Metalworking is a branch of the mechanical engineering industry that supplies consumer goods, tools or parts made from metal, or machinery, to the other links in a production chain, and that covers their production, distribution and marketing. The concept of metalworking emerged more than 60 years ago and has since held an important place in production chains.
The importance of metalworking
Metalworking encompasses the tools and industrial machines that supply parts to other industries. It generally provides tools and machinery for working metals and iron alloys to produce capital goods; by capital goods we mean anything from machines to buildings and facilities used, in turn, to produce other goods and services.
For example, metalworking supplies the tools needed to produce other products in many industries. Metalworking, for instance, provides parts, tools and machinery for the food, automotive and textile industries, among others. These machines help create a production chain and thus deliver a product or service to the public.
But why is metalworking important? The answer is very simple. Without metalworking, most economic activities as we know them would come to a standstill. Without the machinery and tools that metalworking provides, it would be impossible to make consumer goods: cars and clothing could not be manufactured, and not only canned products but, in general, all foods that need to be processed in factories could not be produced.
Objective
The main objective of this discipline is to transform metal raw material into all kinds of parts, components and tools which, in turn, go into a final product. Examples range from small parts such as nuts, screws, bearings, flat bars and sheets to advanced machines. Together, they can produce anything from small tins for canning tuna to vehicle parts and spares, to name but a few.
Metalworking processes with machine tools
Metalworking is one of the most complex disciplines in industry and, as such, it requires qualified staff. Metalworking trades include millers, turners, grinders, foundry workers, welders, forgers, CNC or numerical control operators, among others.
Within the broad field of metalworking there are two very important disciplines: metallurgy and iron and steel making. The first specialises in obtaining and treating metals in their pure state, as well as producing their various alloys. Iron and steel making, for its part, is devoted exclusively to the technologies applied to iron – not only its production, but also alloying it with other elements such as carbon.
Turning
Turning is one of the main metalworking processes. It is carried out using a range of machines and tools that, in turn, allow various operations such as machining parts, threading, cutting, drilling, straight turning and grooving, by applying rotational programs.
The lathe is the main machine tool for this process. It works by rotating the workpiece, held in a headstock, while various cutting tools move against its surface. The action of the cutting tools removes the excess metal; this waste is known as swarf.
Milling
Milling is another chip-removal machining technique, carried out on a machine called a milling machine, which holds a rotating tool with several cutting edges, known as a milling cutter. The milling machine delivers highly precise results, especially when a CNC machine is used; it also reduces production times and the number of operators.
Drilling
Drilling is one of the metalworking processes used to machine parts. In drilling, a machine tool – the drilling machine or drill – cuts into the workpiece by rotating a drill bit. The bit makes holes in the surface while removing chips. There are different types of drill on the market: electric, hydraulic, magnetic, pneumatic, manual, hammer, milling drills and so on.
Other metalworking processes
| Welding | This metalworking process is used to assemble or join parts. Welding generally works by melting a material between the parts to be joined (usually metal); when the molten material cools, it forms a permanent joint between the parts. |
| Casting | Casting makes it possible to create metal or plastic parts by “melting” a material and pouring it into a mould where it solidifies. |
| Rolling | Rolling is another metalworking process, part of iron and steel making, in which steel leaving the furnace is cast into ingots that are then rolled into sheets to make specific parts. |
| Forging | Forging is used to deform plastics and metals, hot or cold, into a specific shape by applying compressive forces. |