Metal Purchasing: Countering 5 Pain Points for Metal Fabricators

Texas boasts a thriving metal fabrication industry, driving progress and contributing significantly to the state's economy. As a metal fabricator, you play a crucial role in shaping various industries and need a reliable and consistent metal source. But often, buying metal can be riddled with pain points.

In this blog, we'll shed light on some of the most significant pain points you may encounter while buying steel and how working with SteelNow can help counter each while creating a better metal-buying experience.

Bridging a Better Buying Experience

Buying Steel: Point/Counterpoint

1. Pain Point: Supplier Selection: Choosing the right supplier involves evaluating reputation, reliability, pricing, and product range.
   Counterpoint: SteelNow is a metal buying service to help ease that process. We’ve built relationships with nearly 60 metal suppliers across the great state of Texas. This means we have purchasing power with these suppliers which helps us secure the best pricing and lead times for you.

2. Pain Point: Price Volatility: Steel prices fluctuate due to various factors.
   Counterpoint: Our Realtime Pricing Engine offers a competitive price to quote your job quickly.

3. Pain Point: Lead Time and Availability: Limited steel grades and sizes availability can lead to delays. Timely communication and proactive planning help mitigate this challenge.
   Counterpoint: SteelNow does not carry any physical inventory. This means we are unlimited in what we can offer. No need to use one supplier for aluminum, another for carbon steel, and yet another for that odd-ball request; one call to SteelNow handles it all.

4. Pain Point: Transportation and Logistics: Coordinating shipping and handling steel can be complex. Reliable carriers and efficient logistics management are essential.
   Counterpoint: We arrange shipment of the metal direct from the supplier to you! If you’re in a hurry – we’ll tell you where to pick up the metal at a nearby warehouse.

5. Pain Point: Communication and Documentation: Clear communication and comprehensive documentation are vital to avoid misunderstandings. Detailed purchase orders and specifications are crucial.
   Counterpoint: With SteelNow we are in constant communication with you. Whether by text, email, or phone call--we communicate with you on your terms. And we carry that conversation throughout the entire experience, keeping you informed from when we secure your product to when it’s on its way.

Metal Fabrication in Texas

Texas has a diverse industrial base spanning oil and gas, construction, automotive, aerospace, and more, all of which demand custom metal products and components. As a metal fabricator, your time is best spent transforming raw metal materials into finished products that meet rigorous industry requirements and not finding the right metal supplier.

SteelNow can play a vital part in helping you build strong supplier relationships, stay informed, and employ efficient communication and planning. We can empower you to focus on what you do best – creating exceptional metal works while leaving the hassle of steel-buying behind.

Commonly Used Grades of Metal in Metal Fabrication:

Carbon Steel: Widely used for its strength, affordability, and weldability. Common grades include ASTM A36, A572, and A516 for various applications. Alloy grades are engineered for increased strength and hardness, grades 4140, 4340, and 8620 are commonly used across various applications.

Stainless Steel: Very aesthetically pleasing and corrosion resistant, these grades offer great versatility depending on your project. While 304 and 316 are among the most common grades of stainless steel used, they are not identical. For example, 316 contains more molybdenum, making it more corrosion resistant.

Aluminum: Lightweight with excellent corrosion resistance, grades 6061, 5052, and 7075 offering varying degrees of strength, corrosion resistant, machinable, heat treatable.