How to decide whether to buy a standard part or have one fabricated to fit.
For many parts you can buy an off-the-shelf item or have one fabricated to fit. The right choice depends on fit, lead time and quantity.
Standard parts such as bolts, standard sections and common brackets are cheap, available immediately, and need no drawings. Where a standard part fits, it is usually the lowest-cost option.
Custom fabrication is right when a part must fit exactly, has a special size or material, or needs to be designed around existing equipment. It also wins where a one-piece build avoids later modification.
A single custom part costs more than a standard item, but it removes the cost of adapting or modifying a standard one. On a production run, custom parts can be nested and batch-built to approach standard pricing.
Standard parts are available from stock. Custom parts take time to draw, cut, form and weld, so they need to be planned into the schedule.
Check whether a standard part fits first. If it needs modification or does not suit the job, fabricate it. Describe what the part must do, and we can advise which route costs less.