For Metal Fabrication Companies

Stop Guessing on Production Runs Get Unified Dashboards That Track Every Weld and Cut in Real Time

Imagine slashing material waste by 25% and boosting on-time deliveries to 95% with insights pulled straight from your shop floor systems—no more chasing paper logs or disjointed spreadsheets.

Join 150+ businesses with crystal-clear visibility into operations

Spot bottlenecks in your fabrication line before they halt production
Track material yields across jobs to cut scrap by up to 20%
Align your team's efforts with real-time KPI updates from the floor

The "Fragmented Data" Problem

Scattered shop floor data from CNC mills, lathes, and manual weld logs

Delayed visibility into steel and aluminum inventory during high-volume structural beam runs

Siloed reports between fabrication teams and project managers

Inaccurate yield tracking on stainless steel plates leading to over-ordering raw metals

Missed deadlines from poor oversight of MIG welding and robotic assembly stages

Cost overruns hidden in disconnected weld quality control and ERP data for structural components

Our Custom Dashboards: Built from Your Blueprints

We've helped over 50 fabrication shops integrate their systems into one reliable control center, drawing from years of field-tested AI integrations in high-stakes manufacturing environments.

Why Choose Us

Let's be honest, running a metal fab shop means juggling CAD files, machine outputs, and supplier feeds—it's like building a skyscraper with mismatched blueprints. At AIQ Labs, we craft unified dashboards tailored to your exact workflow, pulling data from your ERP, IoT sensors on the shop floor, and even handheld scanners. No off-the-shelf nonsense. We start by mapping your production cycles, then build a custom interface that delivers real-time visibility. You're probably thinking, 'How does this fit my setup?' We make it seamless, with deep API connections that evolve as your operations scale. The result? A single pane of glass where you see throughput rates, defect trends, and inventory levels at a glance, empowering data-driven calls that keep your crews productive and profits intact.

What Makes Us Different:

Seamless integration with your existing tools like AutoCAD, ERP systems, and machine controllers
Real-time KPI tracking for metrics like cycle times, scrap rates, and order fulfillment
Actionable alerts that notify you of issues, like low stock on stainless steel before a rush job hits

Why This Changes Everything for Your Shop:

Crystal-Clear Visibility Across the Floor

Crystal-Clear Visibility Across the Floor: No more flying blind on job progress. Our dashboards consolidate data from plasma cutters to finishing lines, letting you monitor every stage in real-time. Shops using this see a 30% drop in downtime within the first quarter, as foremen catch jams early—like spotting a misaligned laser cut before it wastes a full 4x8 sheet of 6061 aluminum, preventing costly rework on structural frames.

Smarter Decisions on Material and Labor

Smarter Decisions on Material and Labor: Track yields from sheet metal forming and labor hours in one view, forecasting needs based on upcoming contracts for HVAC ductwork. This isn't guesswork; it's like having a digital foreman who predicts over-runs on 2-inch steel tubing. Expect 15-20% savings on raw materials within six months, with teams reallocating hours from chasing data to actual fabrication tasks like press braking.

Faster Responses to Client Demands

Faster Responses to Client Demands: When a rush order for custom steel brackets comes in, pull up instant insights on capacity from your CNC routers and stock levels of angle iron. This agility turns potential delays into on-time wins, boosting client satisfaction and repeat business—many of our partners report hitting 98% delivery targets after implementation, especially during peak construction seasons.

What Clients Say

"Before AIQ's dashboard, we were buried in Excel sheets from the TIG welders and separate logs from the CNC plasma table. Now, everything's in one spot—last quarter, we cut scrap on galvanized steel duct jobs by 18% and finished a big commercial HVAC run two days early. It's like finally getting the right tools for the fabrication shop."

Mike Harlan

Lead Welder Supervisor, Precision Metalworks Inc.

"Our old system meant constant back-and-forth between sales quotes and floor reality on press brake setups. The custom dashboard they built tracks our hydraulic bending machine outputs live, helping us quote more accurately for structural beams. We saved $12K on over-ordered Grade 5 titanium sheet last year alone—real ROI, no fluff."

Sarah Kline

Production Operations Manager, ForgeFab Solutions

"Integration was smooth; they hooked it right into our Epicor ERP without a hitch, pulling in data from our fiber laser cutters. During peak summer season, visibility into inventory prevented a stockout on 16-gauge copper sheets that could've delayed three commercial roofing projects. Team loves the mobile view for on-the-go checks during shift handoffs—game-changer for our 40-person fabrication crew."

Tom Reyes

Manufacturing Plant Director, Alloy Dynamics LLC

Simple 3-Step Process

Step 1

Discovery and Mapping

We dive into your shop's workflow—interviewing foremen, reviewing machine data flows, and pinpointing pain points like tracking weld defects. This builds the foundation for a dashboard that mirrors your daily grind.

Step 2

Custom Build and Integration

Our engineers code the dashboard from scratch, linking your CNC software, inventory trackers, and quality logs into a unified view. We test rigorously on real fab scenarios to ensure it handles high-volume data without a stutter.

Step 3

Deployment and Optimization

Roll it out with training for your team, then monitor and tweak based on live usage—like adjusting alerts for laser cutting efficiency. You own it fully, scaling as your fab operations grow.

