Manufacturing More At Home

Custom metal fabrication is almost an art and while there are a lot of shops that can make parts for you, finding the right shop to meet your needs is important. There are a lot of things to consider when considering a shop to make your parts. The cost, the timetable for the project, and even the personality of the owner can come into play when you are making the decision as to which shop you want to work with.

What Is Metal Fabrication

The term metal fabrication can mean a lot of things because it rolls a lot of different tasks up into one description. Metal fabrication is really anything that involves creating or modifying just about anything from metal. It could be as simple as making a custom metal bracket for a customer or as complex as creating a complete working assembly of some sort. What it does is less important than the fact that is it made from machined or handmade parts that are made from metal and designed to do a specific job. A good metal fabricator can use multiple machines and tools to create the needed item or items to detailed drawings or from a far less detailed design idea that a customer may have. 

Working With The Right Shop

There are a lot of fabrication shops to choose from but when you start considering your options, the best way to get a feel for the shop is to go visit the shop and talk to the owner or manager there. A busy shop that does not have time to talk to you about what your needs are, can be a shop that is harder to work with. If they are so swamped with work that their time is limited, it could mean they will not have the time to put into your project in the way you want them to. A smaller shop might not have as much work which can mean they have more time to spend on your specific needs. Keep in mind, less work in the shop is not always an indication of the quality of the work going out the door.

Time Frames and Budgets

If you are looking for a fabricator to help you with a project that is time sensitive, you need to take the time to talk with them about the specifics and explain the time requirements. In some cases, the fabricator may not have time to finish your project in the timeframe you need but if you give them the work without discussing that, you could be creating a problem for yourself right from the start. You should also be sure to discuss the budget requirements. If you have to stay within a specific budget for the project, the fabricator needs to know that so they can estimate the time for your project and decide if they can meet your price. Communication, before the project starts, is critical to the success of it.  ​