Fabworks Order Guide

Ordering custom sheet and tube parts should feel predictable: upload the right file, choose the right material and operations, review the quote, and check out with a delivery option that matches your schedule. This guide walks through the full Fabworks order flow and points to the design resources that help you avoid delays.

Before You Start

The smoothest orders start with a clean CAD export and a few design decisions already made.

• Export sheet or tube parts as STEP or STP files. STEP gives the quoting engine the best chance to recognize bends, thickness, holes, tube profiles, and 3D geometry correctly.
• Do not upload DXF or other 2D drawings. Fabworks cuts from the 3D model, and flat patterns for bent sheet parts are unfolded automatically.
• If one STEP file contains multiple sheet or tube parts, Fabworks can split it into individually quoted components.
• Model the part at the exact material thickness you plan to order.
• Keep your file free of modeled threads. Add tapping in the Fabworks hole operations tool instead.
• Countersinks can either be modeled in STEP or added during quoting. If you model them, use one of the supported countersink angles listed in the countersinking guidelines.
• If your part has bends, compare the design against the bending guidelines before uploading.
• If your part is square or rectangular tube, leave the natural outside corner radius unmodeled for quicker lead times.

If you need help getting a usable STEP file, see the export guides for Onshape and Fusion 360.

1. Upload Your Part Files

Start from the homepage, laser cutting service page, or quotes page and drag your STEP files into the upload area. After the first file finishes processing, Fabworks creates a quote and opens the quoting workspace.

From there, you can keep adding files, duplicate parts, change quantities, or configure each part individually. Upload all related parts into the same quote when they are going to ship together; that keeps checkout, delivery, and order review much simpler.

2. Choose Material and Thickness

Material and thickness drive strength, bend behavior, weight, finish options, and price. Fabworks supports a curated set of sheet metals such as aluminum, mild steel, and stainless steel, plus stocked aluminum tube and steel tube. Available gauges, tube profiles, thicknesses, and per-material limits are listed on each material page.

Choose the exact alloy and thickness you designed around. If the CAD model thickness does not match the selected material thickness, the finished part may not land where you expect, especially near bends, tabs, slots, and assemblies with tight clearances.

For sheet laser cutting, the standard part size range is 0.25" x 0.25" up to 96" x 47", with no minimum order quantity. Bent parts are also limited to 80 lbs for press-brake handling. Tube laser parts can be quoted up to 96" finished length, also with no minimum order quantity.

3. Configure Bends

For STEP uploads, Fabworks can detect sheet metal bends and configure bend direction and angle automatically. Still, it is worth checking every bend in the part preview before ordering.

Pay special attention to:

• Bend direction, especially when the part has mirrored flanges.
• Bend radius and material thickness.
• Bend angle, maximum bend length, and whether the material is in the bending range.
• Short flanges that may not have enough tooling clearance.
• Holes, slots, PEM hardware, and cosmetic features near bend lines.
• Reverse bends or tight U-shapes that may need extra clearance.

If a bend warning appears, resolve it before checkout or contact support with the quote link. For a deeper preflight list, read Essential Checks Before Ordering Sheet Metal Parts.

4. Add Hole Operations and Hardware

Fabworks hole operations let you add manufacturing steps to detected holes without remodeling your CAD file. Depending on the part geometry and material, you can configure:

• Tapping for threaded holes.
• PEM hardware, including nuts, studs, standoffs, blind standoffs, flush nuts, and rivnuts.
• Countersinking for flat-head fasteners.

You can usually apply an operation to one hole, every matching hole size, or a selected group of holes. Fabworks resizes supported holes for the selected operation where appropriate, but your design still needs enough material around the feature for the operation to work reliably.

For tube parts, keep holes at least one wall thickness away from tube edges or end cuts. On square tube, place holes on flat faces rather than across the outside corner radius.

5. Pick a Finish

The standard Fabworks finish is deburred, which removes sharp edges and tabs from laser-cut parts. You can opt out of deburring when speed or lowest cost matters more than edge cleanup, but non-deburred parts may have sharp edges.

Fabworks also offers powder coating in stocked colors and finishes. Powder coating adds a durable colored surface, but it also adds thickness to the part. Account for that buildup on tight slots, tabs, countersinks, mating faces, and masked surfaces. If you need holes or surfaces masked, contact support before placing the order.

6. Review the Quote Before Checkout

Before you place the order, treat the quote page like a final manufacturing checklist.

• Confirm every part quantity.
• Check material, thickness, finish, and bend configuration.
• Review warnings and resolve errors before checkout.
• Inspect the 3D preview for orientation, bend direction, countersinks, and hardware placement.
• Make sure shipping, billing, and contact details are correct.
• Increase quantity where it makes sense; the per-part price often improves when setup costs are spread across more parts.

Do not ignore errors just because the part looks correct in the preview. The checkout button is only available when the quote is ready to order, and warnings may still be worth reviewing because they can affect fit, lead time, or finish quality.

7. Choose Delivery and Payment

At checkout, Fabworks shows delivery options based on the current quote. The available production speeds are Economy, Standard, Priority, and Express. The exact ship date shown during checkout is the date to trust because it includes the selected material, services, finish, order size, and current capacity.

Orders ship through FedEx or UPS to all 50 US states and Canada, with LTL freight used for larger orders. Local pickup is also available from Fabworks in Ventura, California. See the shipping page for the current carrier and pickup details.

Standard checkout accepts credit cards, debit cards, and Stripe Link. Approved business accounts may also use purchase order checkout on qualifying orders; see the payment terms for the current requirements.

Estimated standard shipping times vary by location. Checkout provides the current shipping estimate for your order.

After You Order

After checkout, Fabworks turns the approved quote into a production order. You will receive order updates and tracking once the parts ship. If the team finds a manufacturing question that needs your input, they will contact you using the order contact information.

For the cleanest experience, keep your quote link handy until the order is complete. It gives support the fastest path to the exact files, materials, quantities, and configuration you approved.

Quick Order Checklist

• Export clean STEP files for 3D sheet or tube parts.
• Keep DXF and 2D drawings out of the upload flow.
• Match CAD thickness to the material thickness you select.
• Confirm part size, tube length, and bend limits against the resource pages.
• Review bend direction, flange length, and features near bends.
• Add tapping, PEM hardware, countersinks, and powder coating in the quote when needed.
• Resolve errors and review warnings before checkout.
• Choose the delivery speed shown in checkout, then complete payment or purchase order checkout.

Once those boxes are checked, you are ready to order custom sheet metal parts from Fabworks.