Aluminium Fabrication Process

Introduction to Aluminium Fabrication Process

Aluminium is the third most plentiful element in the earth's crust. It is mainly mined as a bauxite ore, and it consists of 45-60% aluminium depending on the location of sourcing. Since the bauxite has impurities such as sand, aluminium is made by dissolving the aluminium compounds in sodium hydroxide. The unprocessed aluminium is then subjected to two processes to make the alumina into a metal.

The first process is the Bayer process; it is the process that refines the bauxite ore to get aluminium oxide, and the second process is the Hall Heroult process that involves the smelting of aluminium oxide to get pure aluminium.

Customized Fabrication

There are fabricators that will take in orders from clients and then manufacture the aluminium to fit the client's recommendations. When one is making an order one needs to specify the grade of aluminium that one wants fabricated as this is an important aspect of the aluminium fabrication process. One first gets the design of where the aluminium is supposed to be fitted and hands it over to the fabricator for the fabrication process. Measurements and technical specifications will be looked into in the design that is using the aluminium.

Technical Aspects

When one is looking into the aluminium fabrication process, there are several options that one can try out. Several fabrication methods such as the use of lasers produce a highly detailed outcome. In the fabrication process either done by professional manufacturers or done at home, one must maintain a level of safety. When working with tools it is important that one knows the basics that are required in working. How to handle different tools is one of the major points that is required in the fabrication process. Acquiring the basic safety knowledge of how to handle different tools used in the aluminium fabrication process can be done easily by following the manufacturer's user guide.

Using protective clothing such as goggles, gloves, overcoats and closed shoes while fabricating aluminium is a requirement. It is important that during the aluminium fabrication process that one has these safety devices on to prevent any mishaps or hazards that might come along during the production process.

Fabrication Tools

The tools that one should use during the aluminium fabrication process differ depending on who is conducting the fabrication. With industries and workshops the equipment that is used in the fabrication process is quite heavy. One will often find heavy machinery such as lathe machines and laser machines in the workshops and industries that indulge in fabrication of aluminium.

On a smaller scale, equipment such as drills, hand saws, files, mallets and punches will be used in the process of aluminium fabrication. One should make sure that the tools are kept in a secure location to avoid any loss and accidents. The tools that one uses in the aluminium fabrication process need to be kept dry and away from moisture to avoid the worst destructive force in tools- rust. One should also make sure that the tools one is using are sharp for conservation of energy, this will lower the degree of stress that the body experiences.