Welding
All welders at Fabwest are AWS certified and highly skilled at welding a large variety of material types and thicknesses. The most common welded materials are steel, stainless, and aluminum. No project is too small or large for our shop. Below is a list of our welding equipment.
Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), also known as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, is most commonly used for sheet metal applications. By using an inert shielding gas and filler rod, the welding operator is given complete control over the any heat applied and the welding results. All welders at Fabwest are AWS certified and highly skilled at welding a large variety of material types and thicknesses. The most common welded materials are steel, stainless, and aluminum. No project is too small or large for our shop. Below is a list of our welding equipment.
Gas metal arc welding (GMAW), or more commonly refereed to as metal inert gas (MIG) welding, is a much more efficient method of welding when dealing with thicker and or structural metals. A wire electrode is fed through the welding gun and melted onto the material by an electric arc that is given consistent voltage. Since the wire is being fed automatically through the welding gun, welding can be accomplished much faster than TIG welding on ferrous metals. Though MIG welding is faster than TIG welding on lots of applications, an operator's lack of control over heat and weld quality is sacrificed. Due to the above downsides, MIG welding is not appropriate for welding sheet metal when cosmetics are key.
Spot welding is a process where two or more sheet metal surfaces are placed between two copper electrodes that when activated will clamp material together and simultaneously force a concentrated current through the metal causing the material to melt, forming a weld. Spot welding is a permanent method of attaching two or more metal surfaces and is a great alternative to assembly methods that require additional hardware. Equipped with a large variety of spot welders, we are capable of welding most ferrous materials. Below is a list of spot welding equipment and capability.
Riveting is a great assembly method that is both cost effective and visually appealing when permanent fastening is acceptable. Rivets provide respectable shear loads and are very quick to install. There are many different types of rivets available that are capable of suiting any application and can be assembled to all metals. Rivets allow part assembly regardless of type and or thickness of material. For more information on rivet types that Fabwest MFG is capable of installing please see the links below.