Have you just opened a metal fabrication shop? Read on and discover the key issues that you should bear in mind when selecting an aluminium supplier for your fabrication shop.

Does that Supplier Use the Product?

As you evaluate the different potential suppliers of aluminium to your fabrication shop, focus on those who use the products that they sell. Such suppliers will have a very intimate understanding of how the different aluminium alloys that they sell respond during the fabrication process. For example, a supplier who also has a fabrication division will know which aluminium alloys alter their chemical composition once they are heated beyond a certain threshold. A supplier who doesn't use his or aluminium products may just rely on factsheets provided by the manufacturers of that aluminium. Those factsheets may not have considered local conditions in your region, so the information in those booklets may be inadequate in helping you to determine which alloy is the best for a given application.

How Much Information is Provided About the Source of the Aluminum?

Pure aluminium is very soft, and it can easily be damaged. Consequently, most of the aluminium that is supplied is an alloy of several metals, such as zinc and copper. This is where how much information that you are given about the source of that material becomes very important. Some aluminium manufacturers use recycled aluminium to make aluminium sheets or coils. Such recycled aluminium may contain impurities that can affect the quality of your finished products. For example, iron particles may have become embedded within the aluminium. Such iron particles can cause rust spots to develop on the surface of the aluminium product made using that sheet of aluminium. It is therefore better for you to select a supplier who provides detailed information about the source of the aluminium in their stock. This can allow you to examine the purity guarantee provided about the aluminium supplies.

Do They Differentiate Between Price and Cost?

Some aluminium suppliers focus on how the price of their aluminium compares with the price charged by competitors. However, you should opt for a supplier who minds about the total cost of the aluminium that you take. Such a supplier will go a long way to modify the aluminum so that it is as close to a usable form as is possible given the purposes to which you will put that aluminium. This supplier will have helped you to reduce how much machining the aluminium has to undergo. Thus, a higher upfront price may be a good thing if it lowers the overall cost of making products in your fabrication shop.

You will reduce the likelihood of being disappointed if you base your selection of an aluminium supplier on the criteria above.