If your business depends on aluminum materials, choosing the source of your aluminum is one of the most important decisions you can make. For example, if you choose a supplier who is unreliable you could lose a lot of business (which you may never be able to recover). Here are some helpful tips to consider when you shop aluminum suppliers, and why a metals service center can be the best choice.
Why Choose a Metals Service Center?
A service center does not manufacture aluminum, but they perform a very important service. This service is vital for the medium to small business in need of high quality aluminum.
Most aluminum suppliers (who also manufacture aluminum from raw materials) deal in bulk orders only and you may not be able to order a large shipment of aluminum bar or sheet. For smaller companies, this is not an option for three reasons:
- You may have no use for vast amounts of one kind of aluminum material.
- Medium to small sized business cannot afford to purchase large amounts and it is simply not within their operating budgets.
- There may be inadequate storage or warehouse space available.
A reputable aluminum service center purchases their materials in large quantities, and they have sufficient warehouse space to store these materials. These aluminum suppliers stock many items like flat bar, round bar, plate and manifold quality aluminum bar. When you place your order, they go to their stock and ship you what you need. There are no long waiting periods for your materials.
Custom Orders
It is almost impossible to place a custom order with a large aluminum manufacturer unless you need an extremely large order. However, aluminum suppliers who operate service centers are there to give you what you need. You can order a number of custom extrusion shapes and your service center is there to take care of you.
In addition to custom orders, you can also receive precision sawing services. This is very important for certain aluminum parts these days. Many companies can handle small orders for tolerances as tight as .005 inch. However, when they need several hundred pieces or more, they realize they don’t have the kind of equipment capable of handling a job like this. Your metals service center can handle any size order of precision sawed aluminum. When you check out aluminum suppliers, make sure to choose a company which only deals in aluminum. This ensures the highest quality materials for your needs.
