One PO, Less Risk: RAM’s Fabrication and Machining Integration for Better Tolerance Control
Complex end products that require fabrication and machining require complex manufacturing and assembly processes. From sheet metal cutting, bending, and punching to CNC machining to welding and finishing…there’s a long list of unique manufacturing services you may need to bring your products to life. Many teams struggle to manage these steps well. Small delays can create big problems.
Luckily, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to contract multiple vendors. The downsides of multiple vendors are obvious. When you have to coordinate multiple manufacturers, you open up your project to potential scheduling delays, logistical headaches, product handling damage, and the potential for tolerance stack-up or similar quality issues. Essentially, every handoff introduces risk. The integrated approach to fabrication and machining at RAM Specialty Fabrications is orchestrated to eliminate such issues. Fewer handoffs mean fewer surprises. Your team stays focused on the final result, not vendor issues.
At RAM, we recognize that fragmented manufacturing plans place an unnecessary burden and risk for our customers. That’s why we’ve fully integrated precision fabrication, welding, and high-accuracy CNC machining services under a single roof. This integration isn’t just a convenience, but our way to directly address and minimize the major sources of manufacturing risk for our customers.
Integration keeps quality consistent from start to finish. Your project stays on track at every stage.
One Source, Zero Guesswork for Fabrication and Machining Projects
When complex fabrication and machining processes are spread across multiple suppliers, simply managing the process can become a challenge. Any issue that arises, whether in missed scheduling or quality control,
Offering comprehensive in-house manufacturing solutions, RAM simplifies your project into one easily managed purchase order with one single-source, fully accountable supplier. We offer you a direct line of communication between all fabrication and machining teams whenever required. Partnering with RAM Manufacturing ensures that every single dimension, weldment, and surface finish aligns precisely with the intended design. You always know who to call with questions. Communication becomes streamlined, simple, and fast.
The Risk of Tolerance Stack-Up
When a fabricated part or sub-assembly component is sent to an external machine shop, the chances of missed tolerances start to stack up. The machine setup and workpiece holding strategy are critical for maintaining precision throughout the machining process, as well as for maintaining repeatability from one product to the next. Keeping your products with a single fabricator helps keep everything lean, consistent, and carefully controlled. Precision improves when teams work side by side. There is no confusion about how the part was built.
The main risks of contracting multiple fabrication shops include:
- Loss of Product Control: Once a part leaves the fabricator’s facility, control over handling, transport, and scheduling is ceded to a third party.
- Accountability Gaps: If a tolerance is missed, finger-pointing can occur between different vendors rather than being able to pinpoint the issue right away. That means more potential project delays and costly rework.
- Thermal Stress Variables: Welding introduces heat and stress, as does laser cutting and other fabrication processes. Transferring your fabricated parts directly to the CNC machine within the same facility makes it much easier to compensate for any unavoidable manufacturing variations.
By having both fabrication and final machining operations performed by the same team, RAM eliminates these gaps. Our approach ensures that the CNC machinist is a direct extension of the fabrication team, both operating under a unified quality management system within ISO 9001:2015 Certification standards. This unified workflow protects your tolerances. It also shortens the feedback loop for corrections.
Minimizing Your Lead Times and Maximizing Quality
With fabrication and machining integrated under one roof, RAM keeps the coordination and scheduling of your project efficient and on track. No waiting on third-party vendors, no transportation delays, and no unexpected setbacks due to communication breakdowns.
Our in-house teams can immediately move a fabricated part into machining, verify critical features, and ensure quality control at every step. Fast movement reduces downtime. Real-time verification improves confidence in the final product. The result is a faster production cycle, fewer opportunities for error, and consistent quality that you can trust, freeing you up to focus on all the other aspects of your business.
Quality American Fabrication and Machining Services
Ultimately, our integrated model means RAM owns the quality of the entire component, from raw material to finished product. Our approach provides your project with a single source of traceability and accountability, facilitating better quality control at every step.
Contact us today to learn how we can reduce risk in your next fabrication and machining project.