Author: Steve Schaffer

A project we completed for an equipment manufacturer (OEM) demonstrates the positive side effects of being closely involved in the customer’s production process for seven years and, along the way, building collaborative relationships with their operations, engineering and purchasing groups.

Selecting the optimal fabrication method (laser, fiber laser, water jet, CO2, oxy-fuel, punch) is always a function of variables like operating cost, sheet utilization, material type, thickness, edge-finish requirements, and tolerancing. But the best solutions in outsourced fabrication also depend on a supplier offering multiple metal handling options.

When you consider the entire supply chain roadmap involved in taking a manufactured product from development to delivery, materials and production labor easily represent the vast majority of the total cost.