The term precision is thrown around a lot in the metal fabrication industry. That’s because precision is of the utmost importance when dealing with components that will be built into high tech machinery. New, unheard of levels of precision have become possible with the use of CNC (Computer Numerical Control) mills. This allows for the parts and components manufactured by these machines to be produced to the highest possible tolerances, ensuring all parts and components are virtually identical to each other, but more importantly, they are identical to the original design.
Why Precision Matters
With the use of precision sheet metal fabrication, components, parts, and systems will be ready to install without any need for modifications or adjustments. In applications such as automotive manufacturing, aerospace or HVAC system development, this precision is essential for both design safety as well as to meet industry required standards.
This also means that replacement parts, when needed, will be uniform and will simply need to be installed. With the extremely limited variance in all aspects of the design, often in the 1000ths of an inch, each replacement is identical to the original.
Repeat Production Orders
To provide precision sheet metal fabrication, the original design is developed through a CAD/CAM drawing that is stored as a file on the system. This drawing becomes the blueprint for the software system (CNC) to provide precise instructions for the machining and fabrication processes.
This is not only important for eliminating variances between parts on a single production order, but it also means every subsequent production run will all use the same original CAD/CAM drawing and program.
Reduce Production Costs
While there will be a higher initial cost in CNC services, they also offer built-in cost efficiencies as well. The equipment can handle multiple operations at once, with the option to also design the machining and fabrication processes to speed up production and eliminate waste.
While precision sheet metal fabrication isn’t needed for all types of parts and components, it is increasingly important across diverse industries, offering benefits that make it an option to consider.