Practical application of mill shapes is literally endless. Every industry has a need for milled metal from the obvious to the not so obvious. Metal mill shapes have been used for furniture, racks, displays, automobiles, airplanes, elevators and electronics, just to name a few.

If you are in the manufacturing business, odds are pretty high that you will require the services of metal shape manufacturers. In order to obtain accurate price quotes, you will need to know the following:

1. Milled metal gauge — What metal gauge do you require? Metal gauge is the thickness of metal. The higher the gauge number, the thinner the metal will be.

2. Milled metal alloy — What type of metal do you need? Bronze, copper, brass, aluminum, titanium are just a few of your selections.

3. Milled metal quantity — How much will you need?

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

Buy custom-cut metal mill shapes that meet your specifications

Sometimes you need a metal shape that is not a regular order so you will have to find metal shape manufacturers that can perform this service for you. You often have a choice of metals and finishes that can be custom cut and formed. Select from many different metal strengths, surface appearances and types of corrosion resistance.

I recommend: Choose custom-cut metal mill shapes to meet your specific application needs from Sharon Custom Metal Forming. EMachineshop will custom cut any type of metal that you need. It has a neat free CAD download that allows you to draw your design and send it back to them for review and a price quote.

Buy from metal mill shape manufacturers that do not require minimum orders

While you can understand why some metal mill shape manufacturers require minimum run sizes, it sometimes is not practical for a buyer to comply. Your business may not have the storage space required to house a minimum order, or you may prefer not to spend more money than you need to. Sometimes a small amount of product is all that is required. Luckily there are some companies that do not require minimum job sizes.

I recommend: Kroh-Wagner is a mill shape metal company that provides all milling services, even custom milling projects, with no minimum runs. Metal Associates is a stock metal company that sells milling shapes, and Precision Shapes is a milled metal company that does not require a minimum order.

Locate aluminum mill shapes

Certain metals work better than others when it comes to wear and tear on parts. If you require aluminum mill shapes, you will want to locate a supplier that specializes in this type of mill shape.

I recommend: Schupan & Sons is a metal mill shapes company specializing in aluminum and plastic mill products. Materials Management supplies standard aluminum mill shapes as well as custom-ordered aluminum mill shapes and extrusions.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If stock metal material suppliers require a minimum order, try to negotiate free shipping. In today's marketplace, many companies are willing to do what they can to save a sale. You can also resell the extra product that you purchase to meet the minimum run size and recoup some of your expenses.