Estes Design & Manufacturing fabricates sheet metal parts for a wide range of industries. From custom automotive metal fabrication to medical fabrication, you’ll receive the highest quality sheet metal parts with the best lead-times.
Estes specializes in sheet metal fabrication processes for light-gauge and custom parts, specializing in:
It can also process plate up to .375” thick, bar and tube stock, and other material types and alloys as needed by its customers.
INNOVATIVE DESIGN | SPEED | LEAN MANUFACTURING
Estes Design and Manufacturing is a sheet metal fabricator that uses advanced automated technology to deliver world-class products. The sheet metal fabrication services we offer include:
At Estes, innovation is at the core of everything we do. In a fast-paced, ever-evolving industry, being at the forefront of change is crucial to ensure we deliver the highest-quality fabrication services and parts, pricing, and turnaround times for our customers.
With over 40 years of history in the metal fabrication industry and sheet metal fabrication services, Estes has the resources and the experience to take your project to the next level. If you are looking for a partner that will use innovation to benefit you, contact us today.
Press brakes (or brake presses) are some of the most common machines used by sheet metal fabricators and have been the go-to bending machines for many years. Press brakes are powerful machines that are capable of forming both simple and complex parts. While there are dozens of different press brakes in various sizes and each…
There are two major laser cutting systems on the market today used in sheet metal fabrication: CO2 and fiber laser cutting technology. With much discussion in manufacturing circles on which cutting technology is the better method, there are several notable differences between CO2 and fiber laser cutting technology when it comes to their capabilities and,…
People often ask, what exactly does Estes Design and Manufacturing make? Our elevator pitch to this question is usually, “Whatever you want us to make.” While our capabilities aren’t endless, our suite of services includes traditional metal fabrication, 3D laser welding, product development and prototyping, as well as inventory management and cost reduction services. In…
What is an ISO certification in manufacturing? What does it mean for customers of a certified organization? Quality in the sheet metal manufacturing world is crucial not only for safety but also for product durability, cost savings, and supplier reliability. Read on to learn more about ISO and what it means for you! What…
When determining how to cost effectively produce a part, there are numerous options available to designers. At Estes Design and Manufacturing, we value automation as a way to reduce the cost of your part and increase the quality. But when it comes to creating your part blank from the sheet metal, what is the best…
If you’re looking to make your own products, you have numerous options regarding the materials that you can use for fabrication. There are many different factors you must consider when determining what material is best for your product, and it is important to find opportunities to streamline your manufacturing processes with the materials you choose.…
No matter the size of your manufacturing environment, how you choose to organize each square foot of your facility can make a significant impact on the success of your organization. Cellular manufacturing has proven to provide many benefits to the companies that adopt this manufacturing style. Below we define cellular manufacturing and how it works,…
Have you checked out our new Resources website page? As a design and innovation leader in the sheet metal fabrication industry, it’s important for us to make information regarding our services and trends easily accessible for our current and prospective clients. In an effort to share our knowledge and expertise in the industry, we have…
Amidst the many challenges brought on over the past year by the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of innovation and lean manufacturing principles have become even more apparent. While 2020 was not the year for which most companies hoped or planned, it provided manufacturers with an opportunity to utilize lean manufacturing to address the shortages and…
Competition among manufacturers is stiff, and when you add in the current unpredictability we are facing, it becomes imperative that companies do everything possible to maintain their competitive advantage by focusing on their core competencies. One way to do this is by outsourcing processes, such as metal fabrication, that are not your primary business focus.…
How Are Panel Benders Different From Press Brakes? While the press brake has been the go-to bending machine for many years, depending on the part, the panel bender can have several advantages over the traditional press brake. Machine Set Up The most apparent difference between a press brake and a panel bender is the…
Estes Design and Manufacturing is excited to announce the introduction of our new Estes Max Velocity cell! Meeting quality, on-time delivery, and lead-time objectives are some of the biggest challenges companies face when outsourcing their sheet metal products. Max Velocity is Estes’ automated sheet metal fabrication cell designed to address these daily challenges. The automated…
