You shouldn’t have to spend an hour in the car every morning to find a good manufacturing job.
For more than 40 years, RiAlto Manufacturing has been making things right here in Marion, Ohio. We’ve grown a lot since 1981, but we’re still family-owned, still based in Marion and still looking for people who take pride in doing good work.
Sheet metal design guidelines are simple rules that help a shop cut and bend your part without cracks, stretched holes, or a re-quote. Most rules use the metal’s thickness, called T. Keep holes at least 1T wide and flanges at least 4T long. Keep holes at least 3T plus the bend radius from a bend.
Neither finish wins every time. Choose anodizing for aluminum parts that need tight tolerances, wear resistance, and a natural metallic look. Choose powder coating for steel parts, large or welded assemblies, bold colors, impact resistance, and lower cost. If your part is steel, the choice is already made, because anodizing is not an option.
A sheet metal gauge chart converts a gauge number into real thickness, and the rule is simple: the higher the gauge number, the thinner the metal. For mild steel, 10 gauge is 0.1345″ (3.42 mm), 14 gauge is 0.0747″ (1.90 mm), and 16 gauge is 0.0598″ (1.52 mm). But the same number means a different thickness in aluminium, stainless, and galvanized steel, so match the chart to your material before you order, cut, or bend.
304 vs. 316 stainless steel comes down to one element. 316 adds 2–3% molybdenum, which helps it resist salt and chemical pitting. Choose 304 for dry, indoor, or mild-use parts. Choose 316 for road salt, brine, chemical washdowns, or corrosive processing. 316 usually costs 20–40% more.
If you’ve ever sent a print to a fabricator, you may have gotten back a question. Something like “laser or waterjet?” or “weld it or bolt it?” This guide is for you. There are 7 common metal fabrication methods: cutting, bending (forming), welding, machining, casting, stamping, and finishing/assembly. Nearly every metal part on the market is built using some combination of these processes. That includes a bracket on a farm implement and a housing on a data center rack. Knowing what each one does helps in a few ways. You can talk to your supplier with confidence. You can choose the right metal fabrication techniques for your part. And you can get a project quoted before a redesign eats your budget.
If you’re comparing fiber laser vs CO2 laser cutting, here’s the short answer: fiber lasers cut metal faster, run cheaper, and need less maintenance, while CO2 lasers still hold an edge on very thick plates and non-metal materials like wood, acrylic, and textiles. That’s exactly why fiber has become the industry standard for metal fabrication over the last decade and why CO₂ still hasn’t disappeared.
CNC machining costs between $75 and $150 per hour on average for US shops in 2026, with simple 3-axis milling running $40–$75/hr and complex 5-axis or Swiss-turned work, reaching $100–$250/hr. On a per-part basis, most prototype and low-volume parts land between $30 and $300 each, while production-run parts drop to $5–$60 apiece once setup and programming costs are spread across larger quantities. Beyond the hourly rate, your final price depends on material, tolerance, part geometry, finishing, and order quantity, which is why two shops quoting the “same” part can land 2–3x apart.
Laser-cut metal parts typically run from a few dollars per piece for simple mild steel brackets in volume, up to $50 or more per piece for complex, tight-tolerance stainless or aluminium parts in low quantities. There is no flat per-hour or per-cut price; cost is calculated per job from material, machine time, quantity, and any secondary operations like bending or welding.
If you’re staring at a print, a material spec, and a deadline, the water jet cutter vs plasma decision usually comes down to one question: does this part need tight tolerance and a clean edge, or does it need to be cut fast and affordably? Both machines cut metal well. Neither is “better” in every situation, and picking the wrong one can mean scrapped material, a blown budget, or a part that doesn’t hold up in the field.
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