Laser cutters are used for a variety of applications across industries. Popular as one of the finest technology which guarantees high quality precision, the laser cutters are used for cutting materials like paper, plastic, metal, cloth etc. With CNC laser cutters, the output of the high power laser can be easily directed and managed. It increases the efficiency, guarantees better productivity and offers low operational cost.

Laser cutters are actively used in almost every manufacturing industry. In Textile industry, the laser cutters are used to cut sheets of fabric. Low power lasers are generally used for cutting these softer materials. Laser cutters are also used in sheet metal manufacturing industries to achieve good surface finish. It can also be used for modifying, fixing and various other processes involving metal cutting.
Rubber and plastic being softer than metals can be easily cut with low power laser cutters.

In order to create intricate designs, laser cutters are used for engraving decorative shapes and patterns.

Metal stamping is an extremely crucial process which plays a pivotal role in many complex industries. The high precision parts required for medical devices are practically impossible to be made without metal stamping processes. Similarly the automotive industry also largely depends on metal stamping for some of its critical parts. The components of brakes and airbags are generally made from metal stamped parts. Precision equipments which includes gages, landing gear, navigation systems and the aircraft engine used in the aerospace industry are customized during metal stamping process.

To achieve the high precision and accuracy there are excellent metal stamping dies involved during the stamping process. Depending on the degree of accuracy required, there can be different types of stamping die coming into the picture. The design of the die takes into consideration several factors like the metal required, expected volume of production, complexity of the part and tolerances. Let’s know more about the different dies used for metal stamping:

• Forming Die: Used for performing forming and bending operation. This type of die can perform many bends and forms simultaneously.
•  Blanking Die: This type of die is used for metal stamping which produces a flat piece without any holes. It can produce extremely accurate and flat parts.
•  Pierce Die: Metal stamping processes which involves punching of holes use this type of die.
•  Embossing Die: This is one of the most commonly used die for metal stamping where the die is used to compress the metal blank to emboss or raise into a form.
•  Trim Die: As the name signifies, once the metal stamping process is over, this die is used to remove excess material from the parts.
•  Compound Die: This type of die can cut outer periphery shape and punch internal holes with one press stroke.

The choice of the die depends entirely on the requirements of the metal stamping process. Metal stamping technique is versatile and its usage extends to various industries.

Metal Bending for sheet metal most frequently involves the use of sheet metal brakes which produces a V-shape, U -shape or any other desired shape as required. Typically there are five methods of metal bending currently pursued in the industrial sector today which includes rolling, hot bending, incremental bending, induction bending and rotary-draw bending. Mostly used for bending steel, each method has its own advantages. Let’s know more about each of the metal bending methods and understand how they work.

•  Rolling: A long strip of metal is typically passed through a set of rollers where each performs only an incremental part of the bend, until you achieve the desired shape or bend. Ideal for producing parts with long lengths, it is a continuous bending operation. This method which is also known as cold bending is cost effective when compared with the other methods of metal bending.
•  Hot Bending: This method of metal bending requires the member to be heated directly and then bent to achieve the desired bend. Excessively used in case of repair, this method of metal bending requires a heat source which can be either a furnace or a direct flame.
•  Incremental Bending: A highly flexible metal bending process, it is generally used for rapid prototype production. Basically this approach forms only a small part which is then moved over the entire product. This type of metal bending approach is best used for small series production as it only requires simple and cheap tools.
•  Induction Bending: In case of induction bending, the metal is heated using an electric coil. This method of metal bending assures amazing results when only a specific are of the pipe or metal tube requires bending.
•  Rotary-draw bending: By rotating the metal piece around a die, metal bending is achieved. This method can produce a tight radii and used mainly for complicated bends.

One of the most used welders is the MIG welder which uses a wire feed. MIG welders are used for a wide array of applications including both professional and personal projects. Welding services which uses Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welder has the weld puddle shielded by the inert gas. Argon is the most commonly used gas to shield because it is safe to use and doesn’t have any reaction to the welding process. For general welding services around your home, MIG welders are good enough to be used. However, there are certain important things to consider in case you are looking to buy MIG welder.

