If you’ve tried buying materials out on the spot market, you know how much of a gamble it can be. Whether you’re seeking a minimal poundage of a special material that your typical vendors don’t have, or you’re still searching for trusted vendors to work with, purchasing from the spot market can leave you with materials that are damaged, under spec, or just plain unusable. Where you source your raw materials from is extremely important. Here’s why.
MATERIAL NEEDS TO BE UP TO SPEC
If you’re buying material that doesn’t meet your specs or can’t be certified, you’re in for bigger issues when you start stamping, punching, bending, and plating. In fact, the whole manufacturing process could end up in jeopardy by sourcing the wrong material. Once you’ve built relationships with metal suppliers, you’re more likely to receive material that matches the quality you spec’d out. And when you know the manufacturability of the material is what they claim it is, the actual metal fabrication is going to be smoother.
QUALITY AND STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY
When you’re looking to ensure quality, sourcing material that meets your project’s specifications is the most important thing. The more you work with a particular vendor, the more likely they are to consistently meet your needs. And a good quality product with verifiable specifications is going to have the structural integrity you need for metal fabrication.
THE VALUE OF PREFERRED VENDORS
Here at Fabrifast, we have a group of preferred suppliers we purchase material from. They’re suppliers who’ve partnered with us on the materials side for years – some we’ve worked with for decades. When you take the time to build a relationship, vendors get to know your business, and they learn how to deliver on your material needs. Even though it takes a little effort upfront, you get to reap the benefits of that effort for years (even decades) into the future. Whether you need a specific tolerance, gauge, surface finish, or any other specs, the material suppliers we regularly work with know how to get the right materials, the first time around. And that will save you plenty of time and frustration on the front end.
