Metal Working Basics

Sheet metal fabrication involves transforming coils of flat metal, usually made of steel or aluminum, into the desired shape or product. The process typically begins with cutting the metal sheet to the correct size, followed by shaping it using techniques such as bending, rolling…

Continuous casting is a manufacturing process where a metal is heated until it liquefies and then continuously solidified while being poured in a mold. It is a very efficient technique to cast steel, aluminum and copper and manufacture semi-finished products such as…

Agriculture, mining, automotive: metal chains are used basically everywhere and are indispensable for our modern lifestyle. There are two basic types of classification: link chains (e.g. ship anchor chains) and roller chains (e.g. bicycle chains)...

The basic components of electrical cables are the conductor and the insulation. Cable manufacturing requires several steps. The first step, called bunching, consists in creating uniformly structured, flexible, and stable wire assemblies called bunches. After this phase…

Fasteners have become an integral part of everyday life. Stumbling upon screws, bolts, nuts, and washers is more common than one may think. Generally speaking, fasteners are manufactured from steel or aluminum coiled wire or round bar stock. Cold forging, hot forging, or machining are the…

Fasteners are elements used to connect and attach two (or more) structural units tightly together. The most common fasteners are screws, bolts and rivets. Invented by Archimedes, fasteners have been around for centuries, with the Industrial Revolution leading to mass production and…

What makes a reel a reel? And what makes it a spool, a drum, or a bobbin? What is the technical difference between these terms? There is no universal agreement to these questions. Sometimes they are interchangeable terms, sometimes not. They're all round, cylindrical objects around which…

Rope making, once a manual craft, is now an industrial process. Traditionally, workers twisted strands on long "ropewalks." Today, machines like tubular stranders take spooled wires, twist them around a central core, and repeat for thicker ropes. This creates strong, flexible…