• Trigger: The trigger is one of the most important things to look for in a MIG welder. The power supply to the welder is controlled by the trigger which makes it extremely important for effective welding services.
• Torch: The very next thing which plays an important role is the torch. In order to enjoy high quality welding services, you may need to replace the torch when it eventually wears down. For this, it is always recommended to buy MIG welders with detachable torches.
• Chassis: The case that contains the MIG welder is known as the chassis. The chassis should ideally have a shelf at the back which can be used to store the gas bottle that needs to be used alongside the MIG welder.
• Wire Feed: For welding services involving MIG welders, the wire feed plays an extremely important role. Search for a design that allows you to control the wire feed speed.
•  The filler metal needs to be protected from the surrounding environment which is normally accomplished by using an inert gas. Welding services involving MIG welders can also use flux cored wires.

Welding services are extremely important for home and industrial use. The above mentioned tips will definitely help your search for MIG welders.

Micah & Co. is a professional sheet metal fabrication company in Sydney that specializes in all aspects of sheet metal manufacturing and other welding services. They are always searching for ways to improve efficiency in their processes, reviewing every detail of each step.

Sheet metal is popular in hospitals, food preparation or processing facilities, and many other industries. Thus the demand for sheet metal fabrication is high. This does not mean, however, that you should settle for any ‘just another’ sheet metal fabrication company. Quality is very important to ensure functionality and long service life.
If you need sheet metal fabrication done for your business, Micah & Co. can help you with every aspect of the process – no need to go to different businesses. They are a well-known company in the steel industry and are available for consult.
Products

Sheet Metal Design
Micah & Co. invests in high tech equipment for their company and provides ample training for their dedicated staff. This results in high quality products and excellent customer service. Innovations and improvements are core parts in the company’s business philosophy. Sheet metal fabrication is a complex process, but the staffs at Micah & Co. have it down to a science.

Sheet Metal Fabrication

The following are some of the tools that Micah & Co employs in its sheet metal fabrication process:
• CNC Turret Punch Press
• Customized Sheet metal Fabrication
• Guillotining
• Grinding and Polishing
• Laser & Plasma Cutting
• MIG & TIG Welding
• NC Folding 7 Axis processes
• Painting/Powder/Coating
• Single Sheet Metal Components
• Spot & Stud Welding
• Sub Assemblies
• Welding Services

Sheet Metal Folding – Metal folding is done in house by Micah &Co.’s experienced staff and can be customized to your needs. Before the folding process begins, engineers calculate all factors of bending physics such as bend allowance and bend deduction.
Sheet Metal Cutting – This is where the laser cutting technology and software shine. Micah & Co. has over 20 years of experience providing Australia with sheet metal cutting services and continues to hold a high standard and long service life for all of its products. They go above and beyond to satisfy their customers’ needs and make customer service a priority.
Services
Welding – For metals that require high-quality service finishes, repair castings, or pressure piping, the TIG welding technique is preferred. MIG welding results in less deformation of the material. There are many challenges in aluminium welding despite the low melting point of the alloys. That being said, Aluminium welding provided by Micah & Co. is promised to be the best quality.
Stainless Steel Fabrication – It consists mostly of metal bending and cutting. Steel fabrication is in high demand and Micah & Co. guarantees quality to all customers.
Laser Cutters – Micah & Co employs some of the most high-tech software in the field for sheet metal cutting. The computer numerically controlled (CNC) Turret Punch Press expedites metal stamping and allows the company to provide clients with high levels of component detail while still delivering the product on time and at a reasonable price.

Stainless steel fabrication is versatile and mostly refers to the process of bending and cutting. Due to its resistance to stains, rust and corrosion, stainless steel is considered extremely popular for steel fabrication. There are myriad different steel fabrication techniques which include work hardening, machining and welding. Irrespective of the high strength offered by stainless steel, it is malleable enough to be machined, welded, bent or folded.

