Our Top Stainless Steel Assembly Methods

During the production of a high quality, precision made steel fabrication, each part of the process is equally as important as the other.

The design has to be drawn to the right specifications, the steel needs to be cut to the right dimensions, the assembly needs to be neat, robust and secure, and the finishing needs to be of a high quality.  If one or more of these processes is not carried out correctly or to the customer’s requirement, then the whole fabrication will be sub-standard.

Stainless steel assembly is a crucial part of the fabrication process.  The joining together of two sheets of steel or two or more components is an important part of the fabrication process.  If the product is not assembled correctly then the product will more than likely not be fit for purpose.

There are a number of methods used for stainless steel assembly.

Our top Stainless Steel Assembly methods are:

• Stainless Steel Welding

Welding is an important part of the fabrication process and requires skilled and qualified personnel to carry out this complex process.  There are five main types of welding:

• MIG (Metal Inert Gas)
• TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas)
• MMA (Manual Metal Arc) welding
• Spot welding
• Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)

Those carrying out welding will hold coded welder qualifications to BS EN 287, European Standard for the fusion welding of steel.  It is vital that this process is carried out correctly as a poor quality weld will affect the performance of the finished product.

• Stainless Steel Riveting

In this process, the stainless steel is usually pre-drilled or punched and rivets will be used to fasten the two pieces together.  The rivet is formed of a ‘head’, a cylindrical shaft, and a ‘tail’.  The rivet is placed into the pre-drilled/punched hole and the tail is then struck to make it flat, thereby securing the join.

• Stainless Steel Threaded Fasteners

Again, the stainless steel is pre-drilled or punched and the threaded fastener (bolts) are threaded through the holes and secured using a nut.

• Stainless Steel Bending

This form of stainless steel assembly uses CNC press brakes to bend the stainless steel to form a crimped seam.  This process is often used to join right angled component pieces together.

When producing stainless steel fabrications for the food production and preparation sectors it is vitally important that these assembly methods are carried out in a clean room environment to avoid contamination.  The seams and joins need to be smooth and free of lines, grooves and pits which could harbour bacteria and other contaminants.

C H Barnett provides a full stainless steel product production service.  For more information or for a quote, please call us on 0121 773 5222 or enter your details on our contact form.