Is Custom Welding and Fabrication Necessary?

When designing a product that requires welded and fabricated sheet metal components, it is tempting to scope the project using stock parts. In some cases, this might be sufficient, but for critical, high-quality, expensive, or durable products, custom welding and fabrication have many benefits.

In the past, custom parts were considered overly expensive. However, today’s advanced technologies and processes have allowed metal fabricators to create custom sheet metal parts with greater efficiencies, minimizing waste and improving production time, making customized parts a great value. Read on for five benefits to custom welding and fabrication.

Durability and strength

One of the most favorable characteristics of sheet metal is its strength and durability. While stock parts may work for your project, they will not have the strength and durability of a component made to your project’s specific specs. Custom-made parts will often have a longer life span because they will have been made from materials that make them resilient in whatever environment your product is exposed to.

Enhanced Customization

True innovation can’t exist without customization. Stock parts may not fit your project or production processes and can limit your ability to innovate. When you customize, you can get the exact shape and size you need as well as a choice of various metals and coatings, giving you limitless possibilities. Stock parts will limit your creativity and options. If you work with a reputable metal fabricator, they can make your idea a reality, guiding you on the best materials to use for your project and the environment it will be exposed to.

Quality and Precision

Mass-produced parts seldom have the same quality and precisions as custom parts. Skilled fabricators can produce parts to your exact specifications, with precise measurements meeting tight tolerances. Look for a fabricator with a proven quality system to ensure you get consistent quality every time.

Reduced Weight

With stock parts, you are stuck with whatever metal alloy the component is made from. If you need a lighter-weight part, a custom fabricator can create it out of aluminum or magnesium steel, which are lighter metals. Parts made with sheet metal tend to be lighter than parts made with other processes. The weight reduction also translates into reduced shipping and transportation costs.

Increased Efficiency

Parts that are difficult to assemble decrease efficiency and productivity and can become the bottleneck of your production. Since custom parts are made to your exact specifications, they can be designed for easier installation and use. In addition, it is often possible for multiple parts to be combined into a single component, resulting in fewer parts to manage and reducing assembly time.

Choosing a Welding and Fabrication Partner

Choosing custom welding and fabrication over standard parts can bring all of the benefits discussed above if you partner with the right welding metal fabricator. Not all fabricators have the same experience, skill, or capabilities. Nor do they all have the same level of quality control for their processes. It is essential to ask questions to ensure the fabricator can meet your specifications.

Cameron Manufacturing and Design: When Quality, Costs, Service, and Delivery Matter

Our 30+ years of experience providing custom welding and fabrication services has allowed us to meet the needs of our customers across a range of industries. Our capabilities extend from design through fabrication and machining, and you can be assured that we will approach each job with a focus on quality, cost, service, and time.

For a competitive bid or to learn more about our welding and fabrication services, contact us today.