Custom metal fabrication refers to fabricating unique metal products for a specific project. For example, your company is developing a new product. In such a case, you might need custom fabrication of specific metal alloys and designs. However, it is not easy to transform a metal in any desired manner. Some common challenges may arise depending on the size, shape, metal properties, and design complexity.
To ensure the success of your project, you need the best metal custom fabrication in Phoenix.
In this blog, you will learn about these common challenges, how AZ Metals overcomes them, and why we are your best choice for custom fabrication.
Read on!
Common Challenges and Their Solutions
Check out these challenges and available solutions:
Material Selection and Availability
Unique projects require unique metals at times. Industries who want to develop a custom product request for a specific alloy. In many cases, it becomes challenging to procure the desired metals. The non-availability of the metal leads to delayed delivery time.
Also, there are challenges concerning which metal is best. Often, designers face the dilemma of choosing the best metal that suits their needs. The non-availability of the metal raises its prices, which leads to a higher cost.
Solution: At AZ Metals, we not only fabricate the metal but also assist you in choosing the right alloy for your project. Our expertise over the years has taught us a lot, and we offer it to all our clients. Also, being in the industry for more than a decade has paid off. We collaborate with the best metal manufacturers in Mesa. We keep a well-stocked inventory of metals and line items and try our best to ensure timely delivery.
Precision and Tolerance
In industrial uses, precision is paramount. During custom metal fabrication, many fabricators face the challenge of the products not fitting together or the assembly becoming difficult.
It requires knowledge, skills, experience, and investment in the best machines and tools. The metal hardness and thickness pose the biggest challenge in achieving precision.
Modern machines can easily produce complex designs, producing thousands of identical products. The second problem is that machines and tools wear over time. It affects the precision and tolerance of the assembly parts, making the process difficult.
Solution: At AZ Metals, we have learned over the years that embracing technology is crucial to staying relevant in today’s competitive marketplace. Thus, we have invested in the best machines.
Our experience plays the biggest role in ensuring precision and tolerance in products. Over the years, we have collaborated with multiple industrial partners and produced many custom products. Thus, we understand the importance of precision and have trained our staff to achieve perfection.
We are still learning and adapting to the changing needs of the industry.
Design Complexity
Due to the availability of advanced machines, metal is also widely used in multiple complex pursuits. Thus, there is an increased demand for complex metal designs. Many metal fabricators face challenges in producing complex designs. Those still using manual techniques find it more challenging to produce identical products. Translating complex CAD designs into manufacturable products is difficult as the success depends on the choice of metal. Addressing potential structural weaknesses in intricate designs is crucial for success.
Solution: A collaboration between designers and fabricators is required at the planning stage so they can choose the right metal. The pros and cons of different metals and design complexities can be discussed to make an acceptable decision.
Thus, at AZ Metals, we request our clients to discuss the project beforehand so we can lend our assistance. Also, we run tests at the initial stage to create the perfect prototype and whether it can be produced within time. After ensuring we can achieve perfection in the complex designs, we enter into a contract.
The best way to succeed in producing complex designs is to have a trained staff, machines, and equipment.
Managing Production Costs
Metal custom fabrication in Mesa is a costly endeavor. Custom projects often come with higher costs due to specialized equipment and tools required for unique designs, higher material wastage, and additional time needed for planning and production.
Designers should consider these factors during the planning phase before going into production.
Solution: Overcoming this challenge requires intense planning and brainstorming in the initial stages. Sharing these issues with the fabricator will help you derive the production cost at a large scale and whether economies of scale can be achieved. The fabricators are expected to use automated technologies to produce complex designs cost-effectively.
At AZ Metals, cost-effectiveness is our second priority after product quality.
Final Words
Custom metal fabrication demands investment in machinery, skills, and technical expertise. While some related challenges have been discussed above, others, such as surface finishing difficulties, welding issues, and managing large-scale projects, will be addressed at a later time. Successful industrial metal projects rely on collaboration among stakeholders.
At AZ Metals, we believe in long-lasting relationships with our manufacturers, suppliers, and clients. It has helped us become the top choice for metal custom fabrication in Phoenix, AZ. The challenges discussed above are some of the common ones. With our expertise and experience and a supportive workforce, we have succeeded in overcoming these challenges and will continue to do so.
Whether you are a DIY enthusiast, a contractor, or a machine shop seeking custom steel fabrication, you can rely on us. For any inquiry, contact us!
