American Fabricators (AFI), otherwise known as Kloeckner Metals Nashville, is one of Nashville’s top metal fabricators. Equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, skilled operators, and over 35 years of experience offering value-add fabrication services, AFI achieves custom fabrication projects at various volumes for a breadth of customers across industries.
AFI’s dual commitment to both cutting edge technology and Kloeckner’s safety always culture has recently led to two key upgrades: a heavy fabricated frame assembly work cell and a manipulator.
AFI Sales Manager Jonathan Gregory sums up the benefits, “This expanded our capabilities. It took us from a light gauge sheet metal shop to a heavier fabrication shop.” Additionally, the purchase of a manipulator, “allowed us to be able to clamp the part and then physically literally turn it as we’re welding it,” which is safer, easier to handle, and more efficient.
Metal fabrication is an essential step in the manufacturing process. It is required to build everyday products from smartphones, medical devices, and computers, to vehicles, heavy machinery, and appliances.
A metal fabricator works with raw sheet metal to build these machines and structures. This is achieved by cutting, burning, welding, machining, and forming sheet metal, and then assembling and finishing parts.
A one-stop sheet metal fabrication shop provides vendors with multiple services, sourced from multiple machines, alongside quality assurance and cost saving opportunities. Learn more about how these key qualities of a metal fabrication shop help complete intricate projects at epic scales.
Furthermore, complex design ideas can be achieved with computer-aided design (CAD) software, automation, laser technology, and machinery. Advanced fabrication processes include laser cutting, waterjet cutting, shearing, sawing, flame cutting, punching, drawing, milling, drilling, welding, extrusion, and casting, among others.
AFI was already a top metal fabricator in the South. Providing fabrication services for a range of product lines including: HRP&O, cold rolled, galvanized, galvannealed, aluminized, prepaint, electro-galvanized, aluminum, and stainless steel. By investing in a heavy fabricated frame assembly work cell and a manipulator, AFI has increased capacity to meet the dynamic needs of heavy industrial manufacturing.
Heavy fabrication capability specifies that the metal fabricator can accomplish large-scale fabrication projects. The heavy fabricated frame assembly work cell and manipulator position AFI to accomplish large-scale custom metal fabrication and welding projects at higher volume. This includes producing the base frames for a radiator that would cool a genset as is shown in the video above, as well as meeting the unique needs of the heavy construction equipment industry.
According to Statista, the heavy industrial manufacturing sector took off in the 1950s and quickly became one of the world’s largest markets. The global construction equipment market is valued at 140 billion USD and is expected to increase through 2025.
Boom lifts, track excavators, bulldozers, skid- steer and wheel loaders, harvesters, articulated haulers, pavers and concrete mixers are just a shortlist of heavy equipment machinery that require large-scale custom fabrication services in order to be built.
We’ve previously highlighted this metal fabricator’s capabilities in more depth, but here’s a quick rundown of AFI’s equipment and fabrication services:
In addition to the newly purchased manipulator and heavy fabricated frame assembly work cell, AFI has:
Welding is a highly specialized skill. AFI’s weld department performs MIG, TIG, and Resistance Spot Welding on mild steel, aluminum, and stainless steel and all welders complete a welder qualification program. We’ve written a guide to welding aluminum that better illustrates just some of the knowledge and considerations that welders must make in order to achieve durable welds across product grades.
With the new addition of the heavy fabricated frame assembly work cell and manipulator, AFI is now able to more efficiently accomplish simultaneous welds on large-scale fabrication projects.
AFI can install various hardware items, including:
Whether products require mechanical fastening, hinge installation, locking mechanisms, or latches, AFI is equipped to assemble parts to custom specifications.
AFI is complete with a full-service metal finishing department. With all these services already in place, the recent investment in new equipment has expanded the fabrication services at Kloeckner Nashville AFI to better meet the manufacturing needs of heavy industry.
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