Metal. Where does it come from?
Working with metal is the foundation of what we do at PTL fabricators. But, just where do we get our metal from?
Where does metal come from?
Most pure metals, like aluminum, silver, and copper, come from the Earth’s crust. They are found in ores of solid materials called minerals, usually occurring in rock from which the pure metal has to be extracted. The properties of pure metals can be improved by mixing them with other metals to make alloys.
Metals are divided into two groups:
- Ferrous metals – which have iron in them (i.e. mild steel, carbon steel, and cast iron)
- Non-ferrous metals – which do not have iron in them (i.e. copper, aluminum, tin, and lead)
Thousands of years ago, people discovered how to get copper from its ore and then they learned to make bronze by adding tin to the copper. They then discovered iron and by adding small amounts of carbon to the iron they could make steel.
There is a wide range of properties to alloy. You’re most likely familiar with:
- Aluminum alloy
- Copper
- Brass
- Silver
- Mild steel
- Carbon steel
The first stage of making metals is to mine the ore-bearing rock. It is extracted from the rock using furnaces and electrolytic processes. Before the metal can be used, it often has to undergo further processing.
At PTL Fabricators, we have numerous raw materials at our disposal. The next step is what we do the best, metal fabrication.
Metal fabrication is the creation of metal parts, machinery, or components through forming, cutting and other processes. Fabrication techniques include welding, lathing, broaching, grinding, milling and honing.
This information might be more than you need to know. But know this, the experts at PTL Fabricators have the experience with all types of metal and fabrication to match your job. Whatever your project, large or small, we can handle it at PTL Fabricators.
Turn to the experts at PTL Fabricators. We utilize more than 30 years of industrial experience to tackle our industry’s toughest challenges with inventive solutions. Contact us today.