A month at a glance in a metal fabrication job shop might show capacity on many machines one day and be completely over capacity the next day.  To stay profitable the fabrication staff and engineering office is staffed for regular production.  The stress to management and employees alike comes from the inability to predict customer demand.  What looks like a regular production without overtime, can change at a moment’s notice with 2 or 3 large customers needing parts at the same time.

Customers and prospects expect an immediate turn around on their parts.  They love the thought of a great metal fabricator with full service capability at their fingertips.   They sell knowing their metal fabricator can deliver what they sell.   Once they have an opportunity the pressure is on for the metal fabricator to turn their parts in two to three weeks.  Some customers expect parts the same week.

At Noble Industries, we know time is money and on time delivery is a necessity.  We have learned how to handle the ups and downs and work daily to minimize the stress of a job shop environment and still grow.  We have a shop schedule.  Knowing the environment, we start jobs before they are due so that we have capacity for urgent needs.  We educate our customers so they plan ahead and communicate their upcoming needs.  During the slower times we analyze ways to be more efficient, to streamline processes.  During the peak period of 2012, the management of Noble Industries analyzed the bottleneck areas and added both machinery and manpower so the bottlenecks would be minimal.

For Noble Industries, a great workforce with many years experience in sheet metal along with management skilled at planning and the ability to execute a plan has made the busy season of 2013  a great and stress free metal fabrication environment.

We have capacity to continue to grow.   If you have metal fabrication needs, contact Brenda Snyder at 317-773-1926 or send your files and quote information through our website at www.nobleindustries.com.

have revolutionized the metal finish industry.  You can have a smooth surface, peels, epoxy coating, metallic, clear coat and almost any color on the RAL color spectrum.   Powder coating gives metal parts a very durable finish that is superior to wet paint.  A powder coat finish is also environmentally friendly.   You can see powder coated finish on automotive parts, appliances such as washer/dryer sets in bright red and other colors and many other metal products we encounter every day.

Advancements have been made so that other substrates that were impossible years ago could be powder coated.  One of the most fascinating breakthroughs is the ability to powder coat fiberboard.  Powder melts and forms in an oven for metal parts so the ability to coat heat sensitive materials is amazing.   MDF (medium density fiberboard) has become suitable for the application of powder finish because it is a low porous material with wax and resin binder.  The retail point of purchase & store fixture industry is being redefined with beautiful powder coated MDF designs.  Coating MDF with powder also protects the product from stains and scratches.

Noble Industries was been powder coating metal products since the 70’s.  We enjoy the benefits of all the advances in powder coating.  We offer full metal fabrication services to a number of industries, include automotive, OEM companies, automotive aftermarket suppliers, medical, POP providers and many more industrial customers.  We also provide powder coating services to customers who produce their own products and need a durable finish applied.

For more information about powder coating or metal fabrication, contact Brenda Snyder at 317-773-1926 or contact us through our website at www.nobleindustries.com.

Sheet Metal Terminology – Part 1

Roll forming is a constant bending process in which sheet metal, coil, bar or strips of metal pass through rolls that form the metal.  This process is most efficient in large production runs.  Small production of roll formed parts can be done but it is a manual process where tight tolerances are difficult to obtain.

Stamping is for high production parts. Single or multiple punches, bends, embossing can be performed at one time or in a progressive die.  If you can design and build tooling to perform the sheet metal functions at one time or in sequence such as punching holes and embossing at one time, then stamping is a great process.  The benefits of stamping include the ability to produce large production runs with low labor costs.  However the production quantity must be high as tooling costs can be expensive.

Metal Punching, CNC Punching, Punching through Stamping are all terms used when metal fabrication equipment punches holes, louvers or a predetermined shape out of sheet metal.

Blanking is where a part is cut out of the sheet metal and the material around the part is discarded.

Metal Forming can be accomplished is several ways.  Press Brake bending is a common process.  Press Brake bending is basically pressing a flat sheet metal part into tooling to bend the metal.  The operator setting up the machine for press brake bending must understand the material and how it will respond to the bending pressure.  Many things can affect the bending process, such as springback and cracking if the calculation of the material and the other factors are not correctly assessed.

Noble Industries has been fabricating sheet metal parts for over 40 years.   Check out our website at www.nobleindustries.com or contact Brenda Snyder for more information

Noble Industries  is a custom metal fabricator located in Noblesville, Indiana.  In business since 1968, owner William Parker started the company in a barn behind his partner’s home.  45 years later Noble Industries is still going strong and growing.    Our new sign is more than a sign.  It is a symbol of strength and optimism.   We have grown much in the 45 years and expect future growth as well.

Facts about Noble Industries:

• Incorporated in 1970
• Started with 500 sq ft and now manufacturing metal fabricated parts in 70,000 square feet
• Employs 70+ full time employees
• ISO 9001:2008 Certified
• 99.8 % delivery on-time
• Industries served:  Automotive Aftermarket, Automotive, Transportation, Appliance, Electrical, Medical, Dental, Retail Store Display, Point of Purchase Displays, Industrial, Lawn and Garden and more

When it comes to outsourcing to a metal fabricator, our sign indicates we are open for business, have capacity to grow and also proud and confident that our workforce we call “family” will deliver quality parts to you every time.   You can trust your metal fabricated parts to us.  Call Brenda Snyder at 317-773-1926 or contact us through our website at www.nobleindustries.com.

