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Browse our collection of articles, covering a wide range of topics and ideas.

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Where to Get Sheet Metal Parts

There are tens of thousands of sheet metal shops scattered throughout the United States, each with a different combination of capabilities and services. Here is our review of a handful of shops that make the ordering experience quick and easy.

Why operating at scale lets metal fabricators ship faster

Queues are a fact of life, and it’s really a shame. It means as demand grows, customers have a worse experience. Nobody likes waiting in line. Yet a healthy backlog is in some ways desirable for manufacturers. It’s nice to know that you’ll keep your people busy for the next several weeks. It’s great for the shop, but less so for the customer. This uneasy tension between manufacturers and customers creates a sort of balance.

What software automation means for custom fabrication

OSH Cut is different, but is it disruptive to the sheet metal manufacturing industry?

Steel Prices are Dropping in 2022

Beginning roughly in November 2020, steel prices increased dramatically, with costs peaking at 2.5x pre-COVID levels by November 2021. In the months following, prices stabilized and have dropped 33%. Prices still exceed previous levels by a factor of 2, but they appear to be recovering.

Latest Articles

Steel Prices Increased Dramatically in 2021

Driven by high demand and persistent supply-chain issues, steel prices increased dramatically in 2021. Price increases have affected the entire supply-chain, from material rationing at mills, to long service center leads, and finally increases in product costs.

Understanding the impact of tariffs on metal fabrication businesses

Tim Heston, Caleb Chamberlain, Lance Thrailkill, and Cody Lee discuss tariff implications, diversification strategies, and adaptability within the evolving manufacturing landscape.

The metal fabrication business, accelerated with tech

Columnist Caleb Chamberlain recalls the days of the IBM-compatible computer, massive calculators, and a starkly different time in U.S. manufacturing. Things have changed—and mostly for the better.

The emergence of private equity and vibe coding in fabrication

From the surge of co-bots and advanced automation tools on display to the practical challenges of integrating and maintaining them, FABTECH revealed just how fast the industry is evolving.

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The economics of speed in metal fabrication

When you charge more for rush orders, what happens when you shorten standard lead times? No surprise, fewer people pay for faster delivery, but there’s a big upside.

Tech is transforming the job shop market

In the last 70 years, technology destroyed, created, and transformed virtually every industry and market worldwide—every market except for manufacturing.

Sheet Metal Manufacturing in the Digital Age

The world is changing quickly, and sheet metal fabrication is changing right along with it. The digital transformation is changing how people design and order sheet metal parts.

Southwest Airlines software meltdown a warning for manufacturers

Southwest Airlines left thousands stranded over the holidays. For airlines and fabricators alike, the experience proves how risky business can be for manufacturing shops with antiquated software.

Software automation in a high-mix sheet metal shop

Software automation can improve efficiency, minimize production bottlenecks, and decrease downtime in a high-mix shop. What used to take days or weeks could occur nearly instantaneously.

Slip Robotics: Revolutionizing the Freight Industry with Automation

Slip Robotics is transforming the freight industry by increasing delivery speed, improving loading and unloading time, and reducing product damage and work accidents.