Inside a Heavy Fabrication Facility: Size, Equipment, and Expertise

Heavy fabrication facilities, like the one operated by Swanton Welding, are mammoth buildings containing heavy equipment and large teams of dedicated workers. They are used for the kinds of projects that smaller fabrication companies cannot even attempt to accomplish: huge products that test the skill and knowledge of the fabrication team charged with their creation. If you want to understand what makes these facilities so special you need to take the time to learn about the equipment and personnel they utilize. Here are a few examples of the kinds of elements you would find during a visit to Swanton Welding’s heavy fabrication facility.

Floor Space

Oversize doors should be your first clue that you are entering a heavy fabrication facility. These buildings are large, with many having a square footage of over 100,000 feet. The area must be large enough to accommodate both the projects undertaken there (clean air units, large ductwork, heavy conveyor systems and large railroad fabrications to name just a few examples) and the equipment needed to create these massive endeavors. Swanton Welding operates a facility with 30-foot eaves above its gigantic doors. This is indicative of the size and scope of many of the projects created there.

Overhead Cranes

Metal is heavy, and as such moving larger pieces into place often requires the use of a crane. Cranes can vary in both height and lifting capacity, with a minimum capacity of five tons. Different cranes often work in separate fabrication bays. Swanton's Welding's facility has a total crane capacity of 120 tons. The cranes aren't the only mammoth machinery, though. Rollers are used to bend and form the items that the cranes lift into place.

Parmigiani Rollers

Parmigiani rollers are widely recognized in the industry for heavy metal work and specialty fabrication. Rollers come in 3 and 4-roll setups for plate bending. Depending on the set up, these rollers can provide different thickness and lengths of metal to be shaped into large items. Specialty aircraft roll presses are an example of heavy fabrication. This metal gets combined to form more recognized products like giant catalytic converters and replacement boiler stacks by trained fabrication crews.

Fabricators and Crew

Skilled operators are needed to work in heavy fabrication facilities. A working facility requires welders and fabricators of many different skill levels. Rollers and cranes require trained operators. Yards and facilities need maintenance and management. Then there are additional services like painting, delivery, and communication with the client. The entire process of metal fabrication takes a talented team to ensure the quality of products and the safety of the crew.

Swanton Welding understands the difference that quality makes, which is why the company utilizes top equipment and personnel at its heavy fabrication facility in Wauseon, Ohio. Find out more about the Swanton difference and fabrication capabilities by contacting your local metal expert for specific project information.