• Laser Cutting with Mazak lasers
• CNC Punching with Amada Turrets and Salvagnini Panel Punching
• CNC Forming with Amada press brakes and Salvagnini Panel Bending and …more
• CNC Wire Forming with Numalliance 3D bender, AIM benders and …more
• MIG/TIG, Spot Welding, Mesh Welding, Robotic Welding and …more
• Tube Cutting and Bending
• Tube Rolling
• Powder Coating
• Assembly, Packaging, Hardware insertion and ..more
• Silk Screening
• Shipping to single locations or multiple locations
• And ….more…call for all your metal fabrication needs!

Check out our website at www.nobleindustries.com for pictures of products made, for all services offered  and ….more!  Noble Industries should be your 1^st  choice for metal fabrication.

Things we use everyday have been modified by one or many metal fabrication processes.   A paper clip is just steel wire formed…

and it might have a vinyl coating on it.  Automobile parts could be stamped then laser cut or others are laser cut and then bent with a press brake and powder coated.   During this shopping season, take time to check out the store displays.  Store fixture that displays product for consumers to purchase include quite a bit of metal fabricated parts.   Processes used could be laser cutting of sheet metal or laser cutting holes in tube fabrication, tube or sheet metal can then be bent in press brakes or rolled through roll forming equipment.  There could be drilling, welding and grinding, threading, pem inserts and many other processes involved.

The processes used can depend on a number of factors with the main consideration being the number of parts needed.  Prototype metal parts for a store display made be made in a prototype shop where the set up time can be minimized since only 1 or a small number of parts are made.  Other parts may go on highly automated equipment for large production volumes, such as laser cutting with an FMS (Flexible Manufacturing System with automatic load and unload of sheet metal or robotic welding where a robot is programmed to weld in the same spots over and over.   Wire forming can take place  in a wooden fixture or in a metal fixture based on the number of parts fabricated.  Wire forming or wire bending can also take place using 3D automated equipment such as our Numalliance 3D Robomac wire bender.

The processes have changed over the years with more and more automation.  Noble Industries understands that to be a cost effective supplier of metal fabricated parts we must continue to look at automation.

For more information about Noble Industries or for a quote, contact Brenda Snyder at 317-773-1926.

When we started in 1968 making metal fabrication products, we only had basic information to get by and service a few customers.  Today we have a 70,000 sq ft facility, a process engineering department, quality department , several people in the administrative office, 55 – 60 employees on the floor with some in the powder coating and packaging area, 3 people dedicated to shipping and receiving.

Noble Industries believes in order to grow we must continue to invest in technology and our people.  We are ISO 9001:2008 which gives our OEM, Medical, Automotive Aftermarket customers the peace of mind needed.  Our continual desire to stay lean and yet have the staff to handle large one time Point of Purchase (POP) projects fabricating 1,000 to 2,000 displays shipping to one location or to multiple locations can be amazing as you watch that project go through the metal fabrication job shop.

It is a balancing act that we work at daily to get better, to be able to react in an environment where customers are afraid to get a project started too far in advance in a market that is changing at a rapid pace.

Noble Industries has invested in 6 lasers for cutting metal including 3D laser cutting, 5 turret punch presses,  9 press brakes, 12 welding stations, 2 robotic welders, Spot Welding, CNC Tube, Angle & Plate Rollers, Tube Cutting, Tube Bending,  Wire Cutting and straightening, Wire Forming, Wire Mesh Welding, Numalliance Robomac  3D CNC Wire Bender, Salvagnini Panel Punch and Bending, Corner Forming, 1000 feet of continuous multi-speed powder coating along with basic metal fabrication tools such as a shear, cold saws, drill presses, pem insert equipment, and much more.  In reflection of the early days from 1968 to today, there is much to be thankful for and many employees who have put in the effort to make Noble Industries the proven leader in metal fabrication to thank.  Our wonderful employees has made this a season for reflection and Thanksgiving!  We will celebrate the season on Wednesday and then close for a long Thanksgiving weekend so that all those faithful and hardworking employees can spend time with their families and count their blessings!  Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Power Spray with heat is the best way to remove impurities on metal parts

Custom Powder Coating of an OEM Metal Part

To have a powder coated part with a finish that lasts, you must start with pretreatment to ensure a totally clean part.  Pretreatment process can be broken down into two areas of operation:

1. Cleaning
2. Phosphatizing

This article will address the most important phase which is the process to obtain a clean part.  All contamination, dirt and oil must be removed.   Most metals will have rust inhibitors, oil, cutting fluids, drawing compounds, grease and dirt.  If powder is applied to a metal part that has not been thoroughly cleaned adhesion will not occur or the powder coat finish will not stay on the part over time.

