Working efficiently is more important than ever before. Productivity is weak at UK companies, and mounting concerns suggest that productivity growth rates have been stilted since the 2008 financial crisis. Every industry demands productivity, but it’s even more crucial in workshops.
In metalworking, it’s crucial to rely on the right workshop tools to achieve your goals. With the right equipment, staff can improve their productivity, creativity, and accuracy at work. No matter whether you’re an apprentice or leading a team this year, it’s always worth knowing about the most essential – and powerful – workshop tools to transform your performance.
Five powerful tools every metal workshop needs
Bandsaw
A bandsaw is a type of power saw that features a sharp, long metal blade. With a band of toothed metal stretching continuously between two or more wheels, these machines look fearsome but play a vital role in cutting material. As with any saw, it’s crucial to ensure that the blade you choose is durable and tough enough to withstand the materials being cut.
Angle grinders
Angle grinders are necessary for an impressive range of metal finishing and fabrication tasks. These include removing excess materials, cutting, and deburring metal pieces. So they need to be durable and high-quality for safe daily operation in the workshop.
For workshops with multiple trainees or those working to tight deadlines, a cordless angle grinder could provide more flexibility while offering high levels of power and fast cutting.
Metal file
No metalworking team could do the job without a handy selection of metal files. There are various types available, and a few of the most important ones include:
- Flat file: An essential tool for new starters, flat files have a flat surface and can be used for several tasks. These include filing larger areas of metalworking on the outer curve of a ring, and straightening up wide edges.
- Half round file: This type has one rounded side and one flat side. The rounded side makes it more versatile, allowing you to shape and file the inside of a ring shank. Clean, sweeping motions help you to shape and finish with precision.
- Needle file: If you’re looking for a tool to help you sharpen your skills, a set of needle files could be the next step up. They’re only 16cm long, with a cutting surface half that length. They can help with the most intricate tasks.
Lathe
Metal turning lathes are frequently used or the production and machining of metal parts. They’re very large machines, so it’s important to exercise caution around lathes. Along with wearing the correct Personal Protective Equipment, you should ensure that your team know about the correct heavy lifting technique.
They work with a workpiece secured in a chuck. Which is then turned against a tool to cut away metal from the workpiece. New parts can be made by rotating the workpiece in either one or both ends of the lathe. Tools with specific cutting edges can also be used to change the shape of the metal piece.
Pillar drill
Lastly, versatile drill press machines can be used on various materials, including wood and metal. They’re used to cut holes of varying diameters, and they’re easy to place in any part of your workshop because they’re free-standing.
Pillar drills are best suited for metal work, but it’s important to remember to keep the holes straight. You’ll damage your metal and your equipment. If your setup is unstable, so remember to pair any drill with a machine vice to hold everything in place firmly.