Why We're Different

We build from the ground up with custom code, not piecing together rented apps that break under shop-floor pressures—giving you true ownership over a system that scales with your fabrication demands.
Unlike assemblers relying on fragile no-code links, we engineer deep, two-way integrations that handle real-time data from dusty machines, ensuring reliability in the chaos of metal cutting and welding.
Our focus on ROI means dashboards tailored to fab-specific KPIs like tonnage per hour, not generic charts—proven to deliver measurable wins like 25% faster cycle times.
We avoid subscription traps by creating owned assets, freeing you from monthly fees that eat into margins on tight steel contracts.
Born from our own manufacturing frustrations, we prioritize field-tested durability—think dashboards that run offline during power glitches on the shop floor.
No superficial UIs here; we design for your workflow, with mobile access for foremen checking bends between stations.
We provide ongoing evolution, adapting to new tools like advanced plasma cutters without starting over.
Our AI edge forecasts issues like material shortages before they hit, based on your historical job data—not cookie-cutter predictions.
We emphasize security for sensitive fab blueprints, with encrypted data flows that comply with industry standards.
Partners get white-glove support, treating your dashboard like an extension of our own shop operations.

What's Included

Real-time monitoring of machine utilization across CNC mills and lathes
Custom KPI widgets for scrap rates, weld quality scores, and throughput metrics
Interactive heatmaps visualizing bottlenecks in assembly lines
Mobile-optimized views for on-floor access via tablets or phones
Automated alerts for low inventory on critical metals like aluminum or steel
Historical trend analysis for optimizing repeat fabrication jobs
Seamless ERP integration for pulling order statuses and supplier data
Custom reporting exports tailored to client bid requirements
AI-driven forecasts for production capacity based on order pipelines
Role-based access controls for welders, managers, and execs
Drill-down capabilities to inspect individual part yields or defect logs
Offline caching for uninterrupted use during shop network hiccups

Common Questions

How do your dashboards integrate with our existing metal fab software like Mastercam or ERP systems?

We start by auditing your current setup—whether it's Mastercam for CAD/CAM, an ERP like Epicor, or even IoT sensors on your press brakes. Our team builds custom API connections that pull data securely and in real time, without disrupting your operations. For instance, we can sync machine run times directly into the dashboard, so you see live updates on a bending job's progress. It's all coded to your specs, tested on-site to handle the high data loads from a busy fab shop. No plug-and-play limitations; we make it fit like a custom jig. Most integrations take 4-6 weeks, and we provide full training to ensure your crew uses it from day one.

What makes these dashboards specific to metal fabrication challenges?

Metal fab isn't like other manufacturing—it's all about precision cuts, variable material costs, and tight tolerances. Our dashboards focus on that: tracking yield losses from plasma cutting errors, monitoring weld cycle times to spot fatigue, and forecasting scrap based on sheet metal nesting efficiency. We avoid generic templates by customizing for your processes, like integrating with laser scanners for quality checks. Here's the thing: we've worked with shops facing volatile steel prices, so we build in cost-per-part calculators that update with market feeds. The end result is actionable insights that directly tackle your daily headaches, like reducing over-runs on custom brackets or optimizing inventory for seasonal HVAC runs.

How much does a custom dashboard cost for a mid-sized fab shop?

Costs vary based on your shop's complexity—think number of machines, data sources, and custom features. For a typical 20-50 employee fab operation with 5-10 integrated systems, expect $25K-$50K for the full build, including discovery, coding, and deployment. This is a one-time investment for a owned system, ditching ongoing subscription fees that could run $1K+ monthly elsewhere. ROI hits fast: partners often recoup in 3-6 months through waste reductions and faster bidding. We break it down in your free consultation, tailoring to your budget while maximizing impact on metrics like on-time delivery rates.

Can the dashboard work on mobile devices for shop floor use?

Absolutely—our dashboards are responsive by design, optimized for tablets and phones right in the thick of fabrication. Foremen can check inventory levels while at the shear, or review weld specs without heading to a desk. We use secure, progressive web app tech that works offline too, syncing when you're back online—perfect for spots with spotty WiFi near grinding stations. In one project, a client cut response times to quality alerts by 40% because their leads could pull up defect photos on-site. It's built tough for the fab environment, with large touch-friendly interfaces that stand up to greasy fingers.

What kind of support do you offer after the dashboard is built?

We don't just hand it over and vanish. Post-launch, you get 3 months of included support for tweaks and training, plus optional ongoing maintenance at a flat rate—about $500/month for most shops. Our team monitors performance remotely, optimizing for things like peak-hour data spikes from multiple CNC runs. If you add new equipment, like a waterjet cutter, we update integrations seamlessly. You're probably thinking about long-term reliability; we've got SLAs ensuring 99% uptime, and access to our engineers for quick fixes. Many clients stick with us because it evolves with their business, keeping that competitive edge in bidding wars.

How secure is the data in these dashboards, especially for proprietary fab designs?

Security is non-negotiable in metal fab, where blueprints and client specs are gold. We use enterprise-grade encryption for all data in transit and at rest, compliant with standards like ISO 27001. Access is role-based—welders see only job queues, not full designs. We host on secure AWS infrastructure with regular audits, and build in features like audit logs to track who views what. For sensitive projects, like aerospace components, we add multi-factor auth and IP whitelisting. In practice, this means your custom die designs stay locked down, even if a tablet goes missing on the floor. We've never had a breach in our deployments, giving shops peace of mind amid rising cyber threats.

Ready to Get Started?

Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.