When it comes to fabricating sheet metal products, there are
several off-the-shelf options for engineers and architects at the hand. To stay
competitive in the market and still make a profit, fabricators need to
construct standard sheet metal products in large quantities which help them to
deliver urgent orders and meet the high demand.
However, sometimes, unique designs and structures are required in
some projects but modifying the existing products to fit new requirements is
either very costly or not a practical option. In such circumstances, custom sheet metal fabrication services are
the most viable option.
These services are the best route to respond to existing
challenges for obtaining the sheet metal products of desired shape, size,
design and precision. Many individuals remained concerned about the quality of
product and keeping the overall budget under control.
So, here are some important points
for you which will help you achieve the desired results while working with a
sheet metal fabricator.
1. Make the plan beforehand to allow for the fabrication lead time.
No matter how much early your fabricator would respond to your customized
requirements and specifications, lead time is always required. It is because
sheet metal fabrication companies have other jobs in process while working on
your project too. So, having sufficient lead time will help you not to cross
the deadlines.
In addition to considering the time for creating submittal drawing
and your approval time, also ensure that your material is requisitioned,
production print package should be generated if necessary, and the enclosure
must be fabricated and assembled within limited time.
2. Check out whether or not your fabricator has other designs
available for use. Many of the fabricators who offer custom sheet metal fabrication services keep
a collection of designs which have been used on past projects. Going through
previous projects’ designs will give you an idea of how much a fabricator is
knowledgeable to fathom the richness of fabricator’s experience.
The more designs (simple as well as complex) they have worked on,
the more experience and flexible they are. This way you may also find a design
which will work fine for your project too and this will help bring down the
cost.
3. Whenever you place an order for custom sheet metal products,
discuss the requirements and exact configuration of your products verbally and
then request a detailed submittal drawing with dimensions, specifications and
features. This will help further in getting a product which exactly matches
your expectations and prevent any redoing work.
4. Research on different metals and figure out which sheet metal will
best suit your project. While some projects require rigid material, others need
temperature resistant material. So, check out the available options such as
stainless steel, aluminum, bronze, carbon steel, etc. Also, remember that the
overall cost of the project also depends on the material type.
These are some of the important points that must not be overlooked
when working on a project and seeking sheet
metal fabrication services. Depending on the circumstances and your project, there may be other
factors that need to be considered for planning. So, pick a reliable and
reputed sheet metal fabricator and discuss every minor and major detail
associated with your project.