DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE: SERVICE • QUALITY • INNOVATION
ESTABLISHED 1953
At All Metals Fabricating, quality is central to everything we do. But real manufacturing quality only matters if you can measure it and prove your parts meet requirements. With as many as 500 active jobs moving through our shop at any given time, our quality department is critical to ensuring every part meets requirements and documentation needs.
No two jobs are ever exactly alike at our shop, where our capabilities range from sheet metal fab to precision machining and beyond. Inspection needs can vary with different materials, tolerances, finishing steps, customer requirements, and more. And there are a wide variety of tasks our quality team is involved in, including:
All of these tasks demand a range of skills from our quality team, but they’re up to the task. They’re fluent in both GD&T and conventional tolerancing, allowing customers to use the system that’s best for their application. They work comfortably across both traditional and advanced inspection tools, and they understand documentation requirements across a wide range of customer and compliance needs.
And in the rare instances that nonconformances do occur, they not only help to correct the issue, but also help to determine root cause and corrective action. This strengthens future processes and prevents repeat problems.
Our quality manager, Mark Green, has a long history in metal fabrication. He began decades ago in production, and he worked across multiple areas of fab shops, including programming, press brakes, and punching. In the mid-1990s, he was asked to join the quality department for the first time.
As a leader, Mark believes, above all, in consistency and transparency. “I try to lead by example,” he said. “I’m never going to ask anyone to do anything that I haven’t done or wouldn’t do myself. And open communication is key, so we’re all on the same page.”
Mark leads two additional full-time quality team members, supported by an inspection toolkit designed to handle tight requirements across industries. Some of their key equipment includes:
This equipment allows All Metals Fabricating to support projects with demanding tolerances, with some equipment even capable of micron-level measurements. Whether a part requires fast verification in-process or highly detailed reporting, our equipment and expertise mean we’re up to the task.
All Metals Fabricating has maintained ISO 9001 certification for nine years, including multiple recertifications and ongoing surveillance audits. In that entire time, the shop has never received a major nonconformance during an audit. That’s an accomplishment Mark takes pride in because it reflects the day-to-day discipline of the team.
That close adherence to ISO 9001 protocols is important to customers because it leads to more consistent outcomes. ISO 9001 offers documented processes, supports repeatability, and helps with corrective-action systems when necessary.
Mark’s experience across so much of sheet metal fab is part of why he enjoys his work in the quality department. He sees not only how they can confirm measurements but also how they can help improve the entire operation.
“We contribute to production in a lot of different ways,” he said. “When you’re in production, you’ve got your head down trying to get parts out. But in quality, we’re able to take a step back and look at processes and see where we can improve.”
One of the most impactful manufacturing quality improvements Mark helped implement addressed a common bottleneck: waiting for first-part approval. In the past, operators would machine a first part, bring it to quality, and wait sometimes as much as 30 minutes or an hour for inspection clearance before continuing.
Today, the process is far faster and more streamlined. Before production begins, programming shares a DXF-based verification with the quality team to confirm the planned geometry matches drawing requirements. Then, once the operator runs the first part, they can scan it directly using the InspecVision system and get immediate feedback.
The result is less waiting between setups, faster production for customers, and better throughput overall.
Mark has worked at many different precision fabrication shops in his career, and he’s still impressed by the team and capabilities at All Metals. Above all, he said, the quality department is distinguished by its flexibility and adaptability.
“With so many jobs running through the shop, there’s always going to be a wide range of requirements,” Mark said. “Some want extremely thorough documentation, others just want acceptable parts as fast as possible. Our shop’s adaptability to different circumstances really sets us apart.”
Our CEO, Lance Thrailkill, credits Mark’s steady leadership and extensive manufacturing experience as a key reason the department runs so well.
“Mark is one of the best hires that we have ever made. His consistent, steady leadership keeps our quality department in excellent shape,” Lance said. “And that stability shows up in the results our customers count on. We have an amazing team in our quality department, and that is evident in our world class manufacturing order acceptance rate. I am very thankful to Mark for his many years of excellent work in such a critical part of our shop!”
If your next project demands the confidence that comes with a strong quality department, All Metals Fabricating is ready to help. Request a quote today to partner with our Texas sheet metal shop!
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