Common Design and Fabrication Mistakes in Aluminium
Blog | November 13th, 2018Fabricated aluminium furnishings exude polished appeal. They’re highly functional, amazingly attractive, and they impart a stylish finish. Anyone can make a mistake, of course, but that fabrication error should never reach the end-line product release station. Any post-processing work would be wasted on such a dysfunctional item. No, such common design and fabrication mistakes cannot be allowed.
Identifying Major Fabrication Mistakes
A new sourcing manager has made a mistake. The alloy sheets and extruded parts are not work-friendly or weldable. A decision is made to replace them with a cost-effective, machinable solution that’ll work with the current tool configuration. Weldable, the selected alloy won’t crack or be susceptible to burn-through issues. For example, series 1xxx aluminium is weldable and ductile, but 5xxx alloys balance weldability, formability, and corrosion resistance. Finally, is the fabrication project designing a new catering setup or equipment that merely has to look good? For the designer, the difference between the two application possibilities means sourcing two entirely different series.
Avoid Design Over Fabrication Blunders
Everyone in the cooking industry likes seeing a beautifully turned counter edge or an arcing stove hood. Made from polished aluminium, the furnishings are easy to clean and structurally rigid. At least that’s the case if the equipment designer has done the job properly. If the curving profile doesn’t channel accumulating water and grease away from the cooking surface, a little stream of hot fluid is going to end up on the floor, where it’ll cause some unfortunate member of staff to slip and tumble. Design as an apperance-oriented art is all very, but not if it compromises the equipment’s functional features. A sharp-radius turn on a cabinet or counter is acceptable, but not if the sharp curve impacts structural integrity.
Addressing Basic Fabrication Misdeeds
In aluminium fabrication, the alloy series dictates a whole range of process critical product features. The alloy is clearly a lightweight material champion, and it polishes to a bright shine, although its aluminium oxide coating does blunt that otherwise dazzling shine. Curiously, although corrosion resistant, there are a few conditions that impact that last statement. For example, scribing tools, a standard part of a fabrication shop, can weaken alloy surfaces and introduce crack-prone zones. Even a graphite pencil can cause production problems, and that’s because graphite is a form of carbon, an element that could introduce galvanic corrosion to the sheet metal.
There’s more to think about when different aluminium series are brought in to fabrication shops. If weldability is considered an issue, what about cutting tools? Coarse cutting wheels and other abrasive tools can, yet again, create crack-prone spots on the sheets. Essentially, then, fine-edged tools, the right alloy family, and the correct aluminium-centric tooling configuration are all essential here, for aluminium work requires a finer processing setup. Even bending stations, those that use sharp-edged inserts, can cause creases and cracks to form.
Stecor Engineering & Fabrication
1/13 Crawford St, Braeside VIC 3195
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Phone: (03) 9028 4130
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