Metal Fabrication Resources by Blackstone Advanced Technologies

Blackstone Advanced Technologies Blog
Apr 26, 2018 4:52:00 PM

4 Simple Ways to Reduce Production Costs Before Your Design Hits the Mill

reduce production costsSheet metal fabrication provides companies with a number of customized solutions for their projects, products and services. Although these solutions may vary in size and complexity, all fabrication projects require the same considerations when it comes to weighing production costs with the finished product's value. Here are four simple ways to reduce production costs for metal fabrication before your design hits the mill.

4 Ways to Reduce Production Costs

1. Choose The Right Materials

When choosing the type of metal used for your production run, you will want to consider raw materials that are good quality and readily available to your manufacturer. Here are two things to keep in mind:

  • Trying to source unique materials or requesting an uncommon sheet-metal gauge can add to the costs of your production run.
  • Using thicker metals can also restrict necessary bends and folds when designing industrial enclosures and other container-type designs.

2. Consider Larger Quantities

In many cases, the unit quantity of your metal fabrication project will have the largest impact on your overall costs. Understanding the needs of the business now and in the future will allow you to make better-informed decisions on the scale of your fabrication project.

 

While a higher-volume production run may seem like a larger investment up front, you will see significant cost-savings on a unit-by-unit basis if you place a larger order.

 

Typically, your manufacturer will have minimum-order standards and volume-pricing tiers that you can negotiate prior to production. Be sure to ask!

 

3. Simplify Your Design

You should think about the complexity of your welding design prior to sending it to the production mill. The more complex your fabrication project is, the longer your production run will be, and your wallet will suffer.

In most cases, you can make adaptations to your design without sacrificing its integrity before it goes to production.

 

You should can do this by researching or talking to your vendor about how many times your metal needs:

If there are ways to simplify the manufacturing process and reduce how long each fabrication takes, this kind of change will help reduce your costs.

 

4. Hire an Engineering Consultant

Understanding how to ensure higher-quality and cost-effective fabrication projects is an essential part of scaling your business. By taking these steps and using the right tools and services, you’ll maximize the efficiency of your next production run.

 

Although there are several steps you can take to help reduce your metal fabrication costs, one of the best ways to ensure cost efficiency is by working with your contract manufacturer’s engineers.

 

Need Someone to Handle the Heavy Lifting?

Blackstone Advanced Technologies has a dedicated team of engineers and technicians with years of experience in understanding how to source materials and reduce production costs. Whether you're a growing corporation or a small startup, Blackstone's services are designed to facilitate the needs of your large-volume production runs or small specialty jobs.

 

We have the tools and industry connections necessary to remove most of the heavy lifting from your busy hands and can help you start quickly. Contact us today for a free, 30-minute consultation.

 

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