Mechanical cleaning processes such as air, sand or shot plasting, using a wire brush to clean have gone away except when removing a prior finish or an extremely rusty part.

Hand washing, immersion or a soak tank, or pressure wand wash can be used however the best process is a power spray wash system where stages are involved to ensure all the impurities are washed off.

Noble Industries’ Powder Coating operation is on a conveyor system where parts go through a 6 stage wash and then into a dry off oven before powder is applied.  Our powder coating process has been tested and has held a higher level of quality than what OEM and automotive industries require for their powder coating supplier.

If you are proud of the parts you fabricate, send them to Noble Industries to finish the process with custom powder coating services that will last.  If you have parts that you want us to fabricate and then powder coat, we can do that as well.  We can powder coat small or large production runs.

Contact Brenda Snyder at 317-773-1926 for more information about powder coating services.

Customer:   Automotive Aftermarket

Product:  Metal Bracket

Type of Fabrication:  Laser Cutting, Press Brake Metal Forming, Powder Coating, Packaging & Shipping

Problem:  Needed a heavy duty bracket with a lance and formed area which would include a square hole for a carriage bolt

Noble Industries solution:

One of our automotive aftermarket customers came to us with a need for a bracket with a lance and form section to allow a carriage bolt to be used with the part.  A lance and form tooling can be purchased for a punch press or for a brake press.  For our application we created tooling for an Amada press brake form operation.  This part also has an offset and 90 degree bends around the lance and formed area and the part number stamped into the part.

HRPO .179 X 48” X 96” material is requested.

 Laser Cutting:  This metal fabrication job starts by laser cutting the perimeter and cutting the holes.  We can laser cut 44 parts an hour with a 15 minute set up.  First article inspection is performed on our Virtek 2D scanner.

Press Brake Metal Forming:  Once the parts are laser cut, the job folder and parts are sent to the Press Brake area.  An Amada press brake is set up to perform the lance and form operation.  The set up time is estimated at 45 minutes.  Once set up, we should be able to form 250 parts an hour.  After lance and form operation is completed, a press brake is set up for the offset operation.  Again the set up time is estimated at 45 minutes and run rate of 250 parts an hour.  After all parts have the offset bend, a press brake is set up to form the three 90 degree bends and to stamp the part number in the metal bracket.  Set up time is 45 minutes and we will perform 120 parts an hour.

Inspection:  Noble Industries is ISO 9001 certified and all parts must go through final inspection before they are sent to be powder coated.  Our quality inspector has the drawing and a list of inspection tasks to perform before the parts are sent on.  Once a full quality inspection is completed and paperwork is filled out, the parts are ready to be powder coated

Powder Coating:  Parts are sent to the powder coating staging area.  This automotive aftermarket customer will typically have 20 to 30 other parts ordered for the week.  The powder coating department will wait until all parts are in the staging area and will powder coat them all in one long run.  This particular part is powder coated with PPG Black Epoxy.  It is estimated that they can powder coat 1800 parts an hour.

Packaging:  Once the parts are powder coated and coming out of the oven on our continuously moving powder coating conveyor, employees are waiting to package the parts per the customer’s instructions.

Shipping:  The shipping area fills out final paperwork.  This job is an ongoing job so they know that 1 part weighs 2.14 pounds.  This run is for 250 parts.  Over the 15 years history of making this part, we fabricate this part once or twice a month with production runs between 100 parts to a high production run of 264 parts.  Total metal parts fabricated over the 15 years is 16,036 metal brackets.

Noble Industries has been in business since 1969 making automotive aftermarket brackets for many customers who are still our partners today.  If you need a metal fabrication company with a proven record of helping customers and growing partnerships, contact Brenda Snyder at 317-773-1926.

ASTM A-36 is a structural quality carbon steel which can be used in riveted, bolted and welded metal parts needed for structural purposes and general purposes where strength is needed.  A-36 does not come in light gauge materials.

Hot rolled carbon steel plate comes in several grades.  The general purpose steel is a carbon plate steel for general applications involving cold bending, hot forming, punching and welding.  Floor Plate is a low carbon, low manganese steel plate which has a distinctive pattern of raised lugs.  The steel has good wear resistance and the lugs provide footing in applications like stair treads, catwalks, truck beds, running boards and decks.  It is readily formed and welded.

Carbon steel sheet and strip comes in hot rolled and cold rolled sheets.  Hot rolled sheets are used in applications where the presence of oxide coating and normal surface defects are not objectionable.  Such uses include welded pipe, HVAC and automotive parts, road machinery and other industrial parts.   Hot rolled Commercial Quality sheet metal is suitable for ordinary purposes.  While there is no guarantee against breaking it is suitable for bending and moderate forming.   Cold Rolled sheet has a surface finish that is superior to a hot rolled pickled finish and is suitable for use in exposed parts requiring a good surface finish.  Although the surface finish is superior in the flat form, some surface defects will arise after forming.

Noble Industries is a metal fabricator familiar with all of the above materials.  Over 50% of the metal fabricated parts formed are HRPO & A-36.  COR-TEN A has been used on occasion but is more expensive and more difficult for customers to justify.