metallityöstön

Metallityöstö is a broad field of manufacturing and craft that encompasses shaping, forming, joining, and finishing metal to create parts and products. In Finnish industry, metallityöstö covers activities from manual turning and welding in small workshops to automated, high-volume fabrication in factories. The term is used for both traditional metalworking skills and modern fabrication that relies on advanced machinery and computer numerical control (CNC).

Key processes include cutting, forming, machining, joining, and finishing. Cutting methods such as shearing and sawing remove material; forming includes bending, rolling, stamping, forging, and extrusion; machining covers turning, milling, drilling, and grinding; joining combines welding, soldering, brazing, and fasteners; finishing involves coating, plating, polishing, and heat treatment. Precision is achieved through measurements, tolerances, and quality control.

Common materials are steel, aluminum, copper, brass, and titanium and their alloys. Equipment ranges from hand tools and lathes to CNC centers, laser cutters, water jets, presses, and robotic welders. The work requires knowledge of metallurgy, tooling, lubrication, and workholding, as well as safety practices to prevent injury from chips, burns, and noise.

Metallityöstö supports major sectors such as automotive, machinery, construction, aerospace, electronics housings, and consumer goods. It enables both custom parts and large-scale fabrication, repair work, and maintenance. The field continues to evolve with advances in materials, additive manufacturing interfaces, and digital process control, guided by quality and safety standards such as ISO 9001.