Sheet metal fabrication is often a less expensive means of producing certain kinds of parts. It is a pretty simple process where you cut a sheet of metal to size and shape it into the desired shapes. However, here’s the problem: If you get more complicated with your designs, the expenditures might quickly escalate from low to high. Now, your cost-saving component transforms into a high-end luxury item. You may also end up lengthening the production process. Because sheet metal fabrication is a labor-intensive process, the cost is largely dependent on how many cutting, bending, and welding operations your manufacturer must execute.
A wastewater treatment company in the Midwest approached us to make sheet metal guards. The customer had a design that was going to have high labor costs because of the complexity of the process needed to create each part. Prestige Metal took the design and was able to adjust it in order to save a tremendous amount of time and cost per part. We simplified the guards to use two less welded corners and to use spot welding instead of other labor-intensive processes.
In the end, the redesign was a success. The sheet metal guards kept their structural integrity and overall quality, but the labor costs were reduced significantly. The waste water treatment company was very satisfied with our cost-saving approach to their metal fabrication project.