Stop Losing Hours to Manual Tracking and Error-Prone Processes Reclaim Your Shop Floor Efficiency with Custom AI Automation
Imagine slashing 15-20 hours per week on repetitive tasks like inventory checks and order routing, turning that time into higher output and faster ROI on your fabrication lines.
Join 150+ businesses with streamlined operations and measurable cost savings
The "Shop Floor Bottleneck" Problem
Manual inventory counts of steel beams and rebar eating into production time on welding lines
Error-filled order processing delaying custom metal jobs
Fragmented tracking of MIG weld schedules and material flows from plasma cutters to assembly
Over-reliance on spreadsheets for quality control checks
Delayed approvals for fabrication changes in structural steel designs causing overtime on shop floor crews
Inaccurate forecasting of aluminum sheet needs leading to scrap waste from laser cuts and rushed reorders from suppliers
Our Custom-Built AI Solution for Your Metal Shop
With years of field-tested experience in manufacturing integrations, we've helped shops like yours eliminate chaos and build unified systems that scale with production demands.
Why Choose Us
Here's the thing: metal fabrication isn't cookie-cutter. You're dealing with custom orders, tight tolerances, and unpredictable supply chains. We start by mapping your exact workflow—from raw material intake to final assembly and shipping. Then, we engineer a bespoke AI system that automates the drudgery. Think intelligent routing for CNC machines, predictive alerts for stock levels, and seamless data sync across your ERP and shop floor tools. No more juggling apps. Just one owned, robust platform that saves you time and cuts costs. Let's be honest, this isn't off-the-shelf software; it's built for your welders, your fabricators, and your bottom line.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Time Savings and ROI in Your Fabrication Process
Save 15+ Hours Weekly on Routine Tasks
Save 15+ Hours Weekly on Routine Tasks: Imagine your welders spending less time logging rebar usage or hunting for CNC router status updates. Our AI automates routing of custom steel frames to the right machining stations and flags delays in under 5 minutes. Result? Fabricators tackle complex TIG welds instead, boosting output by 20-30% in 3-6 months without hiring more staff.
Achieve Measurable Cost Reductions
Achieve Measurable Cost Reductions: Errors in plasma cutting lists or miscounts of galvanized pipe inventory can scrap thousands in materials. Our predictive AI analyzes order backlogs for HVAC ductwork, cutting overstock by 25% and waste from faulty bends. It's like a 24/7 digital supervisor, hitting ROI within 4-6 months through reduced rework on assembly lines.
Boost Productivity Across the Shop Floor
Boost Productivity Across the Shop Floor: Quick wins like AI vision checks on welded joints catch defects before shipment. Over 6 months, integrate with your AutoCAD for seamless handoffs from design to robotic welding arms. Shops report 40% efficiency jumps, handling 25% more custom structural components without chaos.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ Labs, we drowned in Excel for tracking aluminum extrusions—wasted a full shift weekly reconciling with our barcode scanners. Their system auto-syncs with our ERP and predicts shortages from upcoming bridge component jobs. Cut overtime by 10 hours a week, no stockouts in four months. Total game-changer for our 20-person shop."
Mike Harlan
Operations Manager, Precision Metal Works LLC (Custom bridge fabrication specialists)
"Tight deadlines for custom steel beams meant manual approvals delayed every structural job by days. AIQ's workflow AI routes design changes via email alerts and flags bottlenecks in our shear line. Last quarter, finished 15% faster, error rate from 8% to 1.5% on weld inspections. Tech that finally fits our fabrication chaos."
Sara Lopez
Shop Foreman, Apex Fabrications Inc. (Structural steel contractors)
"Fabricating HVAC ductwork, mis-cut galvanized sheets wasted 12% of our steel budget monthly. AIQ's forecasting AI crunches our SolidWorks orders and supplier lead times, ordering spot-on quantities. Saved $12K last month on materials, setup in 10 days. Straight results, no vendor hype."
