost for the customer through better material utilisation and faster assembly times.
Fabrication and manufacturing are industrial terms linked to the process of production or construction. Often, the two processes are confused, yet they are very different from each other.
The key difference between manufacturing and fabrication is how much of the process a job involves. Fabrication involves the assembly of standard or specialized parts to form parts of a product to be used in the manufacture of the finished piece. Manufacturing, however, is a start to finish movement, from the creation of parts through to the final assembly to produce a finished product, often using areas of fabrication within the manufacturing process.
As with other manufacturing processes, both human labor and automation are commonly used. A fabricated product may be called a fabrication, and shops specializing in this type of work are called fab shops. The end products of other common types of metalworking, such as machining, metal stamping, forging, and casting, may be similar in shape and function, but those processes are not classified as fabrication.
Fabrication comprises or overlaps with various metalworking specialties:
• Fabrication shops and machine shops have overlapping capabilities, but fabrication shops generally concentrate on metal preparation and assembly. Machine shops cut metal, but focus primarily on the machining of parts on machine tools. Some firms do both fab work and machining.
• Blacksmithing has always involved fabrication, although that term has not always been used.
• Welder-produced products, often referred to as weldments, are examples of fabrication.
• Boilermakers originally specialized in fabricating boilers, but the term is now used more broadly.
• Millwrights originally specialized in setting up grain mills and saw mills, but now perform a wide range of fabrication.
• Ironworkers, also known as steel erectors, also engage in fabrication. They often work with prefabricated segments, produced in fab shops that are delivered to the site.
Cutting is done by sawing, shearing, or chiseling (all with manual and powered variants); torching with handheld torches (such as oxy-fuel torches or plasma torches); and via numerical control (CNC) cutters (using a laser, mill bits, torch, or water jet).
Bending is done by hammering (manual or powered) or via press brakes, tube benders and similar tools. Modern metal fabricators use press brakes to coin or air-bend metal sheet into form. CNC-controlled back gauges use hard stops to position cut parts to place bend lines in specific positions.
Assembling (joining of pieces) is done by welding, binding with adhesives, riveting, threaded fasteners, or further bending in the form of crimped seams. Structural steel and sheet metal are the usual materials for fabrication; welding wire, flux and/or fasteners are used to join the cut pieces.
A variety of tools are used to cut raw material. The most common cutting method is shearing.
Special band saws for cutting metal have hardened blades and feed mechanisms for even cutting. Abrasive cut-off saws, also known as chop saws, are similar to miter saws but have a steel-cutting abrasive disks. Cutting torches can cut large sections of steel with little effort.
Burn tables are CNC (computer-operated) cutting torches, usually powered by natural gas. Plasma and laser cutting tables, and water jet cutters, are also common. Plate steel is loaded on the table and the parts are cut out as programmed. The support table consists of a grid of bars that can be replaced when worn. Higher-end burn tables may include CNC punch capability using a carousel of punches and taps. In fabrication of structural steel by plasma and laser cutting, robots move the cutting head in three dimensions around the cut material.
Forming converts flat sheet metal into 3-D parts by applying force without adding or removing material. The force must be great enough to change the metal’s initial shape.
Forming can be controlled with tools such as punches and dies. Machinery can regulate force magnitude and direction. Machine-based forming can combine forming and welding to produce lengths of fabricated sheeting (e.g. linear grating for water drainage).
Proper design and use of tools with machinery creates a repeatable form that can be used to create products for many industries, including construction, civil and architectural.
Machining is a specialized trade of removing material from a block of metal to make it a desired shape. Fab shops generally have some machining capability, using metal lathes, mills, drills, and other portable machining tools. Most solid components, such as gears, bolts, screws and nuts, are machined.
Welding is the main focus of steel fabrication. Formed and machined parts are assembled and tack-welded in place, then rechecked for accuracy. If multiple weldments have been ordered, a fixture may be used to locate parts for welding. A welder then finishes the work according to engineering drawings (for detailed welding) or by their own experience and judgement
The India fabrication market is expected to grow at 5.5% during the period 2022-2027. This is owing to factors, such as the increasing demand from the manufacturing sector, the rising preference toward pre-engineered buildings and components, and government initiatives toward infrastructure development activities.
It is intended to prepare a Feasibility Report to install 5000 Ton/Month Fabrication Facility of Steel Items as a Green Field Project.
