Following both Brexit and the covid-19 pandemic, many businesses are looking for ways to ease pressures on their supply chain.
Reshoring, or looking to suppliers in the UK, is one of the main things many manufacturers are doing. This means that many are looking for new metal fabricators.
In this blog, we highlight what you need to look for in your metal fabricators and how that can ease any pressures felt by your business.
Diverse Range of Metal Fabrication Options
One of the most important things you should consider when deciding on your metal fabrication partners is what fabrication they offer.
As we have discussed in previous topics, the term ‘metal fabrication’ covers a wide range of possibilities for projects of different shapes and sizes. From sheet metal bending or punching, welding, and machining, through to extruding and bending, the metal fabrication possibilities seem almost endless.
When selecting a metal fabrication partner, you want to be safe in the understanding that they can offer you extensive services for all of your possibilities.
It’ll be no use choosing a fabrication company that only specialises in MIG and TIG welding when you need parts laser cut from a large sheet. This is going to seriously slow down lead time and your project’s timeline, having repercussions for your customers, too.
Make sure you’re fully aware of what is offered and that the services cover a wide range of metal fabrication possibilities and have the right tools and machines to give you everything you need.
Metal Fabricatiors Should Have Design Capabilities
While it’s likely you’ll have sent designs across to wherever you are having your fabrication completed, you want to know that the business is adept in working with CAD designs and has the capabilities to edit and amend as necessary.
Using tools such as AUTODESK Inventor and Solidworks shows that the business not only has dedicated and experienced engineers on hand to help at all points of the fabrication process, it also highlights the importance of comparing design and real life.
What is designed on the computer screen isn’t always achievable in reality, whatever metal fabrication facilities fabrication businesses have. Through having in-house design capabilities, any issues can quickly be rectified before it gets too late into the manufacturing process.
Working with an experienced design team can also improve your own manufacturing process as the more you work with them, the more you pick up tips and tricks that will make your designs more fabrication friendly.
A Proven Track Record
Like any business, you want to know that your metal fabricators have a proven track record in producing consistent results time and time again. If they have regular customers returning for repeat work, you know that what they do is highly regarded and trusted time and time again.
One way you could do this is by exploring their reviews. Look at their Google My Business Page, Yell Listing or even on their website and find out what customers are really saying.
In using a metal fabricator that time after time delivers for its customers, you are guaranteeing quality and efficient results so that your customer is happy, too. After all, if you’re customer is happy to keep using your services because of what you deliver, you should do the same for your suppliers.
Having a proven track record also combines the previous two points, as those with plenty of fabrication offerings and in-house design teams are typically the places to go for your metal fabrication services.
Conclusion
When you’re looking for a metal fabrication company, it’s critical to ensure that you are getting all of the above. Only in doing this can you ensure that the work you receive will be to the high standards that you expect.
Businesses that provide a diverse range of fabrication offerings have in-house design capabilities and a proven track record are those that you should consider.
When considering a fabrication supplier, you can be assured that Ercon Engineering provides all of the above as well as a dedicated powder coating line for your requirements.
Interested? You can speak to our team today.
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