Shipbuilding is a complex process involving numerous raw materials and a fleet of talented fabricators. It is also a huge and ever-growing industry that can certainly be a cash cow for metal fabricators who specialize in crafting ship parts. Let’s look at three metals that are commonly used in shi...

From food and beverage equipment to roofing and gutters, shipping containers, and HVAC systems, there are nearly endless applications of aluminum sheet metal across several industries. It is so widely used because of its many advantages. For instance, it is easy to fabricate and resists corrosion be...

Carbon steel and stainless steel have countless applications and are two of the most common materials that custom fabricators work with. Both materials are extremely durable, but each can be more durable than the other depending on the application. Let’s take a closer look at carbon steel and stai...

Like most vehicles, boats and ships require fuel to operate. Unlike automobiles and aircraft, however, marine vessels must contend with saltwater, an element that can quickly degrade certain materials that are not strong enough to resist it. And you certainly wouldn’t want your fuel tanks degradin...

The finish of stainless steel refers to the appearance of the material’s surface after processing. Some finishes are smooth and shiny, creating a mirror-like effect. Others can feature a grain pattern that adds texture to the surface. The choice of finish is largely dependent on blueprint specific...

While different types of metal can have vastly different properties, they all fall into two general groups: ferrous and non-ferrous. The key and easiest-to-remember difference between the two is that ferrous metals contain iron and non-ferrous metals do not. The history of how these metals have been...

Custom fabricators use a range of tools to produce perfectly processed metal sheet, plate, and other parts. Two of the most popular tools are waterjet cutting machines and plasma cutting tables. How do these two machines compare in how they fabricate materials? Before we take a closer look, let’s ...

Waterjet cutting is a fabrication method that is employed to process metal plate. It is particularly useful when fabricating nonconductive metals, such as manganese, lead, and tungsten, which cannot be processed with a plasma burner (plasma cutting requires an electrical connection between the mater...

Sheet metal for HVAC ductwork is a popular product for professional metal fabricators as it is always in demand. Indeed, new buildings require new HVAC systems and older buildings may need new systems when the old ones fail, so specializing in sheet metal production for HVAC systems can certainly be...

For homeowners and business owners who are investing in a new HVAC system, the performance of the machine will be a key factor into which model they choose to have installed. But while HVAC manufacturers may be quick to boast about the energy-saving capabilities of their products, performance will a...