How does custom aluminum fabrication work?

Aluminum fabrication is one of the most practiced types of metal fabrication as aluminum is the metal of choice for a wide array of products and industries. Here is how it is done.

Aluminum fabrication is a broad term that is inclusive of any process that involves the cutting, shaping or moulding or aluminum into the desired product. Stock aluminum can be available in sheet, rods, and rods in a wide array of specifications. With the advancement in the technology and the prototyping capabilities of the aluminum fabricators, many new fabrication techniques such as CAD modeling and CNC manufacturing techniques are now the standard for custom aluminum fabrication.

Custom aluminum fabricators are well known for the final fabrication of your prototype or your product. However, they also tend to provide their clients with design and production assistance which results in a much more efficient product.

Types of custom aluminum fabrication services

Custom fabrication services are of great assistance to the client in all stages of the product development process. Whether your requirement is a one-off prototype or complete batch production of the aluminum product, the following custom services are of great importance.

Designing

Designing is the conceptualization and the creation of the design that is in the designers’ mind. In some cases, the design is also analyzed for the real-life situation in a virtual simulation.

Built

This is the phase of the actual production of your prototype or your product. This is where your ideas start coming to life.

CNC of aluminum in action. CNC is highly precise and can produce the results swiftly

Finishing and assembly

This is the phase of the fabrication under which final finishing touches are given to the prototype/product. The quality and the aesthetics are also improved via post-fabrication treatments.

From all the mentioned stages above, the design phase is most critical. It is important that sufficient time and care is put into the process once designing something new. With the modern CAD designing and CAM manufacturing, the days of huge fabrication errors based upon the 2D models and high human error while machining is long gone now.

With modern programs, the client and the fabricator must work closely in order to make sure that the design proposed by the client is viable and will achieve the all-important structural integrity once manufactured.

Types of custom aluminum fabrication services

As discussed earlier, custom fabrication services are helpful in all stages of the product development process. Any shortcomings in the designing of your aluminum part might result in the structural weakness, a mismatch in the dimensions or any other sort of attributes that may compromise the quality or the appearance of your product.

In order to make sure that you have the optimal results for your product/product, it is ideal that the following custom design services should be considered;

Conceptualizing

Assistance in the conceptualizing of your custom prototype is essential. It provides you with the general idea of how your product should look according to the properties aluminum such as the appearance, versatility and the strength of aluminum. With a master in the field of conceptualization, you can see your ideas of your aluminum product come to real life.

A 3D concept model of BMW i8. Any changes in the design can be done directly on the CAD software

 

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

Once the design of your custom aluminum part is being conceptualized, it is ideal to turn to CAD manufacturers who can come up with 3D computer designs of your conceptualized design. With a virtual model, you can easily modify or alter any small detail that you want to without changing the overall design.

 

Why aluminum instead of all other metals?

Though you may choose from a wide array of metals for your custom prototype, aluminum is the material of choice by many designers and manufacturers due to several reasons discussed as follows.

Aluminum is a corrosion-resistant, lightweight and flexible metal that is rather inexpensive as compared to other readily available metals in the market. Aluminum also requires little maintenance once finished and polished to its final part. Aluminum also resists corrosion to a great degree, and as a rule of thumb, it is more resilient than most of the other stainless steels.

Thin aluminum rods packed together

Aluminum is also weather resistant, therefore, no matter in what weather conditions you are living in, aluminum is highly likely to stand through it all. Therefore, the aluminum part is favored by many designers. Speaking of the manufacturers, aluminum is also malleable, and the aluminum sheet metals have low density and are relatively thin. Therefore, it is easy to store and transport them.

Choosing the right custom fabricator for yourself

Choosing the right aluminum fabricator is essential for the success of your product/prototype since the production quality, the manufacturing rate ad the cost- and time-effectiveness of the project lies in the hand of the fabricator. Once choosing the right fabricator for your aluminum prototyping needs, the following aspects should be considered;

Experience in the field

It is crucial that the fabricator must be in the market for a long period of time in order to have a good idea on what the demands of the market are and how to precisely machine a part.

Production type

It is important that the fabricator must have the latest machines and the technologies needed for the manufacture of a product. In this modern age, it is must that the fabricator specializes in the CNC and rapid manufacturing techniques.

Industries served

A fabricator serving a vast majority of industries tend to have a better experience and know what each client needs out of their design. Such clients are also more versatile and recommended to go for.

Though many fabricators work directly off the CAD/CAM drawing provided by the clients, they may not have the capacity to help the client identify or assist in any design related issues. At Wayken, we provide counseling, modifications, amendments and supreme custom aluminum fabrication that is unmatched by its competitors.