At Estes Design and Manufacturing, we’ve invested in the highest-quality technology available for our customers’ metal fabrication needs – machines whose unique capabilities benefit our customers through cost reduction, improved quality, and reduced lead-times. We strive to proactively and constantly monitor our equipment and standards to better serve our customers, and we have recently added…
Sheet metal fabrication refers to multiple processes that alter a metal sheet’s original shape to produce desired parts and products. The manufacturing steps are procedural and must incorporate the right processes to give out a desired final product. Estes Design & Manufacturing has been in the sheet metal fabrication business for more than 40 years.…
At Estes Design and Manufacturing, we are always looking for ways to bring value to those we serve. One of the ways we do that is through our commitment to quality. Estes Design and Manufacturing is committed to quality – quality in our fabricated products, our standards and processes, and our company team members. In…
The road from product conception to full production is often full of unexpected obstacles, twists, and turns along the way. A prototype, which you can test in the real world, helps to smooth out that road on a smaller scale. The prototype process allows you to pivot quickly to rectify errors or omissions before…
The Hitzfield Group is a group of companies that design, engineer and install state-of-the-art building envelopes and structural façade components. They serve a wide variety of industries across the nation and have partnered with companies such as FedEx and Eli Lilly on various construction projects. Estes Design and Manufacturing recently had the privilege of partnering with…
We are here to help! The COVID-19 virus has brought changes to almost every industry in some form or another as well as disrupted many facets of our personal and professional lives. While many industries have seen rapid declines in business over the last month, other industries have seen spiking increases in demand and are…
Faster, More Efficient Welding Laser welding isn’t exactly new. After all, it’s been used in automotive manufacturing for many years. Outside of the auto plant, however, laser welding (and its potential for savings) is less familiar. When parts made of thin-gauge sheet metal need nice-looking welds, lasers don’t immediately come to mind; labor-intensive TIG or MIG…
Although 3D printing is quickly becoming a popular choice for manufacturing, there are times when sheet metal can serve as a better alternative. Depending on your project, sheet metal may be a superior choice over non-metal options or other metal manufacturing processes. But not all sheet metal is created equal. Each material type has…
Kaizen is defined as the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement. As a company Estes strives to follow the kaizen mindset instead of just working on “fixes.” Continuous improvement serves as one of the four pillars of our company philosophy, and Estes is constantly looking for ways to improve all facets of the business. To ensure this continuous improvement…
44 Years of Experience Working with Sheet Metal Materials When deciding on the right material for your project, trust the experts. They’re out there designing, forming, bending, cutting, and punching various sheet metal materials into the quality parts integrated all around you. Partner with a quality sheet metal fabricator early and get a second opinion.…
Even as US manufacturing continues to be the global leader for goods produced ($2.3 trillion in 2018), high operating costs threaten that leadership position. To be competitive, it is imperative that manufacturers reduce costs and increase efficiency in their operations. Many companies implement processes such as Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, 5s, and/or Kaizen to increase…
Your reputation with your customers depends in part on the quality of the products you provide to them. So it goes without saying that the work your metal fabricator delivers—whether it is a component or a completed product—becomes a reflection of you. Poor quality or late orders can put you in poor light with your…
Have you ever needed a prototype – yesterday? Our prototype shop, Estes Express Prototyping, is a dedicated production cell designed to address your time-critical projects. Our shop uses state-of-the-art equipment and full CAD capabilities to reduce product development time. Project Managers, with expansive shop floor experience, run the entire operation from customer communication through design…
Taking the Waste out of Medical Product Development Medical Product Outsourcing (MPO) recently featured Estes Design and Manufacturing in its May issue based on our expertise in the product development and production of precision sheet metal products for the medical industry. Our process for taking a product from design to physical product has undergone many…
Estes Philosophy: State-of-the-Art Technology At Estes Design and Manufacturing, we’ve invested in the highest-quality technology available for our customers’ metal fabrication needs. Our philosophy is to profitably produce fabricated metal products with a level of service and quality preferred by the customer. The philosophy has four main areas of focus: Creative, Innovative Thinking People of…
