Industrial sheet metal workers work on large-scale projects, custom projects or large shop-built modules. In this field, you may make the machines used in automotive assembly or food processing plants. Or you may find yourself working on a specialized installation almost anywhere in the world. The projects you will work on last for years and enhance the quality of life for many people.
Areas of Specialty
Testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB) is an important part of air and water delivery systems.
TAB technicians make sure that air and water are delivered efficiently, quietly, and safely throughout a building.
As a TAB technician, you will be responsible for working on air and water delivery systems to meet the specifications outlined by the design engineer. If you like math and the idea of working on complex systems and solving problems, TAB is a good career choice for you.
Sheet metal detailing is often thought of as CAD (computer-aided drafting). A certified detailer is a skilled commercial HVAC trade person who will advance to provide coordination between the hardware fabricators and the installers from various trades. You will work with project documents and plans and specifications, take field measurements, and create 3D coordination drawings.
Almost everything we do indoors depends on a working heating and cooling system. These systems make buildings comfortable and safe. Demand for skilled technicians in this specialized field is high.
As a service and refrigeration technician, you’ll work on a variety of job sites. You may install and test systems to ensure that they are operating safely and efficiently. You may sometimes have to work in dangerous conditions, like during a storm. The work is always exciting and challenging and your services will always be in demand.
During an event such as a fire or other emergency that introduces pollutants into the air, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) ductwork can act as a “freeway,” circulating smoke and toxins throughout a structure, even to offices far away from the flashpoint. Built-in smoke and fire dampers can prevent this from happening. The successful operations of fire life safety building systems could mean the difference between a nuisance fire and an uncontrollable catastrophe.
Sheet metal workers who take HVAC Fire Life Safety courses and pass a series of exams become ICB-Certified HVAC Fire Life Safety Level I technicians and supervisors. These professionals are properly and thoroughly trained to inspect, test, maintain and repair fire and smoke dampers according to National Fire Protection Association Codes and Standards, helping to ensure that crucial safety features will work in an emergency. They also stay abreast of technological advances and provide detailed documentation, reporting every inspection and function testing point procedure and deficiency.