# Sheet Metal Fabrication for Industrial Machinery

https://kdisplay.com/industries/industrial-machinery

K-Display, a Chicago sheet metal fabricator, makes machine guards, housings, welded bases and frames, and chutes to machine builders' drawings. Parts are powder coated with hardware installed, then labeled and kitted.

## Overview
29 CFR 1910.212 requires a guard to be affixed to the machine where possible and not to offer an accident hazard in itself. In sheet metal fabrication for industrial machinery, we build guard panels to attach at the mounting points on your frame. We form guards, housings, and shrouds from carbon steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, and weld the bases and frames. On a welded base the machine pads are the datums, so we plan the weld sequence to keep them coplanar. We supply the parts powder coated, with self-clinching studs and nuts, hinges, and latches installed.

## Process
- Cut, punch, and weld the parts: We laser cut, punch, and form housings, guards, and covers, then MIG and TIG weld bases, frames, and hoppers.
- Fit hardware, then coat with mating faces masked: We install the hardware first, then mask the mounting faces, threads, and ground points, so the flange that meets your machined surface stays bare metal after powder coat.
- Label and kit: We label parts with your part numbers and pack one kit per machine, with any components you supply kitted alongside.

## Typical parts
- Machine guards and access panels: Barrier panels, hinged doors, and lift-off covers that attach to the machine frame, with the mounting points for interlock switches punched in place.
- Machine housings and shrouds: Formed outer panels and top shrouds sized to the machine envelope, with cutouts for shafts, cables, and service reach, and vent patterns for machines that run warm.
- Machine bases and skid frames: Welded bases and skids with mounting plates, gussets, and leveling-foot positions, built to carry the whole machine.
- Equipment frames and weldments: Support frames and welded subassemblies that sit inside or beside the machine and carry drives, rollers, and covers.
- Chutes, hoppers, and small brackets: Formed chutes, part hoppers, and small brackets that live inside the machine.
- On-machine equipment enclosures and consoles: Control cabinets and operator consoles that mount to the machine, cut for door devices, HMI, and e-stop.

## Requirements
- Guard geometry: Opening sizes, fastener type, attachment points, and interlock switch mounting for each guard, with its clearance from moving parts.
- Material and thickness: Carbon steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, with the sheet thickness for each part.
- Datums and mating faces: The assembly model and drawing revision, with the foot positions, flat faces, and hole patterns on bases and frames.
- Finish match: Powder coat color and texture matched to the rest of the machine, with the dimensions that apply after coating, such as flange widths and hole diameters.
- Hardware list: Self-clinching studs and nuts, hinges, latches, and handles, by part number and quantity per part, with the sheet thickness each installs into.
- Quantities and schedule: Pilot-unit and repeat-order quantities with the build schedule for each machine model.

## Related pages
- [MIG & TIG Welding](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/welding/mig-tig-welding)
- [Powder Coating](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/finishing/powder-coating)
- [Assembly & Value-Added Services](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/finishing/assembly)
- [Custom Machine Guards & Access Panels](https://kdisplay.com/products/panels-covers/machine-guards-access-panels)
- [Custom Machine Housings & Covers](https://kdisplay.com/products/panels-covers/machine-housings-covers)
- [Custom Machine Bases & Skid Frames](https://kdisplay.com/products/frames-weldments/machine-bases-skid-frames)
- [Custom Welded Frames & Weldments](https://kdisplay.com/products/frames-weldments/equipment-frames-weldments)
- [Custom Hoppers, Chutes & Troughs](https://kdisplay.com/products/panels-covers/hoppers-chutes-troughs)