Reducing production costs and lead times through metal fabrication
One of the advantages that can be gained from metal fabrication Ontario is the high degree of flexibility in prototyping and adjusting features to address design constraints. Through precision metal fabrication, a value added metal part can be customized to according to exact customer requirements. Prototyping before production run reduces costly errors because the part can be checked whether it will function for the purpose it is intended for. Design changes are more cost effective than any production technique. Metal fabrication makes use of CNC technology for precision control and repeatability and it can be applied to a wide range of metal products. Even if metal fabrication is more labor intensive with a higher cost per piece, it can easily be offset in the long run because of the high degree of accuracy that eliminates wastage. Prototypes have also become rather essential for manufacturers because they want to ensure the precision and quality of the metal part prior to production.
Metal stamping for high volume production runs
Metal stamping makes use of dies to create shapes from sheet metal. There are two types of metal stamping processes – mechanical and hydraulic – that can be used in generating metal parts. The presses used in metal stamping can create a wide range of products and perform a series of operations that include blanking, metal coining and four slide forming. Metal stamping also allows for a generally lower per piece price and produces less scrap during production. However, the initial tooling costs may render metal stamping ineffective for short production runs. In order to be cost effective, metal stamping must be used for high volume production runs and it must incorporate secondary operations within both the press and the die. Long initial lead times may be required because tooling has to be developed and its quality ensured.
Making a choice between metal stamping and metal fabrication
Metal fabrication offers both metal stamping and fabrication. Before making a choice between the two processes, it is important to consider the complexity of design and whether changes will be required during the production run. The initial cost of metal stamping is significantly greater than the creation of a prototype and after the dies has been made, any changes in design will not be accommodated. In metal fabrication Toronto, tight tolerances and more exacting surfaces can easily be accomplished particularly through the use of CNC technology. If neither of the options emerges as the better choice, there is a possibility for a process that includes the best characteristics of both.