5 Benefits of Outsourcing Structural Steel Processing to a Custom Metal Fabricator Processing

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While small components may make up a smaller portion of most fabrication projects, structural steel processing and detailing often require the most labor to ensure precision and quality. This is especially true for complex steel supports that need to integrate seamlessly with other elements like stairs, hoppers, chutes, silos, stacks, and various tank support systems.

To save time and reduce costs, many steel manufacturers, fabricators, builders, utilities, and suppliers choose to outsource their structural steel processing to a custom metal fabricator with in-house automation and detailing expertise. This approach not only streamlines the process but also ensures higher accuracy and faster turnaround times.

1: Outsourcing Structural Steel Processing to Reduce Lead Times

Many of your customers demand near-perfect accuracy to meet their specific fabrication requirements, which is why structural steel processing can be very time-consuming. By outsourcing this work to a specialized metal fabricator, you can significantly cut down on lead times while maintaining high-quality standards.

Southern Metal Fabricators can act as your off-site processing center, offering advanced automation and custom fabrication techniques to speed up tasks such as:

  • CNC drilling and sawing for beams, channels, base plates, stairs, platforms, and ladders
  • Railing production, including CNC plasma cutting for handrail segments and full systems
  • Custom sheet metal and plate fabrication using laser cutting for precise cuts
  • Punching, shearing, and angle/flat line production automation

Our engineers can also review and complete your structural steel drawings based on your customer's specifications, allowing your team to focus more on project execution and less on detailed planning.

2: Improve Quality and Efficiency with 3D Modeling Services

Structural steel fabrication often requires interpreting both 2D and 3D drawings. At Southern Metal Fabricators, our detailers are skilled in CAD, 3D modeling, and CAM software to determine the most efficient way to process your steel components.

This 3D modeling capability helps align all teams involved in your project, ensuring design optimizations and reducing errors before actual fabrication begins. It also allows for a virtual walkthrough of the final product, helping prevent costly mistakes and miscommunications.

Additionally, your detailer should be well-versed in industry compliance standards—such as OSHA, AISC, and bearing limits—to ensure the safety and durability of the fabricated structures, especially if they're part of a construction project.

3: Accelerate Production with Advanced Automation

When outsourcing structural steel processing, it's essential to partner with a fabricator that has robust in-house automation capabilities. Southern Metal Fabricators offers a full suite of advanced equipment, including:

  • The Peddinghaus Anglemaster AFPS-643/Q for automated angle and flat line production
  • The Peddinghaus XDM-630 for fast CNC drilling, sawing, and materials processing
  • The TRUMPF 3030 FiberMetal for precise laser cutting and sheet/plate production
  • The Bend-Tech Dragon A400 for automated CNC plasma tube and pipe cutting

Our state-of-the-art facility includes a 100,000-square-foot high bay with overhead cranes and a large lay-down yard, making us capable of handling both large-scale and niche structural steel projects efficiently.

4: Lower Capital Expenditure and Infrastructure Costs

Outsourcing your structural steel processing to a custom metal fabricator can help you avoid the high capital expenditures and infrastructure costs associated with expanding your business. With automation, you can increase your capacity to take on more projects without the need for additional equipment or space.

For instance, our Bend-Tech Dragon A400 system provides an automated solution for railing production, saving you time and money. This makes it easier to outsource tasks such as:

  • Handrails, segments, and complete handrail systems
  • Platforms and stairs requiring handrails
  • Carbon, stainless, galvanized, and aluminum cutting

Automation not only improves efficiency but also enhances the precision and quality of your structural steel projects, especially when working with an experienced partner who understands your needs.

5: Enhance Quality Control in Structural Steel Processing

Quality control is crucial in structural steel processing, particularly when it comes to ensuring consistency and meeting safety standards. A reliable custom metal fabricator should have a comprehensive quality assurance program that covers every stage of the fabrication process.

Southern Metal Fabricators’ in-house quality control processes include:

  • Safety checks from design to installation
  • Process documentation for cost, labor, and efficiency tracking
  • OSHA compliance for access ladders and staircases
  • Proactive communication with all stakeholders
  • Inspections and drawing reviews for welding procedures and specifications

Our commitment to quality is reflected in how we approach every project—from updating our QC manual regularly to innovating new methods to improve our procedures. This focus on quality ensures that your structural steel projects meet the highest standards.

Whether you're looking to outsource detailing, processing, or any other aspect of your next structural steel project, Southern Metal Fabricators is here to help. Visit our structural steel fabrication page to learn more about the benefits of working with a trusted partner. Or contact us today to see what we can do for you.

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