DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE: SERVICE • QUALITY • INNOVATION
ESTABLISHED 1953
At All Metals Fabricating, we aim to become the best and most automated contract manufacturer in the world by 2031. We believe automation helps us serve our customers better than ever by improving efficiency and reducing lead times. But as our shop has evolved, it’s become even clearer that skilled team members are just as important as ever.
Automation has indisputably changed how work gets done, and it will continue to do so into the future. But automation does not eliminate the need for talented, adaptable people. No modern manufacturer could be successful without problem-solving team members.
Jobs have evolved as the nature of our manufacturing has changed. For example, cutting is now a highly automated process in our shop. But even though machines can run for longer stretches without interruption, that leaves more parts to be offloaded, separated, deburred, and moved to the next department. More team members are now needed to keep parts moving through our shop effectively compared to when we did not have lights out manufacturing capabilities.
Experienced operators also help us get more from the equipment itself. The more skilled the operator, the more value we can get out of automation. Our team is always looking for a smarter way to run a part.
And while automated machines can run unattended, if something goes wrong, they can’t fix themselves. Uptime becomes critical, and you need resourceful team members to fix the problem.
At All Metals Fabricating, our skilled operators help troubleshoot issues and communicate with machine manufacturers and service teams remotely to work through problems. Every minute counts in our customers’ projects, and the best operators have a broad skillset: they can both produce quality parts and help in resolving issues with machines.
Automation cannot yet handle every step of manufacturing in our shop. When we bend sheet metal, for example, some parts are simply too complex for machines alone. Skilled press brake operators remain essential for accuracy in complex parts. Automated cells can run where they make sense, while experienced team members handle the toughest high-level work.
This is true in quality assurance, as well. Checking parts and catching mistakes early are critical responsibilities, and while we’ve automated some aspects of quality, it still requires skilled management.
In lights-out manufacturing, planning and verification become even more important. If a job is not programmed and validated correctly on the front end, automation can produce a large number of bad parts before anyone catches the problem. Experienced team members help prevent that by making sure the process is ready for unattended production.
The value of skilled people extends beyond the shop floor and into sales, customer service, and account management. New AI tools have made some customer service tasks simpler, but customers still prefer a real relationship with a real person they know they can trust.
We use AI tools where appropriate, like with “ShopTalk,” the AI-powered chat tool on our homepage. It can help answer basic questions about our business and capabilities. But the goal is never to replace people; instead, it’s only to take those straightforward questions off our team’s plate. That way, they can spend more time helping customers with tough questions and building stronger relationships.
Automated manufacturing is central to our growth over the coming years, but so are the people who make our shop successful every day. As our shop evolves, our team members will continue to bring the adaptability and judgment that lead to strong results.
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