Deciding the next step for your metal shop

By Emma Peterson. 

Looking to expand your business’s metal fabrication capabilities? Industry experts share their thoughts on how to invest wisely.  

Metal roofing and building materials have been on the rise and they’re definitely here to stay. As the popularity of metal in the construction industry has risen, there has been a steadily growing demand for metal fabrication and manipulation shops. As a result, many businesses in the sector have found success and profit increases. After celebrating their successes, it’s time for these businesses to look to the future and determine what equipment to invest in that will help them continue to grow. In this MetalTalk® webinar, Heidi J. Ellsworth discussed the best investment options with Stephen Gosk and Ken McLauchlan of MetalForming.   

Ken explained that over the last year, many industry professionals have seen significant success, which leaves them wondering what steps to take next in order to continue the trend of growth. He shared, “We have a lot of people who are not looking for as much automation as new technology. They want to know how to improve that process to get more out of the same amount of space and basically make the workflow a little easier on the employees.” 

The key to this is investing in new technology. But something that’s important to note is that new technology doesn’t necessarily mean purchasing brand new machinery. Stephen explained, “Depending on where the customer's business is at, it may be more in line with their financial and business needs just to simply replace that controller and then replace the whole machine.” It depends on exactly what the customer wants to get out of the machines, but a lot of technology can be improved without paying the cost of an entirely new machine. 

Stephen elaborated, “We work with our suppliers to assist us in doing refurbishments and upgrades. For example, the brains of a folder is the controls, and our partners will offer a complete refurb of the controls cabinet, have a set in place where literally all of the electronics are placed right into the same sized cabinet that exists with the machine.” This is a much more affordable process than buying an entirely new piece of equipment and can help a lot of businesses achieve the technological upgrades they are looking for.  

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast or Watch the video to learn more about your options for upgrading your metal shop and how MetalForming can help you find the right solution for your goals.