By setting out a clear and detailed brief before you start to ring round for quotes, you can get a much more accurate price for your fabrication and have fewer problems with the finished item on first try.
Start With a Dimensioned Drawing
You would be surprised to how many problems can arise due to an inadequate description. Even a simple sketch of a part with dimensions, angles and holes is far better than an oral description. If you do not have access to CAD software to create drawings then a simple hand drawn sketch will do.
Name the Exact Material and Grade
"Steel" or "stainless" is not specific enough. Would you require mild steel or stainless? Is it to be 304 or 316? Is aluminium an option? All items are available in a variety of thicknesses in millimetres. It is essential to specify the correct grade of material as this affects cost, weight and how the material is to be welded.
Set Tolerances and Finish Up Front
Do you require your components to be manufactured to certain tolerances and finished in certain ways? Examples of finish could be ground welds, galvanizing, powder coating or simple deburring. The workshop would work to your brief using the nationally recognised measurement and tolerance standards. See also Fabrication Company Gloucester. More detail on the UK’s manufacturing trade body is set out in the published guidance.
Give Realistic Quantities and a Lead Time
Quantify the quantity of parts and suggest a time frame for the delivery of the order. This could be as simple as “We require 1 x prototype” or “We require 50 x identical parts to be delivered within 2 weeks”. Often a fabrication company’s price per unit will decrease as the quantity of parts increases, also the company’s workload will allow for the order to be processed within the suggested time frame or alternative time frame.
Describe Access, Weight and Fixing Method
Also, advise the fabrication company how you intend to get the fabricated part into position, e.g. by lifting it into place, or whether it is to be fixed to existing part(s) of a structure. Even if a fabrication company in Gloucester has produced the item perfectly, if it cannot be delivered through a doorway then it is of no use!
Ask for an Itemised Quote
Request an itemized quote which outlines the cost of the materials used in the fabrication, the labour required to complete the project, and the cost of any finishing such as painting or powder coating. Many fabrication workshops are members of industry bodies such as the BMCMA and are guided by the body’s codes of practice for pricing transparency.
Write out these points and hopefully the quotes that you receive will be for the job that you actually need doing.
