This post was originally published on December 7, 2016.

High volume production, in-line processing and lighter, quality outputs make roll forming an ideal solution for many metal fabrication projects. In fact, roll forming is all around us. The grocery store shelf your gallon of milk came off of, the tracks that open and close your garage door, and the channels that slide your car seat forward and back are all, more than likely, products of roll forming.

This post was originally published on April 15, 2015.

Should you press brake or roll form? It’s a big decision with multiple factors to consider. Ultimately, the decision comes down to what fabrication method will yield the desired quality for the lowest overall cost. 

As one of the largest moving structural parts of a home or business, overhead doors must be built with the appropriate components to reduce the risk of accidents. Overhead door suppliers are held to high safety standards, as well as high cost-saving standards—a dynamic that can be difficult to manage. Fortunately, roll forming provides a fast and affordable way for manufacturers to improve product longevity and safety in one cost-effective solution. 

Cost-effective, high-volume and efficient production all sound great, but there are a few things you may need to think about before you jump right in. Below, we’ve listed three important factors to consider before starting your roll form project.

In solar, saving money from start to finish is crucial. While headlines like, “2016 was the year solar panels finally became cheaper than fossil fuels,” can be exciting for the industry, it’s also a pain point for many manufacturers and solar panel mounters.

When it comes time to reducing production costs or increasing profit margins in metal product manufacturing, the responsibility may fall to the manufacturer’s engineering team to determine how best to cut product costs without sacrificing quality and structural integrity.

Roll forming is often viewed as a cost-prohibitive process for metal fabricators. Typically, metal fabricators turn to stamping, press braking and extrusions for their needs, and roll forming is cast aside without consideration.

Yet roll forming can be the most cost-effective method to achieving a quality product. Roll forming has the ability to reduce your product’s weight, simplify design and cut secondary fabrication needs that can be handled inline.

Even if you’ve never designed for roll forming, it may be time to consider what its capabilities can do for your bottom line. This roll forming guide has everything you need to determine whether roll forming is your best option, manage costs and take the next steps in designing a roll formed product.

Roll forming can seem like an overwhelming process to design for, if you’re used to stamping, press braking, extrusions or other techniques. The truth is, it can actually open up new doors to creativity—and cost savings.

The metal trim on your cubicle—roll formed. 

The steps on your ladder—roll formed.

The stainless steel grill bars on the truck that just passed by—roll formed.

The roll forming process hasn’t changed much in the many years it’s been used by metal fabricators and manufacturers. Despite its resemblance to the original lines of the past, roll forming continues to be an efficient production method that offers in-line processing, consistent profile geometry and high yield.

And yet, the field faces a problem. A lack of education around roll forming (due in part to its absence from collegiate engineering curriculum) has made it difficult for roll forming to gain traction as a viable alternative to extruding, stamping and press braking. In addition, the process has become commoditized, with little to differentiate one roll former from another.

So what’s the secret to standing out? We believe it is to meet the evolving needs of our customer base. Manufacturers need more than an outsourced metal fabrication vendor; they need a supply chain partner.