In a wide range of industries and applications, aluminum has become the material of choice. It is resistant to corrosion, offers an excellent strength to weight ratio, and also stands up to the harshest of working conditions.
Different grades of aluminum can be found in parts and components in spaceships, airplanes, automobiles, electronics and even in cryogenic systems and vessels. Shaping aluminum, depending on the grade, can include a variety of different methods from machining option such as turning and milling to aluminum sheet metal fabrication using a stamping or bending process.
Precision and Production Fabrication
The choice between precision and production aluminum sheet metal fabrication has increasingly lessened with higher tech systems with enhanced production capacity. These can be manually operated types of stamping machines, or they can be fully automatic, providing maximum production volume while maintaining the tight tolerances required in many applications.
Not all companies offering sheet metal fabrication can work to high production volumes with precision and quality control. By selecting a company for aluminum sheet metal fabrication that is also ISO 9001 certified, there is a built-in quality control process and a focus on working to industry and customer standards and requirements.
Order Volume and Pricing
Each company offering sheet metal fabrication has its own pricing structure as well as its order volume requirements. Looking at both the minimum and maximum order production by the sheet metal fabricator should be a key factor when comparing options.
Pricing is a more complex issue. Often sheet metal fabricators offer a range of value-added or secondary types of services including welding, packing and even kit assembly. By combining the fabrication process and these secondary production requirements with one company, businesses can save supply chain costs while also streamlining the outsourcing process.
