Searching “custom metal fabrication near me” is not enough to find a qualified and reliable vendor. It’s time-consuming to find an experienced vendor capable of providing the right services, especially when you need more time designing and building products. When custom machining services are needed, finding a vendor that provides quality metal fabrication and exceeds expectations is essential. Production times, false guarantees or receiving complex parts short of the necessary spec qualifications can drag projects out, leaving engineers juggling tighter project timelines between vendors and clients.
Instead, we’ve put together three ways you can review a custom machining services and quality machine repair service vendor, including top qualities to look for to get the quality custom machining services you need.
1. Review Prior Experience
A great starting place is asking, “Has your team worked on a project like this before?” While it may seem simple, experience is a great teacher. Benefits include vendors who foresee problems, efficiently execute projects and accurately provide complete timelines for projects. A shop that provides various industrial services is more likely to have the techniques and experience to create exactly what is needed for custom machine parts while anticipating any potential problems. An industrial services vendor’s range of products and services provides the first clue of what their team is capable of managing. Ask about experience, not only for the size of the project but also about customization levels. While a smaller shop may specialize in custom machining, they might not have the ability to produce at a high enough volume for another project. Likewise, many high-volume plants lack the ability to create custom parts as the volume of production cannot be interrupted. Either way, it’s best not to assume and hear for yourself about their prior experience as it pertains to current capabilities.
At Yarbrough, we provide industrial services from expert metal fabrication, machine maintenance, engineering, part sales, and in-shop or on-site heavy equipment repair. We’ve also been doing this for over 75 years – giving our teams the experience and expert knowledge to become a one-stop shop for any project. Our high-tech equipment and expert-level knowledge in metal forming and bending has allowed us to work on various projects, from custom machining services to quality machine repair. We offer intricacy in designs and customization of parts — we consult directly with our clients to ensure we successfully execute any and all complex projects.
2. Discuss the Project Specs
The scale of a project for custom machining services greatly affects how vendors approach projects and can also have a large impact on the ability to give attention to details and produce high-quality parts. Some engineers default to high-volume plants for larger projects, but this is not always the best approach. Since these shops deal with many customers, they cannot provide the same quality level of parts and are more liable to produce parts that don’t meet the spec standards set. Yes, it may save a smidge of the budget, but the time spent to have to reevaluate with the spec standards aren’t met is much more costly. Smaller shops are an excellent resource for large projects since they have the same resources to get the work done but have the ability to evaluate complex instructions with more attention to detail.
At Yarbrough, our capabilities extend beyond simple fabrication. Our on-site hydraulics and machining divisions can produce the same volume as larger shops, but can also provide complex, custom machining services and quality machine repair.
3. Consider Project Execution
When dealing with complex custom parts, it’s important to understand the standard operating procedures and processes a vendor has in place to produce what you need accurately and on time. Quick reference guides, project checklists and quality control standards are all great topics that should be brought up for deeper conversation.
At Yarbrough, we pride ourselves on technical precision and efficient workflow. When these two combine, the result is that projects are executed to meet all specifications while delivering on project deadlines.
With a long-standing reputation for excellent customer service, Yarbrough is committed to listening to your needs and executing projects with precision. We build long-standing relationships with our customers as they grow to rely on us time and time again. A Yarbrough partnership means you can redirect your focus where needed most while we focus on the work.
