Any company that specializes in forming, cutting and customizing metal products will need to establish an account with distributors for metal-forming machines. There are many machines that will be useful to metal fabrication shops, including bending machines, welders, trimmers and machines that either shrink or expand metal pieces. A full-service shop will require many of these machines to meet the demands of all their customers.

Every business will benefit from a solid, long-term working relationship with vendors. Metal fabrication shops should establish a connection with metal-forming machine dealers that will provide mutual advantages. Some of the goals of this process will be for the metal shop owner to:

1. Purchase products from metal-forming equipment distributors that will allow you to utilize a lease-to-own process;

2. Order from distributors of automatic metal-forming machines that will save your company time and money;

3. Buy replacement parts that will help keep shop machinery operating for many years.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get in touch with metal-forming equipment dealers

A metal-forming machine dealer keeps a large supply of related equipment in stock so your business may place an order and receive it as quickly as possible. These dealers work on an ongoing basis with different manufacturers to keep up on the latest upgrades and most sophisticated new technology for the industry. They can help make sure you order the right machinery for your shop.

I recommend: Order equipment from MSC Industrial Direct, Gulf States Saw & Machine and Baileigh Industrial.

Contact distributors of bending machines

Bending machines have the ability to twist and shape metal tubes and piping into almost any angle. This is a very common request at metal working shops, so it is a good idea to have more than one bending machine on the premises.

I recommend: Find the bending machines you are looking for from Cambridge Machinery, Baileigh Industrial or CML-USA.

Order self-operating equipment from distributors of automatic metal-forming machines

Automatic machinery offers the advantage of handling specific tasks on its own, which will free up your employees to deal with other duties. The equipment will need to be programmed with instructions for each new job, but it is a very convenient tool for projects that must be repeated on a regular basis.

I recommend: Check out the available machines from Capital Machine Technologies and Suhner Automation.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ask the metal-forming machine distributors you are purchasing from if they offer warranties on the products they sell. A company that does not stand behind every item they offer may not be an ideal business partner.
• •  Make purchases from a local metal-forming machine distributor so you can pick the product up and avoid paying shipping charges.
• •  Invest in used machinery from metal-forming machine distributors that is guaranteed to work properly in order to save your company money.