Stop Losing Hours to Manual Mill Schedules and Sheet Metal Tracking AI That Automates Your Shop Floor Chaos
Imagine reclaiming 20+ hours per week from tedious data entry, cutting material waste by 15%, and boosting your fabrication throughput without hiring more welders or programmers.
Join 150+ businesses with streamlined fabrication operations
The "Shop Floor Bottleneck" Problem
Endless Manual Data Entry for Cut Lists and Weld Schedules in Steel Fabrication
Material Waste from Inaccurate Inventory Tracking in Sheet Metal Stock for Structural Beams
Delays in Job Routing Between Plasma Cutters and CNC Bending Machines for HVAC Ductwork
Error-Prone Quality Checks on Fabricated Parts Like Welded Frames Leading to Costly Rework
Fragmented Reporting on CNC Machine Utilization and Welder Labor Hours in Shop Floor Operations
Supply Chain Disruptions from Manual PO Tracking for I-Beam Steel Suppliers in Project Timelines
Our Custom AI Workflow Automation Built for Metal Fabricators
With years of field-tested experience in manufacturing ops, we've helped shops like yours ditch the chaos of spreadsheets and siloed software.
Why Choose Us
Here's the thing: in metal fabrication, every minute counts—from loading the CNC machine to final assembly. We build AI systems tailored to your exact shop floor, integrating with tools like your CAD software, ERP, and even IoT sensors on welders. No off-the-shelf nonsense. We engineer a unified workflow that automates the grunt work, so your team focuses on precision crafting. Let's be honest, you're probably thinking about those late nights fixing routing errors. Our approach replaces that with smart automation that learns your processes, predicts bottlenecks, and scales as your fab shop grows.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Massive Time and Cost Savings in Your Fabrication Line
Slash Weekly Admin Time by 25 Hours
Slash Weekly Admin Time by 25 Hours: Forget chasing cut lists for rebar schedules or manually logging MIG weld sequences. Our AI handles scheduling and tracking, freeing your foremen to oversee actual production. One fab shop cut overtime by 30% after implementation within the first month, turning wasted hours into billable output on structural steel jobs.
Boost ROI with 20% Less Material Waste
Boost ROI with 20% Less Material Waste: AI forecasts sheet metal needs based on order patterns for ductwork fabrication, optimizing nested cuts to minimize scraps. You're probably thinking about those pricey steel overruns—our system integrates with your inventory software to alert on low stock for galvanized sheets, saving thousands in avoidable purchases annually on commercial builds.
Increase Throughput by 15% Without New Hires
Increase Throughput by 15% Without New Hires: Automate job routing between plasma cutters and press brakes, reducing idle time on high-volume runs. Like fine-tuning a custom jig for perfect fits on metal trusses, our workflows ensure seamless handoffs, letting your team hit quotas faster and scale production efficiently for site deliveries.
What Clients Say
"We were drowning in manual tracking for our aluminum runs on structural panels—guys spending half their shift on paperwork for plasma cut logs. After AIQ Labs built our custom automation six months ago, we're saving about 18 hours a week on scheduling alone, and our error rate on TIG weld inspections dropped from 12% to under 3%. It's like having an extra supervisor who never sleeps."
Mike Harlan
Shop Manager, Precision Metal Works Inc., specializing in commercial building facades
"Integrating AI with our ERP was a game-changer for quoting jobs on custom steel stairs. Before, we'd lose days chasing material quotes from suppliers for angle irons. Now, the system pulls real-time data from steel mills and auto-generates bids, cutting our turnaround from 48 hours to 4. ROI hit in the first quarter—no joke, with bids up 25% without extra staff."
Sarah Kline
Operations Director, SteelForge Fabrications LLC, focused on architectural metalwork
"Our team hated the fragmented logs for machine downtime on our waterjet cutters. AIQ's workflow tied everything together over the past year, predicting maintenance on our CNC bender before breakdowns during peak bridge component runs. Saved us $15K in repairs last year, and the shop floor runs smoother than ever with 10% higher uptime."
Tom Reyes
Fabrication Lead, Apex Metal Crafters, experts in infrastructure steel components
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Workflow Mapping
We dive into your shop—talking tolerances, machine setups, and pain points—to blueprint a custom AI system that fits like a glove on your production line.
Build and Integrate
Our engineers code the AI from scratch, linking it to your CAD, ERP, and sensors for seamless data flow without halting your daily runs.
Test, Train, and Launch
We run pilots on real jobs, fine-tune with your data, then roll out full automation—complete with training so your team owns it from day one.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does AI workflow automation handle the variability in custom metal jobs?
In metal fabrication, no two jobs are identical—tolerances vary, materials shift. We train our AI on your historical data, like past weld patterns and bend radii, to adapt dynamically. For instance, it learns from your shop's specific CNC setups to predict routing tweaks. This isn't rigid software; it's a custom system that evolves with your orders, reducing setup times by 20-30%. We start with a deep audit of your processes, ensuring the automation flexes like a well-forged beam under load. Post-launch, we monitor and refine, so you're not stuck with a one-size-fits-none tool.
What kind of ROI can a metal fab shop expect from this?
Let's be honest, you're ROI-driven in this industry. Our clients typically see payback in 3-6 months through time savings—think 15-25 hours weekly off manual tracking alone, translating to $10K+ in labor costs. Material waste drops 10-20% via smarter inventory forecasts, and throughput jumps without extra hires. One shop we worked with saved $50K yearly on steel scraps and overtime. We quantify this upfront with your metrics, building only what delivers clear returns, not vague efficiencies.
Will this integrate with our existing CAD and ERP software?
Absolutely—integration is our bread and butter. We connect directly to tools like SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or your ERP (say, Epicor or SAP) via robust APIs, creating two-way data flow. No more re-entering cut lists or inventory updates. For a recent fab client, we linked their plasma cutter outputs to ERP for instant job costing. It's built custom to your stack, tested for reliability in high-stakes environments, ensuring your workflows hum without glitches.
How secure is the AI system for sensitive fab designs?
Security is non-negotiable in fabrication, where IP like custom part blueprints is gold. We architect with end-to-end encryption, role-based access (e.g., welders see schedules, not full designs), and compliance to standards like ISO 9001. Data stays on your servers or secure cloud you control—no third-party risks. We've hardened systems for shops handling aerospace-grade metals, including audit trails for every AI decision. You're in full ownership, with our team providing ongoing vulnerability checks to keep your ops locked down.
Can this scale if our shop expands to more shifts or locations?
Yes, scalability is baked in from day one. Our architecture uses modular AI components that handle increased volume—like jumping from single-shift to 24/7 ops or adding a satellite fab site—without rebuilds. For a client expanding to two plants, we synced workflows across locations, maintaining real-time inventory visibility and cutting cross-site delays by 40%. We design with your growth in mind, stress-testing against peak demands, so as you add machines or teams, the system just keeps pace.
What's the timeline for implementing AI workflow automation?
Timelines vary by complexity, but for most metal fab shops, we deliver a MVP in 4-8 weeks after discovery. Week 1-2: map your flows. Weeks 3-5: build and integrate core automations like scheduling. Final weeks: test on live runs and train your team. Full rollout includes phased adoption to minimize disruption—no halting production. A recent project for a steel bender went live in 6 weeks, with tweaks over the next month. We're practical: we align with your shop calendar to avoid busy seasons.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.