01The limits, stated first
These are the four things that most often disqualify a job, and it is cheaper for both of us if you read them before sending a drawing.
| Limit | Why | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet thinner than 5 mm | Our process is plate work; thin sheet behaves differently and needs different tooling | A sheet-metal shop that specialises in 1–2 mm work |
| Parts over 2000 × 8000 mm | The plate does not exist in that size | Split the part and joint on a cabinet divider |
| Stone, composite, solid surface | We work stainless only | A stone fabricator — and we will say so plainly |
| Cabinets, frames, joinery | We make tops and benches, not carcasses | Your cabinet maker, or ours in the region if you need an introduction |
There is a fifth, softer limit: we do not do decorative fabrication — sculptural stainless, art pieces, curved polished work. Not because it is not interesting, but because the tooling and the skills are a different business.
02The operations we run
Everything below happens in the same building as the drawing you send, which is why we can answer a process question in a sentence instead of a week.
| Operation | Applied to | Result you can inspect |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting | Plate to plan | Part outline within ±1–2 mm |
| Machining | Edges | Square edge, ±0.05 mm at the edge |
| Folding | Front edge, upstand | A fold from the same plate, no joint |
| Aperture cutting | Sinks, hobs, glands | ±0.5 mm to template |
| Welding (TIG) | Bowls, corners, upstands | Dressed and re-grained flush |
| Graining | Surface and weld repair | Grain direction matched across a joint |
| Inspection | Edge, key dimensions | Recorded, with measuring temperature |
03Tolerance, and where the number applies
The headline number is ±0.05 mm. It applies to a machined edge measured at the edge. It does not apply to the length of a 3-metre part, to a cut aperture, or to flatness — and a supplier who lets you believe otherwise is selling you a number rather than a part.
| Feature | Held to | Not held to |
|---|---|---|
| Machined edge | ±0.05 mm | — |
| Aperture | ±0.5 mm | ±0.05 mm |
| Part length < 2000 mm | ±1 mm | ±0.05 mm |
| Part length > 2000 mm | ±2 mm | ±0.05 mm |
| Flatness | Mill standard | Machined flatness |
On an 8000 mm part there is a second honest caveat: 304 expands about 17 µm per metre per kelvin, so the same part is roughly 1.4 mm longer at 35 °C than at 15 °C. We record the temperature with the measurement, because otherwise the number is decoration.
04How a part is checked
Inspection happens after machining and before packing, on the features that were quoted. It is not a certificate mill — it is a measurement record against your drawing.
- Edge tolerance, measured at the edge with the temperature noted.
- Overall length and depth, against the drawing datum.
- Aperture position in both directions from the datum.
- Squareness, checked on the diagonals.
- Photographs of the finished part, taken before packing.
The inspection record travels with the shipment. If a dimension is argued about later, that sheet is the difference between a conversation and a claim.
05If the job fits
Send the drawing. You will get a quote in 24 hours that prices plate, cutting, edge, welding and packing as separate lines, so you can see what the edge detail actually costs before you commit to it.
Send a drawing · Factory and process · How to judge a supplier