Tom Reilly
Owner, Core Metal Solutions (HVAC component fabricators)
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Workflow Mapping
We visit your shop or hop on a call to understand your daily grind—from material handling to final inspections. No assumptions; we tailor everything to your specific tools and processes.
Custom AI Design and Build
Our engineers craft your solution from the ground up, integrating with your existing ERP, CNC software, and more. We test rigorously to ensure it handles real shop variability like rush orders or machine downtime.
Deployment and Optimization
Roll it out with minimal disruption, then monitor and tweak based on your feedback. You own the system outright, with our support to scale as your fabrication volumes grow.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does AI automation handle the variability in custom metal orders?
Custom orders are the heart of metal fabrication, with unique specs every time. Our AI learns from your historical data—like past sheet metal sizes or weld types—to adapt dynamically. For instance, it can reroute a job if a client changes dimensions mid-process, updating CNC paths automatically. We train the system on your shop's patterns, ensuring it handles rushes without errors. Setup involves feeding it your order logs, and within weeks, it's saving hours on adjustments. No more manual recalculations that lead to costly mistakes. It's built tough, like your best rig, to keep production flowing smoothly even when specs shift.
What kind of ROI can a metal fab shop expect from your service?
Let's be honest, you're ROI-driven. Most clients see payback in 3-6 months. Take inventory: Manual counts waste 10-15 hours weekly; our AI cuts that to near zero, saving $5K+ yearly in labor. Add reduced scrap—AI optimizes cuts to drop waste by 20%—and you're looking at $10-20K annual savings for a mid-sized shop. We quantify this upfront with a free audit, projecting hours saved and cost cuts based on your volumes. One client, fabricating structural beams, hit 25% efficiency gains, turning fixed costs into profit. It's practical, field-tested, and scales with your growth.
Will this integrate with our existing ERP and shop floor tools?
Absolutely, integration is our specialty. Whether you're on something like Epicor for ERP or Mastercam for CAM, we create deep, two-way connections. No brittle APIs that fail during peak production. For example, we sync real-time data from your plasma cutters to update inventory instantly, preventing over-runs. We handle the heavy lifting—mapping fields, securing data, and testing under load. Shops often juggle tools; we unify them into one system you own. If there's a legacy machine, we even add custom sensors. Result? Smoother workflows, fewer errors, and your team spends less time troubleshooting tech.
How long does it take to implement AI automation in our fab shop?
You're busy, so we keep it efficient. Discovery takes 1-2 weeks: We map your processes on-site or virtually. Building the core automation—say, for order routing and inventory—takes 4-6 weeks, with iterative testing to match your pace. Full deployment? 8-10 weeks total, including training your foremen. We phase it: Start with high-pain areas like material tracking, then expand. One stainless steel shop went live in under two months, automating weld scheduling first. Minimal downtime— we work around your shifts. Post-launch, we monitor for a month to fine-tune, ensuring quick wins without disrupting output.
Is the system secure for handling sensitive fabrication designs?
Security is non-negotiable in manufacturing, especially with proprietary designs. We build with enterprise-grade encryption and role-based access, so only authorized welders see job specs. Data stays on your servers or secure cloud you control—no third-party risks. For compliance like ISO standards, we audit every integration. Think of it as a fortified blueprint vault: AI processes designs locally, flagging anomalies without exposing IP. We've secured systems for shops handling defense contracts, with zero breaches. You own the code, so no vendor vulnerabilities. We also include regular updates to counter new threats, keeping your operations locked down tight.
Can this scale as our metal fabrication business grows?
Growth means more orders, tighter margins—your AI needs to keep up. Our systems are designed modular, starting simple but expanding effortlessly. Add a new laser cutter? We integrate it seamlessly. Double your volume? The AI scales with cloud resources or on-prem upgrades, handling 10x the data without slowdowns. A client started with basic inventory auto for their 20-person shop; now at 50 employees, it manages full production forecasting too. No rip-and-replace; we evolve it with you. It's like reinforcing a beam—strong foundation, easy to build on for long-term efficiency.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.