Difference Between Fabrication and Manufacturing

A hard part of being a business owner might bring situations where you need to make a decision when hiring a professional manufacturing or fabrication service. But, to find the right company for the job, you must understand the difference between fabrication and manufacturing.

Making wise business decisions relies on some basic knowledge of the services you need. As a company focused on industrial processes, we are not only here to offer you our expert services - we are dedicated to sharing our knowledge and helping businesses like you make an informed decision. Consequently, in this quick guide, we made a fabricate vs manufacture comparison so you can choose the right process.

Difference Between Fabrication and Manufacturing

In our decades of experience in the industrial fabrication industry, we have heard many of our clients use the terms fabrication and manufacturing interchangeably. Both are industrial processes, but is there a difference between fabrication and manufacturing?

There is an essential difference between fabrication and manufacturing. Fabrication is an industrial process that involves the assembly of structures by using different premade parts. Different processes can be utilized to finish the product, such as welding, shearing, stamping, cutting, folding, machining, etc.

Manufacturing, on the other hand, involves using machinery and specialized tools to make a product from raw materials. The key characteristics of the manufacturing process are that it is repetitive and is used for large product quantities. There are five types of manufacturing processes: repetitive, discrete, job shop, batch process, and continuous process manufacturing.

Source: craftsmenind.com

End-users

The second main difference between manufacturing and fabrication is the subject that will use the product. Fabrication is mainly for creating structures and products that you, as a business, will use. For instance, in our list of commercial fabrication services, you will find everything from fabrication of maintenance platforms to military, aerospace, and government vehicles.

On the contrary, manufacturing is commonly used to describe the process of creating a completed large scale product that you can sell to consumers and they will use. It is done by using conventional manufacturing processes with a goal to fulfill the demand for the specific product.

Common industries that use it

If you are unsure whether you need fabrication or manufacturing services, you can sometimes determine it according to the industry. For instance, the metalworking, construction, and custom product creation industries typically require fabrication.

As for the manufacturing services, they are mainly focused on targeting companies for consumer goods. Common examples of businesses that might need manufacturing facilities include apparel, electronics, pharmaceuticals, furniture, etc.

Similarities Between Fabrication and Manufacturing

Many of the people who wonder whether is fabrication the same as manufacturing have some right to do so. Although they generally differ according to their scope and focus, there are specific processes that might overlap. 

Some aspects of the fabrication process might fall into the category of manufacturing. For instance, both fabrication and manufacturing require efficient handling and management of materials for smooth production flows.

When we make a fabricate vs manufacture comparison, we can notice that both industrial processes often begin with detailed design and engineering phases. Professionals create plans and follow strict industry standards to ensure compliance with regulations, safety of use, and high quality. The objective of both processes is to create products for the users.

The goal of the design is to find solutions to meet the end-user’s needs and preferences. Typically, that is achieved by customization, integration of multiple processes, and application of technology.

Fabrication vs Manufacturing: Crucial Steps Overview

The differences and similarities between the two can be noticed in their crucial steps. The key steps of industrial fabrication are:

• Design and planning
• Materials selection
• Preparation of materials
• Assembling
• Finishing touches
• Quality control

As for the manufacturing process, its generally accepted steps include:

• Market needs assessment
• Product vision development
• Product conceptualization and design
• Selection and procurement of materials
• Creation of a prototype
• Testing the prototype
• Large scale manufacturing
• Quality control
• Official products release

Source: craftsmenind.com

Tips for Choosing a Fabrication or Manufacturing Service Provider

Once you determine the type of services your business needs, it’s time to make a really important decision - which company to collaborate with. Since both fabrication and manufacturing are delicate industrial processes,  knowing what to look for in a company can save you from facing difficulties along the way.

You should do extensive research until you find a manufacturing or fabrication company that ticks all or most of the following boxes:

• Years of experience and proven record as industry leaders
• Team of skilled workers
• Latest industry equipment
• Usage of quality materials
• Geographical location, preferably close to your business
• Competitive pricing models with detailed and clear quotes
• In-house manufacturing/fabrication instead of outsourcing
• Large base of satisfied customers
• Latest industry certifications

Conclusion

Fabrication and manufacturing are terms that can be easily confused. But, for seamless business operations, you must know the difference between fabrication and manufacturing, as they represent distinct processes in industrial production. Fabrication is generally more specialized and involves creating structures or products mainly used by businesses. On the other hand, manufacturing is a more broad process of producing finished products from raw materials, typically on a large scale.