Uncomfortable Support

At a recent customer meeting we were made aware of the fact that our product shelves were being supported by cheap foreign made metal brackets. This was especially discomforting to us since we are custom metal parts producer and an advocate of USA based manufacturing.

It seems that our office furnishings has escaped our detailed review and we ended up with wood shelves support by the box store shelf brackets that come over the seas by the millions. We did not install them but we sure as heck were going to "un" install them.

So we proceeded to give our company's product shelf area a complete over haul including removing the cheaply finished, white, thin gauge support brackets with our Forma Steel support brackets made of 1/4" thick stainless steel diamond plate metal. It was like removing Formica and putting in granite!

Our Forma Steel supports are made with a laser form process that makes for an extremely durable and heavy duty support. The diamond plate adds the touch of "Grrr" to the appearance of the bracket and finishes the whole product display area off nicely. Parts that used to be on the ground due to weight now are placed on the shelves and supported by substantial shelf brackets.

Note in the pictures the difference between the two styles and makes of the brackets. The thickness of the Forma Steel provide substantially greater strength for the bracket. The finish on the parts are polar opposites with the paint on the cheap brackets barely able to cover the sloppy weld and the formed nature of the Forma Steel support allowing for a smooth face and no distraction from the diamond plate finish.

Check out how the shelf in this image is bowing away from the wall. This is due to a heavy parts box being inadvertently placed on the shelf and the shelf deflecting on the brackets. The replacement of the cheap brackets with our Forma Steel supports we were able to stand on the shelf without deflection. There is no substitute for outstanding design and craftsmanship.

Bottom line, when you see a cheap bracket used to do a job that it can't do and in a place where it does not belong - get rid of it. Replace it with something that belongs and that can do the job. Also, remember that when you purchase products that are made in the USA you are supporting some one's job. It is not simply a part. That part reflects the manufacturing base within the United States. When we can support that base we should.

For more information or to find the right bracket for the job visit Short Run Pro ( http://www.shortrunpro.com/). The pictures taken for this entry were from my iPhone. Please have mercy.

The Custom Nation

I am generally not one to put people out. You won’t find me ordering things not on the menu. I cringe when I hear a customer ask their waiter to hold the normal house dressing, place the peppers on the side and, oh yea, is there any way to get that served cut into sixteen individual pieces each on its own chilled plate. Just order it the way they make it!

While I may not be one to put others out, I am a person who likes to give people exactly what they desire. Along this line of thinking – ever noticed the growing trend of customizable products available these days? Application of new technologies and advanced manufacturing processes allow consumers to get almost anything customized or personalized. From coffee mugs with personal pictures on them to cars designed particularly to individual automotive desires, consumers have customizable options on almost any product.

Now, to be accurate there are levels of custom. There is the Organic Custom which refers to getting an apple grown the way that best suits your personal preference. There is the Mini Custom, as in the name of the favorite pint sized vehicle, which refers to customizing a product within certain parameters or select options. Then there is the Short Run Pro Custom or the slightly longer name – Dude, What Are You Thinking!? Custom. This level of custom basically states that if you think it up and if it is humanly possible within production capabilities we will make it exactly as you think it.

Dictionary.com notes that “ization” is “a combination of ‘ize’ and ‘ation’”. I would suggest a slight adjustment - “ization” is the “appending of the word custom used by customers to get exactly what they want, when they want it, at their door step.” I think that works a lot better.

So here is a toast to the custom future – I raise a custom imprinted crystal fluted glass filled with organic champagne. Cheers to custom.

Stainless Steel vs. Mild Steel In Your Custom Metal Parts

When it comes to cutsom manufactured metal the difference between stainless steel and steel goes beyond the way it looks. For the purpose of this blog we will concentrate on several areas where the differences between the materials affect production of custom parts:

• Light Reflection - stainless steel is somewhat of a darker metal that looks bright because of the way it reflects off light. The reflective property of the metal causes stainless steel to be harder to cut using a laser. Now the difference in cutting times may be relatively insignificant when dealing with a short run of custom parts. However, when considering larger production runs the time difference in cutting the custom parts out can significantly impact the overall cost of the job.



• Welding - when it comes to the differences between steel and stainless steel in welding stainless steel warps a lot easier than steel. Particular care must be taken with the heat applied to stainless in welding. Also, you must consider how the weld is cleaned and take extra care not to use standard steel cleaning tools to clean the weld or rust will occur over time. These extra precautions with cause the welding process to take longer and be more involved which may effect the pricing on your custom metal parts.



• Cost Impact - The cost of stainless steel is significantly more expensive than standard mild steel. The difference in price effects more than just the bottom line cost per part. It also impacts the availability of the material as well as the likelyhood that it will be stocked by a manufacturer. Since stainless steel is more costly most production floors do not keep a high volume of stock on the material which affects lead times, particularly with larger production runs. Also, most manufacturers will not stock thicker material (over 1/4" thick) in stainless. So production of thicker custom metal parts may have long production times.



• Rust - mild steel rusts! The maintenance on mild steel parts increases as the parts get older and is more exposed to the elements. It is always necessary to treat or finish the surface of mild steel parts in order to prevent rusting. The additional cost of finishing will often make a mild steel part equally expensive as stainless steel on short run custom parts.

When considering the production of your custom metal part consider the differences of the materials you intend to use. Of course the conditions in which you intend to use your parts must always be of consideration (i.e., using a custom metal part outdoors by the ocean? the use of stainless is likely the best bet). It is always wise to do more planning up front on your project and to begin by understanding what custom part requirements you will need.

For more information on materials view Short Run Pro's Material Guide Here.

Short Run Pro is born

Just as the name Short Run Pro implies, we are professionals at the short run production of custom parts. Short Run Pro has developed an expertise and a knowledge base to assist consumers and corporations with procurement of custom designed parts. With the introduction of this blog, Short Run Pro will use this expertise and knowledge base to establish a resource intended to help people with any custom product application.

A few things to understand right from the beginning: 1. Short Run Pro knows how to get custom parts manufactured - we work with everyone from individual homeowners to multinational corporations with all types of parts and projects, 2. Short Run Pro is committed to production in the USA - we feel that this is the best way to bring the highest quality products to our customers while at the same time supporting jobs here in our great country and 3. while we know a lot and know other people who know a lot about manufacturing custom parts, we do understand that we do not know everything and that is why this blog will allow users to comment and bring up topics of interest in this specific area.

We want to present solutions - not just on the production and design side but on the purchasing, shipping and other areas involved with buying custom parts. So follow this blog if you want to know more. As has been said - "When everything is falling down around you and your world is falling to pieces, we have the part you need. So salute and sing the Star Spangled Banner."