Technological changes, new opportunities, and changes in the market might require a company to create new, custom machinery or fixtures and enclosures, and so on. Much of that machine design work is too complex for the average business owner. Custom design and fabrication services exist to fill the need for custom design, consultation, custom machining, and more. If you are reaching the point where you need to modify a key piece of machinery or create something that’s 100% custom, you need to take a few steps before going to a shop and signing a contract. If you were asking “Is there a custom design and machine shop near me?” or something similar, and you live in the Nashville Metro area, the answer is yes, Hamilton Machine.
How to Commission a Custom Machine or Fabrication Job
These tips apply whether you are getting something entirely new designed and built from scratch or modifying something new. They also apply to custom fabrication work that needs to be designed.
- Know your project requirements – Be clear about scope, budget, timeline, performance standards, materials, etc.
- Study a few design firms – Check their online reviews and their industry experience, look for examples of similar work
- Ask questions about the shop’s business practices. Read on for more details on this topic.
Clarify some business details before signing a contract. Ask about:
- Insurance
- Guarantees
- Repair and warranty provisions
- Industry experience (sectors and years of experience in yours)
- Experience with materials relevant to your job
- Willingness to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA)
Finally, for many jobs you will need the services of a professional engineer. This could be an employee, a contractor, or someone on staff with the custom machine design shop. Someone will have to help design that new part, machine, or enclosure.
You may need some help with process improvement. Some machine shops do offer the expertise you need to streamline your manufacturing processes. Look for a firm that has some experience in 6S manufacturing, for safety improvements.
Hamilton Machine is a custom design and fabrication firm for those in the Nashville area who wonder if there is a machine shop near me that can build custom machinery. They also machine parts in aluminum, steel, alloys, and plastic; Do not assume any CNC (computer numerical control) shop can mill whatever material your job requires.
How Hamilton Machine Helps
In short, Hamilton Machine can help you go from a simple drawing to a working custom machine if that is what you need. They can also work from professional blueprints whether hand drawn or digitally created. We have experience in these design and fabrication tasks:
- Creating 3D models and drawings
- Automating manufacturing processes
- Creating new fixtures
- Developing and machining prototypes
- Designing and fabricating control panels
- Designing from drawings, diagrams, or sample parts
- Upgrading and retrofitting machines
- Improving processes
Hamilton Machine can also help at one or two stages of the process if you don’t need complete design consultation to delivery service for your machine design. They can take a drawing, even a simple line drawing, or an image and turn that into a prototype using the materials of your choice.
Hamilton Machine will also sign an NDA. This can be super important if you want to bring your product to market or improve an existing product.
Consulting with a professional engineer is usually a critical step that ensures your product or design works as intended. That engineer should also be able to advise on custom control panel designs, and modifications to existing machines. If you want to know if a proposed design for a new part will deliver the desired results, you can hire someone to make the part and test it. But you can save some time and money by consulting with an engineer with expertise relevant to the type of equipment or process.
Using Their Fabrication Services
The first step in working with Hamilton Machine may well be to supply a drawing, diagram, or sample item to work from whether it is a machine design or a modification of an existing part. They can take a physical sample or image and turn it into a finished piece. As with most CNC machine shops, Hamilton can accept computer files in several formats, including popular image formats, AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, SolidWorks.
Hamilton can work from an existing part or piece and modify it to suit new customer requirements. They have a professional engineer on staff to answer questions about customizing the design, so it will deliver the required performance.
Custom Fabrication and Design in Greater Nashville
Need engineering and design help for a commercial or industrial fabrication project and wondering if there is a good machine shop near you? Hamilton Machine is equipped to handle a wide range of design, machining, and fabrication jobs, taking an idea on paper to a finished and installed machine if necessary. They also customize parts. Contact Hamilton Machine if you need custom fabrication services or machine design work.
