The fabrication industry is typically regarded as expensive. The cost of metal, skilled labor, engineering, and more add up through a project. On the final bill, how efficient a fabrication shop was can mean a difference of thousands of dollars.
How We Make Metal Fabrication Cheaper:
In another blog, we dove into ways that we as a company strive to keep the costs of metal fabrication down. To summarize, by relying on the experience of our engineers and fabricators, we can optimize your parts for production. This may mean that we are able to bend multiple parts at the same time, or decide on a better way to attach an assembly. This keeps the cost down for you as a customer. An added benefit of these engineering checks is if your product is over or under-built, we can design a more suitable option.
Ultimately, the price of the fabrication is derived from what the customer specifies. What do we mean by that? We want you to be satisfied with the fabrication you receive, so everything we create is built to your specifications. Though sheet metal fabrication is seen as a low-cost form of manufacturing, the more intricate and obscure your parts are, the more time and money they will take to construct.
How Can You Keep Costs Down:
If there is an opportunity to save a dollar, who wouldn't take it?
Try to use standard metals and thicknesses:
We understand that, for certain applications, specific metal types and thicknesses are necessary. By working with on-hand metal types, sourcing times are nonexistent, and special tooling and welding are not required.
Simplify your hardware and stick with ordinary fasteners:
By using hardware and fasteners that are not readily available, your time and costs could suffer.
Consider the welding costs of fabrication:
If welding can be avoided, other options should be explored. Welding takes time, and because of that, takes money. Though if your part requires welding, we have a crew of exemplary welders ready to complete your job!
Consider the finishing of your part:
If you are using metals like stainless steel or aluminum, a surface finish is only needed if you desire. For metals like carbon steel, if your part will be in a situation where it may rust, then a finish is necessary. Our most popular form of surface finishing is powder coating, as it is a tough coating that can also add color to your parts.
Things To Remember:
We at Rapid Metal Fab do everything possible to keep the costs down for you. A few ways that you can keep the costs down is to firstly, be flexible with your design, as we will have suggestions to help you out. When designing, try to use available metals and hardware. Consider the end needs of your part to understand what type of metal to use and if it will require a finish. Lastly, try to minimize welding.
We hope this article has been informative and that we hear from you soon. We would like to mention that, as a company, we want the metal fabrication process to be as easy as possible. Our engineers can take the burden of all the things associated with fabrication completely off your shoulders. To get started on your fabrication project, you can contact us using the button below. We hope to hear from you soon, and can't wait to exceed your expectations!