How to Get Precision-Cut Metal When You Need It

No two metals have the same physical, chemical, and mechanical properties, as many metals are available in different alloys and tempers that change their compositions. This also means that each metal comes with unique machining challenges. For example, metals like titanium require a lower cutting resistance to avoid chipping, while tough metals such as stainless steel, demand frequent tool changes. These challenges, along with current supply chain disruptions, have made it difficult for smaller machine shops and fabricators to retain a stock of machine-ready materials. However, many metal service providers know how to get precision-cut metals so you can save time and money, allowing you to focus solely on your production.

Below, we detail the importance of using precision-cut metals and the benefits of outsourcing your metal sawing requirements to a reliable metal supplier.

Why You Need Precision-Cut Metals

Using precision-cut metals can help many small machine shops and fabricators accelerate their production time and assure a healthy ROI. We describe these benefits in more detail below.

Accelerates your Production Time

Working with pre-cut aluminum or titanium can save you a lot of time, as metal alloys come with different hardnesses, tensile strengths, and temperature tolerances and thus may have different machining characteristics. Furthermore, some alloys may require special pre- and post-machining setups. For instance, nickel-based alloys require a rigid machine setup during the machining process to address excess heat and vibration. They also have to be annealed after machining to retain dimensional stability.

Of course, this working knowledge comes with experience; a lack of experience could cause production delays, directly impacting your turnaround time. However, these risks can be offset by utilizing machine-ready materials for your fabrication projects.

Assures a Healthy ROI

New fabricators often consider in-house metal sawing an essential investment for long-term cost savings. By purchasing raw metal blocks and trimming them inside the shop, the aim is to save on having to hire third-party service providers to cut the metals. However, many metals can be challenging to machine due to their physical and chemical properties. If you don’t have the knowledge and experience required to work with these metals, machining errors can result in a lot of material waste. Unless you recycle scrap metals, these losses will add up, and additional materials will need to be purchased to complete your projects.

Setting up the infrastructure for in-house metal sawing can also be costly for small machine shops and fabricators, as the advanced industrial cutting machines and experienced operators required for precision cutting specialty metals can be extremely expensive. To ensure a healthy ROI, shops would need to hit new productivity benchmarks every month.

It might be more beneficial to partner with a reliable metal service provider that can show you how to get precision-cut metals without having to invest in costly sawing setups.

How to Get Precision-Cut Metal from a Reliable Metal Service Provider

The unique properties of some metal alloys that make them highly desirable for various applications also make them hard to machine using simple hacksaws, as they are tough to cut and generate a lot of heat that changes the material structure and affects the tool life. However, by utilizing a reliable metal service provider, you can save yourself a lot of time and resources on cutting challenging metals to size.

Some of the benefits of outsourcing your metal sawing to a reliable service provider include the following:

• Many metal sawing service providers have specialized industrial machines to cut any type of metal into the dimensions you require.
• You can directly order new metals and have them cut to precision without having to use different service providers.
• An experienced metal supplier can keep you informed of any possible supply chain turbulence and advise you on how to keep a steady supply of metals even under the worst market conditions.
• An ideal metal supplier also offers a metal recycling service to help you find value from the scrap metals that are generated during product processing.

Let Industrial Metal Service Cut Your Materials to Size

Industrial Metal Service has been offering reliable metal sawing services to local machinists and fabricators in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than two decades. We can quickly and easily cut your metals to the dimensions you require for your production projects with our state-of-the-art sawing machines.

While most metal suppliers and cutters can only process metals within a three- to four-week period, we can cut your metals to size within a few days (we even work Saturdays). Did you purchase your metals from another supplier? No problem! We are happy to cut your metals even if you didn’t purchase the materials from us.

Our MetlSaw NF12-T12 can easily cut large, non-ferrous metals up to 12 feet long and 12 inches thick while holding tight tolerances up to ± 0.003″, with vertical and horizontal squareness up to ± 0.0005″/in. thick and ± 0.002″/ft., respectively.

For specialty metals such as titanium, our Amada PCSAW 530 X band saw with pulse cutting technology can cut at a variable speed of 15-120 m/min with a sawing capacity of 30-530 mm for round and square materials.