How to Go From 3D Modeling to a Quality Custom Metal Fabrication

Designing a product often begins with an initial concept, but turning that concept into a custom metal-fabricated part isn't always straightforward. This is where 3D modeling services can play a crucial role, helping to bridge the gap between your CAD designs and a clear 2D plan for metal fabrication.

It's vital to work with a structural steel detailer who has practical fabrication experience, including expertise in CAD, 3D modeling, and CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) software. These tools allow them to determine the most efficient processing methods for your part design. This is particularly important in structural steel detailing, where several steps must occur before a product design can proceed to further stages of development.

Let's start by examining the critical design phase and its role in the structural steel detailing process.

Design Analysis Drives Successful Metal Fabrication

As mentioned earlier, metal fabrication design transforms an abstract idea into tangible 2D and 3D forms. Think of your design as the "blueprint" for your custom metal fabrication journey.

After creating your initial product design, a steel detailer can use 3D modeling to produce shop drawings for the steel fabricator. This stage allows for any necessary modifications to optimize the part design for production. However, it's essential to recognize that just having a product design doesn't guarantee it can be manufactured as intended—especially for custom steel products. These often require adjustments during the transition from design to fabrication design.

This is why it's crucial to partner with an experienced steel detailer like Southern Metal Fabricators. They can act as your engineering and design collaborator, analyzing various factors to ensure your final product:

• Is manufacturable.
• Retains strength, durability, and integrity.
• Can be assembled as planned.

Forming Shapes That Define Your Product

Your structural steel detailing partner needs the capability to bend, shape, punch, and form metal to meet diverse custom fabrication demands. Custom metal forming involves shaping raw stock into desired forms using powerful industrial machines capable of precise alterations.

For instance, sheet metal rolling often uses specialized hot rolling for raw metal stock creation. Cold rolling, on the other hand, is commonly used for shaping sheet or plate metal into cylinders or curves. Plate rolling creates curves, while angle rolling forms precise angles, typically at 90 degrees.

Sheet metal bending uses both mechanical and CNC hydraulic press brakes to "bend" metal plates up to 12 feet long into any angle. Known as "press braking," this technique is a staple of our operations at Southern Metal Fabricators. With four press brake machines, our largest can handle ¾-inch steel plates, while our smaller ten-ton machine tackles delicate projects.

For heavy-duty steel punching, our 50-ton hydraulic web and flange beam punches provide extra force for mass production. Yet, when precision is paramount, we rely on our CNC 30-ton Strippit punch press for consistent results.

Cutting Precision Ensures Structural Standards

Custom metal cutting services are essential for meeting structural steel detailing specifications. The cutting process may involve specialized saws, shears, or extreme heat sources like high-definition plasma and laser cutters. Punching, a subset of cutting, creates holes or openings in metal pieces.

At Southern Metal Fabricators, we excel at cutting metal to nearly any size or shape—from delicate copper sheets to thick carbon-steel I-beams. Regardless of scale, our advanced machinery and skilled operators ensure adherence to nearly any specification.

Our metal cutting capabilities include metal sawing, CNC plasma cutting, steel plate shearing, and laser cutting, thanks to our state-of-the-art equipment, such as our Trumpf laser cutter.

Finishing Touches Enhance Quality Fabrication

A full-service custom metal finishing shop is vital for ensuring high-quality fabrication. At Southern Metal Fabricators, our extensive onsite finishing services include surface preparation and final finishing. Our expertise in structural steel detailing means we're aware of how quickly carbon steel can rust if stripped down to bare metal, so we immediately apply paint to counteract this.

Our custom finishing services include:

• Metal surface preparation: We prepare metal surfaces to grades SP1–SP10, using steel blasting for superior finishes while reducing time and labor costs. Wire brushing and metal bead blasting are also available.
• Hot-dip galvanizing: Often applied after a structure or sub-assembly, we also order galvanized material and fabricate with it—commonly done for outdoor industrial ladders and stairs.
• Metal fabrication painting: After surface preparation, controlled paint booths ensure a quality finish. Each layer of paint or primer is measured for thickness, with detailed documentation for jobs requiring strict tolerances. Direct-to-metal (DTM) paint combines primer and finish paint in one coat to protect metal from environmental exposure.

Custom Welding Ensures Strong Assemblies

In addition to structural steel detailing, Southern Metal Fabricators offers custom welding services to ensure every assembly and subassembly fits perfectly. Our certified welding professionals bring over 30 years of combined experience in all relevant codes and requirements governing custom metal fabrication.

We’re familiar with ASME and American Welding Society protocols, as well as Canadian welding standards (CWB). We consistently deliver quality products and supporting documentation throughout the process.

Our in-house welding equipment includes MIG gas metal arc welding machines, TIG welders, and stud welding machines. We’re also qualified to weld structural steel according to AWS D1.1 (carbon steel above 1/8” gauge) and AWS D1.6 standards (stainless steel above 1/16” gauge).

Selecting the Right Steel Detailer for Your Project

As noted earlier, it’s important to work with a structural steel detailer who understands your specific industrial requirements for custom metal fabrications. A good detailer should exhibit the following traits, especially during the critical fabrication design phase:

• Strong communication skills: Collaboration with designers and fabricators is essential to avoid issues if design changes are needed to optimize parts for fabrication.
• Familiarity with industry standards: Knowledge of standards like OSHA, AISC, and bearing limits is critical, especially if the fabricated product will be part of a construction project.
• Expertise in 3D modeling and design software: Familiarity with CAD, 3D modeling, and CAM software ensures effective creation of custom fabricated products. If necessary, detailers can consult with designers to refine parts for optimal fabrication.

Experience Matters in Structural Steel Detailing

Structural steel detailing and custom metal fabrication form the backbone of modern infrastructure, from agricultural silos to industrial ladders and water towers. Many steel manufacturers and fabricators trust Southern Metal Fabricators as their detailing partner due to our extensive experience and support systems.

With 32 years of fabrication experience and investments in cutting-edge automation, we serve as your trusted off-site structural processing center.

Visit our structural steel fabrication page to explore the benefits of outsourcing your next detailing or processing project. Contact us today to hear, “Yes, we can do that!”