OEM Contract Machining & Build-to-Print Machine Shop

Iron Ax provides build-to-print OEM contract machining for equipment manufacturers and industrial customers. When your company has engineered drawings, specifications, or an established component design that needs to be manufactured, our in-house machine shop can evaluate the project and produce components to the supplied requirements.

Iron Ax combines machining with heavy fabrication, welding, plasma cutting, hydraulic cylinder manufacturing, and industrial equipment manufacturing under one roof. This allows us to support OEM projects that require both fabricated assemblies and precision-machined components.

Whether you need a one-time machined component, prototype part, overflow machining capacity, short-run production, or repeat OEM manufacturing, send Iron Ax your drawings and specifications for review.

Build-to-Print OEM Machining Capabilities

Iron Ax’s machine shop supports both our own manufacturing operation and outside customer projects. For OEM customers, we can manufacture components from approved drawings and specifications as part of a one-time project or ongoing production requirement.

Components we can evaluate include:

Contract Machining for Equipment Manufacturers

Equipment manufacturers do not always need to machine every component internally. Production backlogs, labor shortages, large project requirements, temporary capacity issues, or new production programs can create a need for outside machining support.

Iron Ax can serve as an additional build-to-print machining resource for manufacturers that need dependable outside capacity.

The customer maintains control of the engineering, design, tolerances, materials, specifications, and product requirements. Iron Ax manufactures the component according to the approved information supplied for the project.

This allows OEMs to expand available manufacturing capacity without necessarily adding new machinery, floor space, or permanent employees.

Machining for Fabricated Assemblies

One of Iron Ax’s strongest capabilities is combining machining with fabrication. Many industrial assemblies require machined components in addition to welded structures.

A fabricated assembly may require shafts, pins, bushings, sleeves, bearing locations, machined mounting surfaces, accurately positioned bores, hubs, spacers, or other precision components.

Because Iron Ax operates both a fabrication shop and machine shop, many of these requirements can be handled within the same manufacturing facility.

This can simplify project coordination for OEM customers and reduce the need to manage separate fabrication and machining suppliers.

Machined Weldments

Some equipment components require fabrication first and machining afterward. These machined weldments may include frames, brackets, mounting assemblies, structural components, pivot assemblies, equipment supports, and other welded structures requiring accurately located machined features.

Iron Ax can evaluate customer-supplied drawings for assemblies requiring both fabrication and machining.

Depending on the project, machining may include bores, mounting surfaces, holes, bearing locations, pin locations, or other features specified by the customer.

Custom Shafts

Iron Ax can evaluate build-to-print shaft manufacturing for industrial equipment and OEM applications.

Projects may include straight shafts, stepped shafts, conveyor-related shafts, pivot shafts, equipment shafts, and other customer-designed components.

Customers should provide complete drawings including material requirements, dimensions, tolerances, threads, keyways, surface requirements, and any applicable heat-treatment or finish specifications.

Custom Pins and Bushings

Pins and bushings are common components in industrial machinery, material-handling equipment, heavy equipment, recycling equipment, hydraulic assemblies, and other OEM products.

Iron Ax manufactures custom pins and bushings for both our own equipment and customer projects.

Build-to-print projects can be evaluated for individual components, replacement parts, equipment production, or repeat OEM requirements.

Sleeves, Spacers, Hubs and Related Components

Many industrial assemblies require relatively simple but critical machined components such as sleeves, spacers, hubs, collars, and mounting pieces.

These components may be part of a larger Iron Ax fabrication package or supplied individually for installation into the customer’s equipment.

Iron Ax welcomes RFQs for customer-designed components where drawings, material requirements, tolerances, quantities, and delivery requirements are clearly defined.

Prototype and One-Off Machining

Industrial equipment manufacturers frequently require prototype components, first articles, development parts, replacement components, or one-time project-specific parts.

Iron Ax can evaluate one-off and prototype machining projects based on the supplied engineering information.

Prototype work can also provide a path toward repeat manufacturing if the part becomes an established production component.

Short-Run and Repeat Production

Not every OEM machining requirement involves high-volume production. Many industrial manufacturers need relatively small quantities of specialized components.

Iron Ax can evaluate short-run production and repeat manufacturing opportunities where the quantities, materials, tolerances, and production requirements fit our capabilities.

Once a component has been successfully manufactured, future production requirements can be quoted based on quantity, material availability, specifications, and delivery schedule.

Overflow Machining Capacity

Production schedules can change quickly. A large order, machine downtime, backlog, labor shortage, or new project can consume an OEM’s available machining capacity.

Iron Ax is interested in serving as an additional machining source for manufacturers that need overflow capacity.

This may involve one project, temporary backlog relief, selected components, or an ongoing supplier relationship.

Our goal is to become a dependable resource that manufacturers can call when additional machining capacity is needed.

Second-Source and Alternate Supplier Machining

Manufacturers may choose to maintain more than one supplier for critical components. A second machining source can provide additional production capacity, reduce supply-chain risk, and provide an alternative when a primary supplier is fully loaded.

Iron Ax welcomes opportunities to be evaluated as an additional or alternate supplier for customer-designed machined components.

Customer-Supplied Drawings and Specifications

Build-to-print machining begins with complete project information. Customers should provide the drawings and specifications required to manufacture the component correctly.

A typical machining RFQ may include:

For more information about what to include with a project, see our OEM Fabrication & Machining RFQ / Supplier Information page.

Machining Combined With Heavy Fabrication

Iron Ax’s machine shop is part of a larger industrial manufacturing operation. In addition to machining, our approximately 50,000-square-foot facility includes heavy fabrication areas, welding, plasma cutting, multiple overhead cranes, large roll-up doors, hydraulic cylinder manufacturing, and equipment assembly capability.

This combination allows Iron Ax to evaluate complete manufacturing packages rather than only individual machine parts.

For an OEM customer, that may mean sending Iron Ax a complete assembly drawing rather than coordinating the frame with one supplier, the shafts with another supplier, and the pins and bushings with a third.

Industries We Can Support

Iron Ax’s build-to-print machining services can support equipment manufacturers and industrial customers across a wide range of markets, including:

Water and wastewater equipment manufacturers can also learn more about our Water & Wastewater Equipment Contract Fabrication capabilities.

Our OEM Contract Machining Process

Why OEMs Should Consider Iron Ax

Iron Ax is an equipment manufacturer with decades of industrial manufacturing experience. We understand that a machined component is often one part of a much larger piece of equipment and that quality, fit, delivery, and consistency affect the OEM’s finished product.

Our combination of machining, fabrication, welding, hydraulic cylinder manufacturing, and heavy material handling gives us the ability to support projects requiring multiple manufacturing disciplines.

For manufacturers searching for an additional machining source, overflow capacity, a second supplier, or a long-term build-to-print manufacturing partner, Iron Ax is ready to review your drawings.