Questions To Ask Before Hiring Metal Fabricators
A wide array of industries utilizes metal fabrication. Even within those industries, such as aerospace or construction, metal fabrication has a long list of functions. Whether you need car engine parts, a hospital bed frame, or a light fixture, metal fabrication can get the job done. This process requires reaching out to a professional, of which there are many.
The guide below highlights three key questions to ask before hiring metal fabricators. By asking these questions, you can determine whether you’re working with a true professional worth hiring.
How Much Experience Do You Have?
Whenever you hire a professional for any job, you must research their experience beforehand. The more years a fabricator has in the business, the more experience they have with unique tasks. A new fabricator might have talent, but they don’t have the years of making mistakes and learning from them that a fabricator who’s been around for a decade does.
Besides fabrication experience, make sure the professional you’re talking to has experience working with the industry you need the product for in the first place. For example, if you’re looking for someone to weld car components, find someone with experience welding products for that industry. However, just because someone has years of experience under their belt doesn’t mean they’re top of their class.
Do You Have Examples of Previous Work?
Their word isn’t good enough; always ask fabricators for examples of previous jobs. Not only do you want to see these examples to clarify the fabricator’s work looks nice, but also that they meet your industry standards. Take some time to see if the fabricator has user reviews online because those can be quite telling too.
This is one of the most important questions to ask before hiring metal fabricators. If you don’t see examples of previous work before hiring a metal fabricator, there’s no guarantee your final product will be as great as they say it will. Looking through a fabricator’s portfolio can provide peace of mind or highlight some red flags worth thinking about.
What Fabrication Techniques Do You Use?
Metals like aluminum and steel have unique benefits when it comes to using them for fabricating. To make the most out of the fabrication process, speak with a fabricator about the best material for the job. That said, you’re not going to find the same level of experience and expertise at each service provider.
One fabricator might specialize in aluminum, while another has experience working with aluminum and steel. Each fabricator will be different, so clarifying this information early on is crucial. Not only are there various metals professionals can fabricate, but also various techniques for fabricating those materials.
For example, welding and rolling metal are two very different processes, yet they’re effective techniques for fabricating materials. For this reason, take some time to learn the basics of aluminum fabrication. That way, when you ask fabricators about their process, you’ll have the proper context to tell whether they’re really as knowledgeable and reliable as they say.