Stainless Steel can be easily fabricated by all the standard steel fabrication techniques. Steel fabrication methods are widely used to create household appliances or vehicular parts etc. Work hardening with Stainless steel imparts strength through deformation and the process is relatively quicker when compared with other metals. The hardening rate completely depends on the specific grade of the alloy. The austenitic alloy can be only hardened through cold working. The work hardening method of steel fabrication also increases magnetism of stainless steel.

Machining stainless steel can be certainly complex because it involves chipping and machining. Steel fabrication involving machining can be definitely improved by using large tools to dissipate heat, applying coolants to the equipment, use of chip breakers, and use of machine tool that reduces vibration. The free machining grades have lower corrosion resistances when compared with non-free equivalents.
Depending on the grade of stainless steel used, there can be different levels of efficiency achieved by welding services.

The austenitic grade of steel can be readily welded. Using heat, pressure and electricity the appropriate process of steel fabrication is completed. In order to achieve superior accuracy, the steel fabrication companies make use of cutting edge technology to keep a track. Decorative motifs, grills and steel frames are some of the most common applications of steel fabrication. At slower forming speeds, steel fabrication results in greater deformation. There are several other processes which may be used during steel fabrication which includes ladders, pipes, hand rails etc.

Aluminium welding can be a lot easier when compared with steel welding, however one needs to be aware of the welding techniques and consult the documentation before proceeding with aluminium welding with equipments calibrated for use on steel. There are myriad basic techniques used for aluminium welding which includes MIG welding, TIG welding and with the use of stick electrodes.

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding requires post-weld retouches to ensure a flawless look. Using a wire feed for aluminium welding, the MIG welder forms the base of the welds which is guarded by an inert gas. The spray transfer method is used for aluminium welding with a MIG welder which creates tiny metal beads and presents a messed up look. The surface of the aluminium should be properly cleaned with a stainless steel brush.
The gas tungsten arc or the TIG welding method doesn’t require much cleaning and finishing after the welding process because the job done is considerably cleaner when compared with MIG welding. For quick and easy aluminium welding, this type of welder is considered highly effective. The TIG welder uses a permanent tungsten electrode which is not consumed by the aluminium welding process.

Aluminium welding which involves a stick electrode is considered as one of the least expensive methods of aluminium welding. The shielding is provided by the coating provided around the electrode. The welding process however requires considerable cleaning at the end of the welding. In case of stick welding, the electrode rod is entirely consumed.

However, use of MIG welder in case of aluminium welding is considered relatively tough because of the softness of aluminium which makes it difficult for the wire feed to be pushed through. There are many factors that make aluminium welding to work differently when compared with other metals.

Metal folding is an extremely important process in manufacturing industry. This process involves pressing and shaping of sheet metal on a bend press. Majorly used for making containers, cases, brackets and sections, this method allows product customization to suit your specific requirements. Sheet metal folding requires years of experience and a close attention to every detail to manufacture flawless products. To ensure best results, the parts must be of uniform thickness and consist of planes, cylinders or cones. By making a change in the part’s geometry, metal folding techniques creates a desired geometric form.
Metal folding will involve both compression and tension within the material. In order to understand the basics of metal folding one needs to have a fair idea of the punch die geometrics, setups and fixtures. The volume of the material remains same whereas the shape changes due to the metal folding process. Metal folding is also known to impart strength and stiffness to the sheet metal and definitely improves the appearance of the work piece by eliminating edges. The basic process of metal folding involves the work piece to be placed in between the punch and the V-shaped die.

Depending on the required bend, a work piece may need several metal folding processes. In case of metal folding, there are clamping beams which holds the longer side of the sheet metal. Based on the bend allowance, the sheet metal is fabricated. The resulting bend angle is greatly influenced by the tool geometry, material properties and angle of the beam. Tubes and pipes are satisfactorily bent using Rotary bending machines.

A hydraulic press can also be used during metal folding where the press will force the tube into roller dies. Sheet Metal Fabricator is committed to provide highly professional metal folding services at the best prices. The metal folding services is ideal for different fabrication applications.

