Welding: Joining Metal That Has to Hold

Welding is the backbone of industrial metal fabrication. At its core, welding fuses two pieces of metal together using heat — but in a heavy fabrication environment, the details behind that process make all the difference.

The Welding Processes We Rely On

MIG Welding (GMAW) is one of the most common processes in sheet metal and ductwork fabrication. It’s fast, clean, and works well on the mild steel and galvanized material we regularly work with. For production runs and structural joints where speed matters without sacrificing strength, MIG is a go-to.

TIG Welding (GTAW) is slower but delivers a level of precision and cleanliness that other processes can’t match. When we’re working with stainless steel ductwork — common in food processing, pharmaceutical, and chemical environments — TIG welding produces the smooth, controlled bead that those applications demand. It’s also the right choice when aesthetics or tight tolerances are part of the spec.

Stick Welding (SMAW) remains valuable for thicker material and field work. When you’re welding heavy plate or working in conditions where a wire-feed process isn’t practical, stick gets it done.

Welding Heavy-Gauge Material

Working with 10-gauge to 16-gauge steel — the kind we fabricate for industrial ductwork — introduces challenges that thinner material doesn’t. Heavier steel requires more heat input to achieve proper fusion, but too much heat leads to warping, distortion, and stress in the surrounding metal. Our welders know how to balance those demands: proper joint fit-up, correct wire or rod selection, controlled travel speed, and consistent technique all play into a weld that will hold up under pressure and vibration in an industrial environment.

On ductwork specifically, weld integrity isn’t just structural — it affects air tightness. A porous or incomplete weld in a duct system handling process air, fumes, or combustible dust is a failure point that can create real operational and safety problems downstream.

Certifications and Standards

Welding in industrial fabrication isn’t something you improvise. AWS (American Welding Society) standards govern joint design, weld quality, and testing procedures. Qualified welders and documented procedures exist for a reason — they’re the baseline that gives engineers and end users confidence that a welded assembly will perform as designed.

Grinding: The Work That Makes Welds Work

A strong weld is only part of the equation. In many industrial applications, grinding is what takes a weld from functional to finished — and in some cases, from acceptable to compliant.

Why We Grind

Weld cleanup is the most straightforward reason. Spatter, slag, uneven bead profiles, and surface oxidation all need to be addressed before a fabricated piece moves to coating, assembly, or installation. A grinder in the hands of a skilled fabricator removes high spots, smooths transitions, and prepares surfaces for whatever comes next.

Fit-up corrections sometimes require grinding as well. Even with tight process controls upstream — laser cutting, press brake forming, precise fixturing — real-world metal doesn’t always close perfectly. Light grinding on mating surfaces or weld preps can be the difference between a gap that causes weld problems and a joint that fits the way it should.

Surface finishing goes beyond cosmetics in many applications. Stainless steel ductwork for sanitary or corrosive environments often needs a specific surface finish — measured in Ra (roughness average) — to meet the spec. Grinding and finishing sequences using progressively finer abrasives achieve those results.

The Tools and Abrasives That Matter

Angle grinders are the workhorse of any fabrication shop. Paired with the right abrasive — grinding wheels for material removal, flap discs for blending, cut-off wheels for trimming — they handle the majority of post-weld work. Choosing the correct abrasive for the base metal matters: using the wrong wheel on stainless steel, for example, can introduce iron contamination that causes rust and compromises corrosion resistance.

For tighter areas and more controlled work, die grinders and specialty carbide burrs allow fabricators to work inside corners, along seams, and in areas where a standard angle grinder won’t reach.

Safety Is Non-Negotiable

Grinding produces sparks, heat, and airborne metal particles at a rate that makes it one of the more hazardous operations in a fabrication shop. Face shields over safety glasses, hearing protection, proper PPE, and awareness of what’s in the direction of the spark stream aren’t suggestions — they’re how experienced shops keep people safe and productive over the long haul. Grinding wheels also need to be inspected before use and operated within their rated RPM; a wheel failure at speed is a serious event.

How Welding and Grinding Fit Into Our Process

At Herman Reeves, these aren’t isolated steps. They’re integrated into a fabrication workflow that begins with design and material selection, runs through laser cutting and forming, and finishes with assembly, weld, grind, and inspection before anything ships.

For heavy-gauge ductwork, that might mean MIG welding flanged connections on a collector duct, grinding the seams flush for a gasket surface, and inspecting the completed assembly for straightness and air-tight integrity. For custom metal fabrication work, it might mean TIG welding a stainless component, blending the bead to a No. 4 finish, and verifying dimensional accuracy before delivery.

The goal is always the same: a fabricated piece that performs the way it’s supposed to, in the environment it’s going into, for as long as it needs to last.

Built in Gastonia for Over 60 Years

Herman Reeves Sheet Metal has been fabricating heavy industrial metalwork from our Gastonia, NC facility for more than six decades. Welding and grinding — done right, every time — are a big part of how we’ve earned the trust of manufacturers, textile operations, and industrial facilities across the Southeast.

If you have a project that requires serious fabrication capability, we’d like to talk.

Call us at 704-865-2231 or visit us at 1617 East Ozark Avenue, Gastonia, NC 28054.