# Sheet Metal Fabrication for Automotive

https://kdisplay.com/industries/automotive

K-Display, a Chicago sheet metal fabricator, builds welded fixture bases, returnable dunnage, cell guard panels, equipment enclosures, and accessory housings for automotive tooling groups, plant equipment teams, and aftermarket makers from their drawings, powder coated and kitted by station.

## Overview
The fixture base and check stand hold a part for measurement. Dunnage carries trim and painted parts between stations, and housings enclose accessory products, so sheet metal fabrication for automotive spans tooling, plant, and aftermarket work. We cut, form, and MIG or TIG weld carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, install studs, nuts, and hinges, and powder coat the result. ANSI B11.19-2019 is the American national standard for machine safeguarding, and its 2019 edition added requirements for nip guards and partial guards; we cut guard panels and posts to the heights and openings on…

## Process
- Frames welded complete: We laser cut and form the blanks and weld the fixture bases, dunnage frames, guard frames, and housings complete, before any coating.
- Hardware, masking, and powder coat: We install the hardware before coating, mask the mounting faces and threads that locate other parts, and powder coat the welded frame.
- Labels, kits, and trial units: We label each part with its number and revision and kit by station. We ship trial units first, and repeat lots follow the program schedule.

## Typical parts
- Fixture bases, stands, and check-fixture frames: Welded steel bases and frames that machined locators and clamps bolt to, with the datum holes and mounting faces of your fixture drawing.
- Returnable dunnage: Cradle frames and dividers built around one part number, for trim and painted parts moving between stations.
- Weld and assembly cell guarding: Guard panels and posts with base plates for weld, press-tending, and assembly cells, with access doors cut to the cell layout.
- Plant equipment enclosures: Enclosures for line equipment, cut for the devices and pushbutton stations on your controls drawing, with hinged doors.
- Aftermarket housings, brackets, and covers: Formed housings, mounting brackets, and trim covers for accessory products, powder coated to match your product line and drilled to your mounting pattern.
- Test-stand and end-of-line frames: Frames, panels, and fixture plates for test benches and end-of-line stations, with cable rails, instrument mounts, and leveling feet on the frame.

## Requirements
- Fixture datums: The datum holes and mounting faces your locators and clamps reference, dimensioned on the fixture drawing from one origin.
- Cell footprint and door positions: The footprint of each weld or assembly cell and where its access doors sit, dimensioned on the cell layout.
- Part marking for the plant: Part number, revision, and station labels or silk-screened identification where your plant reads them.
- Finish and contact faces: Powder coat color and texture, and the dunnage faces that touch a Class A surface.
- Trial and repeat quantities: One or two units for the trial, and the expected repeat by the line or the program.

## Related pages
- [MIG & TIG Welding](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/welding/mig-tig-welding)
- [Powder Coating](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/finishing/powder-coating)
- [Short-Run & Low-Volume Metal Fabrication](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/services/short-run-production)
- [Custom Welded Frames & Weldments](https://kdisplay.com/products/frames-weldments/equipment-frames-weldments)
- [Custom Parts Racks & Shelving](https://kdisplay.com/products/carts-racks-bins/racks-shelving)
- [Custom Machine Guards & Access Panels](https://kdisplay.com/products/panels-covers/machine-guards-access-panels)
- [Custom Control Panel Enclosures](https://kdisplay.com/products/electrical-enclosures/control-panel-enclosures)
- [Custom Machine Housings & Covers](https://kdisplay.com/products/panels-covers/machine-housings-covers)
- [Custom Test Stand & Fixture Frames](https://kdisplay.com/products/frames-weldments/test-stand-fixture-frames)