Laser cutters as the name signifies involves the use of a beam of narrow-wavelength light called laser that produces in-step waves of identical polarization, frequency and phase. Laser cutters provide a short cut to brilliance with their high precision and accuracy. Devised to melt away the material it attacks, the laser cutters use a powerful beam delivered through the cutting nozzle. There are several advantages associated with the use of laser cutters, which definitely justifies its popularity.

•  In order to cut or mark intricate designs and drawing there are hardly any alternatives to the high accuracy provided by laser cutters.
•  The cut quality is excellent and simply brilliant.
•  The high processing speed of the laser cutters saves time and effort.
•  The heated zone is extremely narrow in case of laser cutters.
•  The oxidation layer left behind by the laser cutters is minimal and hence easy to clean.
•  You can also achieve oxide-free cutting when the laser cutters are used with nitrogen.
•  There is absolutely no need to change tools while working with laser cutters.
•  The low level of heat applied ensures minimal deformation of the cut sheet.
•  Small holes, bevelled surfaces and intricate designs which were earlier impossible with other thermal heating approaches are now easy to achieve with laser cutters.
•  You also have a higher control on tight curves due to the availability of real time control of the laser power supplied to the cutters.

In general, there are two basic cutting methods employed by laser cutters i.e. Oxidation cutting and Fusion cutting. The oxidation method is considerably quicker and cost effective for cutting of carbon steels whereas the fusion cutting approach protects the edges from oxidation and mainly used for aluminium, stainless steel and their alloys. The cut quality provided by the laser cutters invariably depends on the beam generation, its delivery, cutting gas configuration and the characteristics of the material.

Sheet metal fabrication is one of those revolutionary ideas in the history of mankind that have played a pivotal role in making modern life much more efficient and comfortable than ever before. Just try to imagine how our life would have been if there were no tools and machines as advanced as we have them now. The hard fact is that you can’t even imagine how long manufacturing companies would take to finish a product without the technology that we can utilize now. It would not be wrong to say that our desire to make our work less time consuming and complicated has led us to create useful and efficient sheet metal fabrication and aluminium welding technology.

Apart from the products that we use in our everyday lives, sheet metal fabrication holds a place of great importance in real estate industry. Home buyers are often advised to carefully consider the quality of sheet metal fabrication and aluminium welding work in the homes before they want to occupy them. There are a number of areas where sheet metal work is utilized in real estate properties. These areas include but are not limited to gutters, downspouts, windows and doors, ridges, chimneys and ventilation systems. Considering the importance of sheet metal fabrication and welding services, it makes sense to gain as much knowledge about these services as possible so as to take their advantage to the fullest.

Let’s start with sheet metal forming. Metal forming is an important component of sheet metal fabrication. Metal forming tooling, in turn, consists of two more components, namely the upper tool and the lower tool. Upper tool and lower tools are also known as punch and V-die respectively. These two tools are pressed against the metal in opposite directions to successfully form a bend in the process called metal bending. One of the advantages of advanced metal folding techniques is that you can obtain the same bend with many different combinations of V-die and punch nowadays. Generally, metals with excellent ductility are preferred to obtain a small bend radius in metal bending process.

Unlike metal bending, sheet metal stamping is somewhat more complex and consists of many procedures, such as drawing, piercing, and blanking. Metal stamping is done by using a stamping press. Though metal stamping can be easily performed on many types of materials, such as polystyrene, with sheet metal you can get outstanding results at very competitive prices. In sheet metal stamping, two of the most commonly used equipments are mechanical presses and hydraulic presses.

Another important process used in sheet metal fabrication is metal welding. Though not as complex as metal stamping and metal folding, it definitely requires much more precision and skill. Welding services are commonly utilized in metal finishing, dent repair and intricate sheet metal artwork. Exact welding procedures to be used are dependent on the nature and scale of the project.

Needless to say, all the processes involved in sheet metal fabrication require precision, creativity and patience to get desirable results. With the use of right tools, such as laser cutters, and quality material, manufacturing processes can become even easier and faster.
As the leading sheet metal fabrication company, at Micah & Co. we offer exceptional quality products and services created with a combination of cutting-edge equipments and unparalleled craftsmanship.