Among the variety of products marketed by steel fabricators are steel kitchenware, which can be found in many people’s homes, and steel gardening products, which are used by consumers as well as commercial property managers and landscapers. Steel reinforcements and wire are used in the construction of buildings, bridges and other large structures. Read More…
Leading Manufacturers
Maysteel Industries, LLC
Allenton, WI | 262-251-1632Maysteel provides complex sheet metal fabrication with a focus on design for manufacturing. Founded in 1936, we combine our extensive engineering experience and market knowledge with an expanding supply chain footprint, allowing us to fabricate products that others can’t. We design, engineer and manufacture custom OEM sheet metal enclosures, kiosks, cabinets and racks. We have locations in the U.S. and Mexico, as well as partnerships in Europe. For more information, visit www.maysteel.com.
Ambox Limited
Houston, TX | 713-644-1931Since 1953, Ambox has been a company you can count on. We offer many metal fabrication services such as shearing, press brake forming, punching, welding, assembly, and finishing services. We specialize in taking complex products from prototyping through full-scale production. With our advanced equipment and techniques, combined with over 50 years of experience in a broad range of industries, Ambox is a leading provider of laser cutting, metal stamping & machining services. ISO9001 Certified.
M & W Shops
Union Grove, WI | 262-878-4220At M & W Shops, our mission is to continually improve through the utilization of best practices, workforce empowerment and the latest technology in order to be your top source for metal fabrication. Since 1972, our team has proven ourselves over and over again with projects varying from CNC shearing to punching and burning. Call us today to apply our advantage to all your custom metal fabricating needs.
Staley Steel Inc.
Pilot Point, TX | 940-686-6000Over 60 years of experience as a full service custom steel fabricator serving customer needs across the continental United States. STALEY STEEL has developed an affinity for handling complex projects on time and within budget. STALEY STEEL takes pride in developing long term relationships with our customers and enjoys an ongoing 85% repeat business. Contact us today for more information!
Milwaukee Metal Products, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI | 414-463-2090For over 100 years, Milwaukee Metal Products has been a family owned metal shop on Milwaukee’s northwest side. We are a reliable supplier of quality metal products to leading manufacturers in many industries and we strive to always provide the absolute best value for our customers. Now in it’s 4th generation of family ownership, Milwaukee Metal Products is led by CEO Betty Jane Parrott and is a certified Women Owned Business Enterprise (WOBE).
Automotive components, auto bodies, airframes, marine vessels and other kinds of vehicles can all feature steel in their construction. The steel used for each of these applications must, before it can be used, be refined from iron ore and alloyed with carbon and other additives. Some steel fabricators may be involved with this process, but most are involved with the forming processes that follow.
After becoming steel, raw steel must be shaped. Because a given metal shaping process cannot produce all varieties of metal shapes (the process that produces metal wire cannot also produce metal sheets), many processes are necessary to produce the range of metal products in use today.
The long list of contemporary metal fabrication methods includes roll forming, press brake bending, punching, stamping, welding, laser fabrication and many more methods. Once a collection of raw steel has been engineered to the right specifications, it is usually formed through a rolling or bending process.
Rolling is a popular steel forming method because it can simultaneously shape and strengthen the metal as it is processed. A roll former is composed of a long series of rollers into which raw steel is directed. The first set of rollers is designed to fit snugly around the contours of the steel, drawing the steel in as they turn.
In some cases, the rollers can be designed to compress the steel, which can strain-harden the metal, making it stronger. Each subsequent set of rollers' configurations differ slightly from the previous set, and the steel's shape changes with those configurations. By the end of the process, the steel has taken the shape of the last set of rollers, emerging as a newly-rolled product.
Other fabrication methods like press braking are less complicated as well as less automated. A typical press brake can create one bend in once piece of metal at a time, and they are often manually operated.