| | Temperature control is an essential quality factor in metal fabrication. Many processing steps apply heat to the workpiece. This can affect dimensions and material structure. |
| | There are various ways of separating materials, including mechanical methods such as sheering and thermal methods such as oxy-fuel, plasma and laser cutting. |
| | Lasers provide an intense energy source, which is ideally suited to a wide range of fabrication processes such as cutting, welding, drilling and marking metal and other materials. |
| | Flame heating involves igniting fuel gases mixed with air or oxygen. Examples include flame straightening, flame hardening, hot forming and heating in conjunction with welding. |
| | As a joining method, welding has been around for centuries. Today around 100 welding methods are used in different industry sectors. |
