Approved Sheet Metal

10/21/2026

Watching paint dry is the universal benchmark for boredom.

In custom fabrication, it can also be a literal part of the lead time.

Wet paint requires priming, drying, coating, and more drying. Depending on the application, a wet paint job that takes two weeks might take just one with powder coating. Powder coating also produces a durable finish that is less prone to cracking and other damage.

Wet paint remains the right choice for certain coating and corrosion-resistance requirements. But when powder coating fits the application, it turns out that “watching paint dry” was a lead-time warning all along.

See three ways to upgrade your custom fabrication: https://www.approvedsheetmetal.com/blog/3-simple-ways-to-upgrade-custom-fabrications

10/20/2026

Knife skills might be important, but they won’t help much if you’re holding the wrong knife. Can you imagine trying to carve a roast with a paring knife? 🔪

The same is true in sheet metal fabrication.

Fiber lasers are fast, precise, and well suited to typical sheet metal parts with intricate features. Waterjets generally move more slowly on conventional sheet metal, but they can cut very thick or heat-sensitive materials without creating a heat-affected zone.

So, which one is better? That depends entirely on what’s on the cutting table.

Celebrate International Chefs Day with a closer look at how ASM chooses the right cutting process for the job: https://www.approvedsheetmetal.com/blog/laser-cutting-vs-waterjet-cutting-sheet-metal-fabrication

10/16/2026

It’s Dictionary Day, so we have a new entry to submit:

ESTIMATOR
noun

1. Someone who can look at a drawing and see the job hiding inside it.
2. Someone who understands why a “simple bracket” isn’t always simple to quote.
3. Exactly who Approved Sheet Metal is looking to hire.

We’re looking for an experienced Sheet Metal Fabrication Estimator who can turn drawings, models, and specifications into accurate quotes that account for material, machine time, fabrication steps, finishing, and assembly.

The position is full-time and hybrid, based in Hudson, NH, with a pay range of $27–$35/hour.

Recognize yourself in the definition?

Apply here: https://www.indeed.com/job/sheet-metal-fabrication-estimator-hybrid-ecb3bb6ef5f87df6

10/14/2026

Fun fact: A finished sheet metal part can be larger than the equipment used to make it.

ASM can laser cut parts up to 120" × 60" and form parts up to 80" long. But those limits apply to the individual pieces being processed, not necessarily the final assembly.

If a larger design can be divided into manageable sections, we may be able to fabricate those sections separately and then weld or fasten them together.

Sometimes the answer to “Is it too big?” is “Only if it has to be one piece.”

See how we make room for big ideas: https://www.approvedsheetmetal.com/blog/is-your-sheet-metal-part-too-big

10/13/2026

Sheet metal doesn’t look particularly impressive when it arrives at our shop.

It’s flat. That’s about it.

But after some laser cutting, forming, welding, hardware installation, and finishing, it may leave as an enclosure, bracket, chassis, heat shield, panel, or UAV component built for a military or defense application.

That’s quite the career change.

Today marks the U.S. Navy’s birthday, making it a fitting time to spotlight the precision manufacturing used across military and defense applications on land, at sea, and in the air.

Learn about ASM’s ITAR-registered military and defense fabrication capabilities: https://www.approvedsheetmetal.com/blog/sheet-metal-fabrication-military-and-defense

10/08/2026

Nobody wants to sand powder coating off a finished enclosure because the grounding contact point was forgotten.

Especially the person doing the sanding.

Grounding studs, bonding straps, masked contact areas, and coating-free threads are usually straightforward to plan before fabrication. But once the enclosure is finished, the same oversight can mean coating removal, added hardware, secondary work, or refinishing.

Our latest blog explains how to incorporate grounding features while the fix is still a drawing change: https://www.approvedsheetmetal.com/blog/how-to-incorporate-electrical-grounding-features-into-custom-precision-sheet-metal-parts

See how hardware, coatings, doors, removable panels, drawing callouts, and testing affect electrical grounding in custom sheet metal assemblies.

10/07/2026

Ctrl+Z is extremely useful.

It becomes considerably less useful once the laser has cut the sheet.

That’s one reason good programming matters.

Approved Sheet Metal is hiring a Precision Sheet Metal Programmer in Hudson, NH, to think through jobs before production begins: nesting parts, planning cut paths and tooling, determining operation sequences, creating setup information, and troubleshooting manufacturing issues.

This is a full-time hybrid position.

If this sounds like your kind of work, take a look:
https://www.indeed.com/job/precision-sheet-metal-programmer-hybrid-bf694f448619ffcf

10/06/2026

A 3D CAD file is the closest thing an RFQ has to an express lane. 🏎️

With the model in hand, our team can examine the part from every angle, make sense of complex features, resolve potential questions, and use the geometry to help program our equipment. That clearer path from RFQ to production can reduce prototype lead times by up to 50%.

Just make sure the drawing comes along for the ride. It still communicates the tolerances, finishes, and other requirements needed to manufacture the part correctly.

See why two files can mean a faster trip to finished parts: https://www.approvedsheetmetal.com/blog/want-to-cut-lead-times-in-half-for-sheet-metal-prototypes-provide-a-3d-cad-file



Related: SOLIDWORKS

10/01/2026

Five stars are great. Becoming someone’s go-to sheet metal fabricator? Even better. ⭐

Tomorrow is Manufacturing Day, and customer feedback like this gives us one more reason to celebrate the work our team does every day.

Thank you, Paul! We appreciate the kind words, and we’ll be ready when the next project comes along.

Have a sheet metal project of your own? Send it our way: https://www.approvedsheetmetal.com/request-for-quote

09/30/2026

“New year, new job” gets all the attention.

But why should January have all the fun?

Q4 starts tomorrow, and Approved Sheet Metal is hiring a Precision Sheet Metal Programmer to join our growing team in Hudson, NH.

If you know how to turn an engineered design into an efficient nest, a logical operation sequence, clear setup instructions, and a production plan the shop floor can actually use, we’d like to meet you.

This is a full-time hybrid position with health, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, a 401(k) with company match, and room to keep growing your career.

Get a three-month head start on that resolution: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Approved-Sheet-Metal/jobs



Related: New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership - NHMEP