Steel handrails often blend into the background. You have little reason to think about them when you’re using them. Only when they’re missing from a place that needs them do you realize how crucial they are for safety.
The railing fabrication process is fascinating, but it’s not something most people think about who aren’t in this particular industry. Let’s talk briefly about what goes into handrail fabrication. Consider this the next time you’re holding a handrail in a public setting.
The Elements from Which Handrails are Fabricated
The handrails you encounter when you’re out in the world can be fabricated from various steel elements. These include box sections, steel tubing, solid steel, flat bars, and others.
Before the steel manufacturing process starts, the fabricators will meet with the individual or company who ordered the handrails. They need to make sure the designs they’ve come up with meet the safety regulations and specifications for the construction project in which they’re going to use them. Once they’ve determined there’s nothing wrong with the designs, they can move forward.
Cutting the Right Shapes
The next step is to cut the raw, molten steel into the right shapes. This must be done with the utmost care. If the shapes are even the slightest bit off, that can pose a danger to individuals trying to use the finished railings. Think what might happen if a sharp edge is left on any of the parts that are sticking out.
The Mechanical Stamper
A mechanical stamper may be necessary to fabricate the steel at this point in the process. That is not always the case, but it usually is.
During this step, pumping, stamping, and notching will take place. These are all preparatory steps that experts in the steel fabrication industry will know how to do to the exact specifications the company that has hired them has provided.
Pipe and Sheet Bending
The pipe and sheet bending process will come next. During this stage, the handrail designs will be used by a steel fabricator. Years of practice are needed to gain the expertise to avoid making mistakes.
The Assembly Process
Once the pieces of steel that will compose the finished products have been pumped, stamped, notched, and bent into the right positions, they will be assembled through welding. This is another aspect of the process that takes highly skilled laborers. An error will cause the completed pieces to be off-model.
The Weather Protection Stage
Weather protecting the completed handrails is usually the last stage of the process. This involves galvanizing or paint powder coating. This makes a steel handrail as anti-corrosive as possible. This will come in handy when the finished handrail is finally installed at its final destination.
Steel handrails that go through this process should come out stable and able to withstand many years of use. It’s all dependent on the individuals who enact each step of the manufacturing, though. If anyone makes a mistake, the handrail will be unusable or unsafe for the public.
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