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Industry Changes, Environmental Impact and Other Manufacturing News

Are you curious about manufacturing? Do you wonder how things are made? Do you want to know about the environmental impact of the products you are buying? Are you in the manufacturing field? In that field, are you looking for ways to improve processes, profit margins, safety or other aspects of your business? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then, you have find the right blog. This blog explores all aspects of manufacturing from a variety of angles. It may also delve into industrial topics that are related to manufacturing. I invite you to look around, and please feel free to share any posts that interest you.

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Industry Changes, Environmental Impact and Other Manufacturing News

How Do Sheet Metal Fabricators Estimate the Total Cost of a Fabrication Project?

by Dan Owens

Are you planning an industrial project that will require the use of sheet metal–fabricated components? If so, you may want to know how much the fabricated parts you need will cost so you can budget for them.

Sheet metal fabricators turn sheet metal into different types of functional parts. In determining the sales price for these parts, they consider the total fabrication cost price. Typically, the sales price of the fabricated parts is a mark-up of the total cost of fabrication. In other words, an amount is added to the cost price of the fabricated parts to cover operating expenses and profit. This amount may be pre-determined or can be determined at the end of the fabrication project. But how do fabricators estimate the total cost of fabricated products?

Here's a guide to help you understand what impacts the estimated cost of sheet metal fabricated parts. 

Material selection

In sheet metal fabrication, the sheet metal itself is used as the raw material. Sheet metal is available in a great selection of materials, such as stainless steel, carbon steel, copper, brass, aluminium and many more. Each material may come in different grades and may have a unique combination of qualities, so matching your fabrication to the right material is critical.

When you present your fabrication company with your project requirements, they'll choose the appropriate material for your fabrication. The material selected and its respective fabrication process will set a cost basis on the process. 

Product design

The design of the parts you need will also affect the total cost of your fabrication. The more complex the design, the more your fabrication will cost. This is because fabricators may take more machine and labour hours to get the job done. The use of computer-aided design (CAD) software to ensure best results can also increase total fabrication costs considerably.

Order size

How many parts do you need fabricated? The greater the quantity of parts you need made, the higher your total fabrication costs will be. But the unit cost price might reduce. The vast majority of sheet metal fabricators save on fabrication costs when they work on large projects. For example, sheet metal can be bought at a discounted price if ordered in large amounts. So, your fabricator might charge a lower sales unit price if you have a large project.

These are only a few of many factors that sheet metal fabricators consider when estimating the total cost of your fabrication. If you want to know how much your fabrication will cost you, request a quote from a sheet metal fabricator today.

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