We run every prototyping project with speed, quality, and precision Do you need a metal sign for your business? Estes Design and Manufacturing’s prototyping shop can help you with all your metal signage needs. Estes Express Prototyping has a proven history of creating quality signage with speed and precision and all of our products are…
How could a prototype benefit your next project? No matter where you are in the process and no matter how much experience you have with sheet metal, working with a dedicated prototyping shop is valuable. An OEM sheet metal prototype gives you a tangible object that you can hold in your hands, inspect and test…
Estes Design and Manufacturing believes in providing the best service and quality for our customers. In response to market needs, we have recently added to our robust list of equipment by purchasing a Salvagnini P2lean, which is Salvagnini’s most versatile and productive model of panel bender. The features of the P2lean enable us to run…
A recent article from The Fabricator, “Horizontal Bending on the Press Brake” highlighted the use of wiping and rotary-style tools to create an ease for the operator. Many healthy shop floors use horizontal bending tools, which can increase productivity and offer the best environments for operators. Read the full article. The author of this article…
Estes Design and Manufacturing’s Vice President Operations Ron Estes is quoted in the latest issue of Medical Product Outsourcing (MPO) magazine with an article titled, “Small r, Large D,” written by Ranica Arrowsmith, associate editor. The story focuses on the development of existing knowledge in the company, fostering innovation among team members, and creating environments…
As we’ve shared in past news stories, at Estes Design and Manufacturing, we use Salvagnini Panel Benders to provide lean and flexible production capabilities. This past month, we have installed a new panel bender, which will allow us to increase our capacity by 33% to meet the additional needs of our customers. Use of…
As we mentioned in our earlier Material Requirements posts on aluminum and stainless steel, Estes focuses on identifying which material to use from the beginning. Often, customers have already clearly documented their material needs, but there are times when the material needed is uncommon, unclear, or absent from our customer’s request. In the rare case…
As we mentioned in our Material Requirements: Part 1 post on aluminum, identifying what material to use from the beginning is extremely important to Estes. We know in many cases that customers have already clearly documented their material needs, but there are times when the material is uncommon, unclear, or even absent from our customer’s…
Estes knows that it is important to identify from the beginning what material for which the part will run. In most cases, our customers know clearly which type of material they would like us to use. However, there are times when we can assist a customer with identifying what material will be best to use. …
At Estes Design and Manufacturing, we use Salvagnini Panel Benders (see image) to provide lean and flexible production capabilities. When our customers allow us to utilize value engineering practices and tools it results in cost savings and value for the customer. Below are some of the benefits our customers receive based on our use of…
Check out the Salvagnini L5 Fiber Optic Laser cutting .048” Carbon Steel at 1,251 inches per minute.
At Estes, we strive to proactively and constantly monitor our equipment and standards to better serve our customers, which is why we’re excited to announce we’ve just made some major machinery investments. Although our existing equipment is up-to-date and running smoothly, we recently acquired some new machinery. The most influential machine we’re bringing to our…
At Estes, we offer a variety of services including traditional metal fabrication services, 3D laser welding, and rapid prototyping. Although we manufacture products for a variety of industries, we want to highlight our work in medical device manufacturing. One of our recent projects involved us helping a client streamline the production of a steel pan.…
Estes was honored to have been featured in the industry-standard magazine The Fabricator in November. The magazine chose Estes as an example of the growing interest in 3-D laser welding, and we were more than happy to tell our story and share some of our knowledge with The Fabricator and its many readers. It was…
Estes’ Approach: Customer Service and Collaboration Since its inception in 1976, Estes Design and Manufacturing has provided customized and rapid fabrication for sheet metal parts and products, a priority which remains today. Thirty six years ago, our 2-employee operation anticipated the need for high quality, technologically advanced sheet metal fabrication service, but now with 80…
Estes Design & Manufacturing hosted the FMA’s LaserFab tour. The FMA, an organization of over 2,000 individual and company members, focuses its efforts on providing high-quality tools and content training, as well as guidance and networking, to help its members stay ahead of industry trends and make value-adding business decisions. FMA guests began their day…
Estes’ equipment list includes an array of fully automated machines and a complete line of standard fabricating equipment to serve its customers.
While Estes’ equipment is impressive, it is the team’s production speed, responsive process, and customer service that Estes’ customers mention time and time again when asked “Why choose Estes?”
