The (Sometimes Hidden) Benefits of a Full-Service Fabrication Shop

It’s hard to believe, but when Baillie Fabricating and Welding first began more than 30 years ago, owner Stephen Baillie led a one-man operation focused on welding services. Since then, we’ve grown into a full-service fabrication shop by continually expanding our capabilities while maintaining the same quality we’ve always been known for. 

We’ve added not only sheet metal fabrication, CAD modeling services, and CNC machining, but we’re also ready to manage outside processes on your behalf through our vendor network. Today, we’re proud to be a comprehensive partner for your complex projects. 

There are many clear benefits to choosing a full-service shop, and the list goes far beyond what’s obvious at first glance. Find out just how valuable it can be to work with a single partner for your entire manufacturing process.

The Challenge of Fragmented Production

When you partner with different shops for each aspect of your manufacturing, the tasks add up fast. You’re forced to act like a general contractor, coordinating multiple vendors, shipping parts from one facility to another, and keeping everyone on schedule.

This approach can work, but it introduces risk and increases your costs. And above all, it consumes valuable time, taking your focus off higher-value tasks as you juggle supplier logistics.

The Advantage of a Single Partner

We define “full-service fabrication shop” as one that manages multiple processes in-house and coordinates any necessary outside processes for you. You’ll have a single point of contact to monitor your progress, but you won’t need to manage any of the moving parts yourself.

Our unique mix of capabilities is especially powerful for assemblies that combine machining and metal fabrication, and adding CAD design only compounds the benefits. Drafting allows us to provide design for manufacturing (DFM) input early on, helping to minimize cost and improve fit in complex assemblies.

The Key Benefits of Our Approach

Seamless Fit for Assemblies

When production takes place in disconnected shops, assemblies are often where problems appear, as misalignment or tolerance stack-ups lead to poor fit. At Baillie Fab, our departments coordinate directly. We’re able to ensure proper fit ourselves, with the capabilities to make any adjustments if necessary. 

Reduced Costs

There are several ways full-service partners can help reduce your costs. Early design for manufacturing and design for assembly advice, for instance, will spot issues before they become expensive production problems. A better fit in assemblies can prevent the need for potentially costly reworks.

Even freight costs can add up quickly when parts move between multiple facilities. Keeping fabrication, machining, welding, and forming in our facility drastically reduces your shipping expenses. For repeat or high-volume work, the long-term savings can become substantial.

Streamlined Project Management and Labor Savings

Acting as your own project manager consumes countless hours, and many of these are rarely considered in your final tally of lost time. With Baillie Fab, you no longer have to deal with countless administrative tasks like coordinating vendor schedules, tracking shipments, issuing multiple purchase orders, and more. Instead, you’ll have time to focus on larger responsibilities.

Consistent Finishing

Many of our customers come from industries where finishes are critical to the final application. 

Food-grade projects, for instance, need smooth surface finishing that can be easily and consistently sanitized. We provide #4 brushed finishes for projects like these, but when multiple shops handle different parts of the project, those requirements may be overlooked by other manufacturers. By managing the entire process, we deliver consistency through our expert metal finishing services.

Stronger Quality Control

Quality control is best when one shop has visibility into every dimension and tolerance across a project. We can make informed adjustments and ensure parts are in line with your final specifications at every stage.

Simplify Your Project With Baillie Fab

Managing multiple vendors not only adds cost, it takes time you could use to focus on your more critical tasks. With Baillie Fab, you gain a full-service fabrication shop that simplifies your project and delivers quality parts.

Request a quote to see how much easier your next project can be!