A team of more than ten in-house engineers and draftsmen between your drawing and our shop floor — design-for-manufacturing review, 3D modeling and structural detailing, shop drawings, flat patterns and CNC programs, fit checks against the layout and equipment, and revision control from release to shipment.
"Build to print" sounds like the fabricator just cuts what the drawing shows. In practice every drawing set arrives with gaps: a weld symbol that conflicts with the finish, a flange pattern that doesn't match the equipment submittal, a structure detailed for a foundation that moved, a cabinet cutout that won't clear the door frame. Catching those on a screen costs an email. Catching them on the shop floor costs a week; catching them in the field costs the schedule.
FabTek's engineering group — more than ten in-house engineers and draftsmen, on the same floor as the machines they program — sits between the customer's drawings and the shop. Most work starts from the customer's engineered drawings or 3D model: the team reviews the package for fabrication and fit, models and details it in 3D, produces the shop drawings, flat patterns, nests and CNC programs the equipment runs from, checks the design against the layout and equipment submittals, and holds revision control so the piece that ships matches the revision the erector or integrator is holding. Programs and models are retained, so a repeat order runs without re-engineering. For customers who have a concept, a sample part or field measurements but not a full drawing set, the same group designs, reverse-engineers and details to a specification.
Customer drawings checked for fabrication, weld and finish conflicts, with a written list of questions and suggested resolutions before we quote or cut — see DFM review.
Structures, tanks, cabinets and conveyors modeled and detailed in 3D, with shop drawings, flat patterns and CNC programs generated from the model and retained for repeat orders — see shop drawings and detailing.
Details checked against layouts, foundation plans and equipment submittals; trial fits planned where the assembly warrants it.
Design, reverse engineering and detailing from a specification, sketch, sample part or field measurements where a full drawing set doesn't exist; prototypes built on production equipment so fit and function are checked on a real part.
Logged, dated revisions across multi-release packages, superseded sheets pulled from the floor, scope changes priced the same week.
Match-mark drawings and records that ship with the product — and guidance on the build-to-print spec package to send for a clean quote.
Your drawings, model and specs checked for fabrication, weld and finish conflicts.
Shop drawings, flat patterns, nests and CNC programs from one model.
Against layouts, foundations and equipment submittals; trial fits where warranted.
Revisions logged, superseded sheets pulled, as-builts shipped with the product.
Substation structures packages, where the steel has to fit foundations and equipment from other suppliers — see the structures package. Transformer tanks and covers, where flange patterns and bushing layouts come from the OEM's electrical design. Switchgear and control enclosures, where cutouts, door swings and wire-out have to agree. Conveyor systems and platforms, where FabTek often carries the design from a site survey through fabrication and installation. Data center steel programs, where the same details are released phase after phase.
| Team | More than ten in-house engineers and draftsmen, working on the same floor as the fabrication |
|---|---|
| Inputs accepted | Engineered drawings, 3D models (STEP, IGES, SolidWorks, Inventor, Tekla, IFC), 2D files (DXF, DWG, PDF), specifications, sketches, sample parts, field measurements, equipment submittals |
| Outputs | 3D models, shop drawings, weldment details, flat patterns and nests, CNC programs, bills of material, match-mark and as-built drawings |
| Software | SolidWorks, Inventor and structural detailing packages; DXF, DWG, STEP, IFC, Tekla and DSTV exchange |
| Review scope | Fabrication feasibility, weld and finish compatibility, fit to layout and equipment, hardware and tolerance checks |
| Standards | AWS D1.1 and AISC detailing conventions for structural; sheet-metal design practice for enclosures; customer standards where provided |
| Revision control | Logged and dated revisions; superseded sheets pulled from the floor; scope changes priced the same week |
| Documentation | Conflict reports, revision logs, as-built drawings; ISO 9001:2015 |
| Also asked as | Fabrication engineering, DFM review, design for manufacturability, steel detailing, shop drawings, sheet metal design, 3D modeling for fabrication |
Representative capabilities — exact ranges, ratings, and finishes are confirmed per project. Send drawings for a firm quote.
Have a print for this? Send it and you'll have pricing and lead time within one business day.
Drawings, specs and submittals are checked for completeness, fabrication conflicts and finish compatibility.
A written list of questions and suggested resolutions goes back to the customer before quoting or cutting.
The product is modeled in 3D; shop drawings, weldments, flat patterns and CNC programs are produced from the model.
Details are checked against the layout, foundations and equipment drawings; trial fits are planned where the assembly warrants it.
Each revision is logged, priced if it changes scope, and pushed to the floor with the superseded sheet pulled.
Match-mark drawings and documentation ship with the product.
Built at four production sites in Hazlehurst, Mississippi.
ISO 9001:2015 quality management, AWS-certified welding, OSHA-compliant facilities.
In-house powder coat backed by an IEEE 2000-hour salt-spray certification.
Reserved-line capacity and the automation to grow with your volume.
Both. Most jobs start from the customer's drawings or model, which our team of more than ten in-house engineers and draftsmen reviews and details for every job; the same team designs and details from a specification, sketch, sample part or field survey where a full drawing set doesn't exist. Stamped structural design, where required, is by the customer's engineer of record.
Complete drawings with revision numbers, the specification, finish requirements, quantities and the date you need, plus equipment submittals where the fabrication has to fit other equipment. Our build-to-print spec package guide lists it.
Every revision is logged, checked against work in process, priced if it changes scope and re-dated the same week. Superseded sheets are pulled from the floor so nothing is built to an old revision.
Yes. For repair, retrofit and replacement work — a transformer cover, a conveyor section, a platform — we detail from the shop's or the site's measurements and fabricate to fit the existing installation.
Explore related lines: Custom fabrication · Substation structures · Transformer tanks · Conveyor systems
Further reading: The build-to-print spec package · The structures package: detailing steel · Bolt-hole tolerances for substation steel
Have a package that needs a second set of eyes before it goes to a shop? Send it — we'll review it and come back with a conflict report and a quote, typically within one business day.
Reply within one business day. Email collin.t@fabtekindustries.com or call sales at 601.861.4294.
