REDUCING RISK WITH NUMERICAL CONTROL

Precision and efficiency are crucial elements in structural steel fabrication that significantly impact project cost and control. For all of the risks undertaken in a project, the need to prevent errors tops the list, along with meeting delivery dates. A small workshop with a couple of fabricators may be able to get away with analog machinery, but any shop intending to replicate procedures in a fast-paced production environment must do so with the assistance of computer numerical control (CNC) machining. CNC machines improve accuracy, consistency, and repeatability, lessening waste and increasing speed. This process reduces the overall operational cost.

The revolution of CNC offers countless tools to increase productivity while improving fabrication accuracy, consistency, and speed. Steel fabrication includes any computer-assisted equipment or machines used to measure, cut, saw, punch, cope, bevel, bend, align, drill, bore, mill, stamp, mark, or weld. Indeed there are more applications, but this will do for now. CNC machinery is software-driven, allowing operators to use manual commands and 1:1 numerical ratio control (NC) files prepared by the detailers. Using NC files allows for precise and accurate movement of the cutting tools, resulting in parts that meet exact specifications.