Category: Fab Shop Tips

The introduction of fiber lasers into the world of metal fabrication brought a level of speed and accuracy to sheet and tube metal cutting that couldn’t be imagined a mere decade or two before. They are versatile enough to work with a wide range of materials and metals and can cut or engrave the most intricate of designs in seconds.

Those new to the art of metal fabrication are often surprised to learn that like a piece of wood, a piece of metal is also arranged in grains. And, as in woodworking, the grain structure in metals play a critical role in determining their properties and, consequently, their behavior while being shaped.

Metal grains are small, randomly oriented crystals that make up the polycrystalline structure of most metals. Understanding how grain structure affects metal fabrication is essential for everyone from senior engineers and materials scientists down to beginner press brake operators to be able to optimize fabrication processes and produce components with the right properties.

When your financial advisors suggest that you should look at “Section 179,” they are referring to a specialized tax deduction that is spelled out in section 179 of the United States Internal Revenue Code. It allows a business—such as a metal fabrication shop—to take a deduction right away in that year’s taxes for business expenses for “depreciable assets,” specifically those things that a business owns for a limited period that are used to make money. If a fab shop buys a press brake or other piece of metalworking equipment this year and puts it into service, then they can lower this year’s tax liability instead of capitalizing that asset and spreading its depreciation over several future tax years. Purchases of vehicles and other equipment—such as office furniture and computers—and even some software can also be deducted through this tax provision.