In a metal fabrication project, one of the biggest factors that clients are concerned with is cost. It’s important to make smart decisions to reduce costs throughout the process. Welding is an often used technique in fabrication, but it’s not cheap. In this article, we offer up a few tips for keeping welding expenses down when they’re necessary in a fabrication project.

Welding Expenses

Let’s face it, welding is expensive. Welding is essentially a manual process that requires highly skilled personnel, typically utilizing elaborate fixtures and tooling. Issues such as potentially significant heat distortion and follow-up surface finishing requirements can drive costs even higher. But welding is still a necessity for many projects.

Managing the amount of weld specified and incorporating self-locating features into the design can significantly reduce welding time and limit distortion and surface finishing requirements. These factors can all reduce overall cost.

Creating slot and tab features that allow welded parts to fit together like puzzle pieces can eliminate the need for expensive fixtures. Changing full seam welds to tack welds or stitch welds can reduce or eliminate distortion, and will also reduce the time required for any subsequent surface finishing.

With welding, heat is the enemy. By limiting the amount of weld, you can reduce heat, process time, finishing, and (most importantly) cost.

Data Metalcraft, Inc.

Data Metalcraft offers customized, turnkey fabrication solutions to clients throughout the state of Minnesota and the greater Midwest. We can work with you throughout your fabrication project and ensure everything remains on time and within your set budget. Contact us today to learn more about our services or to get started with your fabrication project. You can find us at our primary facility in Arlington, MN.