Completed Work - SG Engineering

At our workshop in Ipswich we carry out all forms of general metal fabrication. It's the process of building metal structures, components, and machinery through cutting, bending, joining, and finishing raw metal stock. Unlike specialized machining or precision manufacturing alone, general fabrication typically involves taking standard mill forms—such as sheet metal, structural beams, tubing, bars, and plates—and converting them into finished products or assemblies.

The Metal Fabrication Process
The fabrication workflow generally follows a multi-stage process from raw material to finished product:

Cutting & Shaping:
Thermal/Laser Cutting: Fiber laser, plasma, and oxy-fuel cutting are used to profile sheet, plate, and structural shapes with speed and accuracy.

Mechanical Cutting: Shearing, sawing, and punching notch or trim metal without heat.

Waterjet Cutting: Uses high-pressure water mixed with abrasive garnet to cut thick or heat-sensitive metals without creating a heat-affected zone (HAZ).

Forming & Bending:

Press Brakes: Use hydraulic or electric rams to bend sheet metal and plate at precise angles.

Section & Tube Bending: Rollers and mandrels curve pipes, tubes, and structural steel sections (e.g., box sections, RSJs).

Joining & Assembly:

Welding: Processes like TIG (GTAW), MIG (GMAW), and Stick (SMAW) fuse metal components together.

Mechanical Fastening: Using rivets, bolts, nuts, and self-tapping screws for non-permanent or hybrid connections.

Finishing & Surface Treatment:

Surface Preparation: Grinding, deburring, and shot/sandblasting remove sharp edges, mill scale, and weld splatter.

Protective Coatings: Applying powder coating, wet paint, hot-dip galvanizing, anodizing, or electroplating to prevent corrosion and improve appearance.

Common Raw Materials
Carbon Steel: Cost-effective, strong, and highly versatile; widely used in structural frameworks and heavy equipment.

Stainless Steel: Corrosion-resistant; ideal for food processing equipment, architectural features, and marine applications.

Aluminum: Lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and conductive; popular in transport, electronics, and modern architectural cladding.

Copper & Brass: Preferred for decorative, electrical, or specialized plumbing components.

Key Applications & Industries
Construction & Architecture: Structural steel beams, staircases, balustrades, gates, canopy frames, and HVAC ductwork.

Industrial & Manufacturing: Machine guards, conveyor systems, hoppers, pressure vessels, and material handling racks.

Automotive & Transportation: Vehicle chassis components, trailers, customized truck bodies, and brackets.

Commercial & Retail: Shopfront fixtures, custom shelving, display units, and metal furniture.