Questions & Answers
Frequently asked questions.
Practical answers about fabrication, machining, materials, quotes, and lead times—straight from the shop floor.
General
Common questions.
Quick Answers
Useful details before you reach out.
What fabrication services does A&P provide?
Services include custom fabrication, CNC machining, welding, replacement and wear parts, prototyping, heavy fabrication, process piping, assembly and installations.
Where is A&P located?
A&P Fabricating Solutions is headquartered at 5007 Wren Drive in Appleton, Wisconsin and serves customers across the Midwest.
What welding services are available in Appleton, Wisconsin?
A&P Fabricating Solutions offers MIG, TIG, stick, flux-cored and laser welding from its Appleton shop. The company also maintains a segregated stainless steel work area. Share the material, drawings and project requirements when requesting a quote so the team can determine which welding process and related fabrication capabilities fit the job.
Does A&P provide fabrication, assembly and installation?
A&P can combine custom metal fabrication with in-house assembly for many typical projects and provides installation capabilities for structural materials, collectors, stainless processing equipment, ducting and guarding. Because every project has different site and scope requirements, send the specifications to confirm which fabrication, assembly and installation services are appropriate.
What materials does A&P work with?
A&P works with mild steel, stainless steel, carbon and aluminum.
How do I start a quote request?
Use the online quote form to share your contact information and project details, or call 920-716-7531 to discuss the next step.
Can A&P help with metal prototypes and replacement parts?
Yes. A&P supports research and development, proof-of-concept work and functional metal prototypes. The shop also fabricates replacement and wear parts using services such as custom welding, bending, rolling, hardfacing and hardening. Project fit depends on the specifications, material and required function, so include those details with your inquiry.
What CNC machining capabilities does A&P offer?
A&P provides CNC machining for short runs and extended contract runs using horizontal boring, vertical machining and CNC turning equipment. Its Appleton machine shop includes Wotan, OKK, Mazak and Bridgeport equipment. Review the Equipment Capabilities page or share your drawings and requirements to determine whether the available machining capacity fits the part.
Custom Fabrication
Custom fabrication questions.
What types of custom fabrication does A&P handle?
A&P Fabricating Solutions is a one-stop shop for custom fabrication — from guardrails and catwalks to ductwork and emission control equipment, including aluminum work, complex stainless, heavy carbon and stainless fabrication and large fabrications.
What industries does A&P fabricate for?
Applications include food processing, pharmaceutical, packaging, emission control, heat recovery and pulp equipment, along with general industrial work.
What materials does A&P work with?
A&P works with mild steel, stainless steel, carbon and aluminum.
Can A&P handle large or heavy fabrications?
Yes. Heavy-duty and large fabrications are a core capability, supported by a 24,000 sq. ft. facility with overhead lifting equipment.
Does A&P also assemble and install what it fabricates?
Most typical projects can be assembled in-house, and installation capabilities cover structural materials, collectors, stainless processing equipment, ducting and guarding. Share your scope to confirm the right combination.
Where is the work done?
Fabrication happens at 5007 Wren Drive in Appleton, Wisconsin, and A&P serves customers across the Midwest.
Can A&P build one-off parts or prototypes?
Yes. A&P supports research and development, proof-of-concept work and functional metal prototypes alongside production fabrication.
How do I get a custom fabrication quote?
Use the online quote request to share your specifications, material and drawings, or call 920-716-7531 to discuss the project.
CNC Machining
Machining questions.
What CNC machining services does A&P offer?
A&P specializes in custom CNC milling and CNC turning, backed by a full-scale machine shop with a variety of support equipment.
What machining equipment is in the shop?
The Appleton machine shop runs Wotan horizontal boring, OKK vertical machining centers, a Mazak QT 250 CNC lathe and Bridgeport equipment.
Can A&P handle both short runs and contract runs?
Yes. CNC machining is available for short runs and extended contract runs, depending on the part and required capacity.
What materials can be machined?
A&P works with mild steel, stainless steel, carbon and aluminum.
Can A&P machine a part without a drawing?
Worn or obsolete parts can often be reverse-engineered from the best available evidence — the worn component, mating parts and the machine itself. Share what you have and the team will advise.
How large a part can the shop handle?
The Wotan horizontal bar provides 64" in X, 56" in Y and 48" in W; the OKK vertical centers run a 60x30 table with 27" in Z. Send your part dimensions to confirm fit.
Does A&P combine machining with fabrication?
Yes. Machining, welding, fabrication and assembly resources are under one roof, so machined components can flow straight into fabrication or assembly.
How do I get a machining quote?
Share your drawings, material and quantities through the quote request, or call 920-716-7531.
Welding
Welding questions.
What welding processes does A&P offer?
A&P Fabricating Solutions runs MIG, TIG, stick, flux-cored and laser welding from its Appleton shop, handling projects from simple to complex.
What is laser welding?
Laser welding joins two or more pieces of material, usually metal, using a high-energy laser beam — an advanced fusion process suited to precise, efficient joins.
How does A&P handle stainless steel welding?
The shop maintains a segregated stainless steel work area to protect stainless work from cross-contamination.
Are A&P welders certified?
Welders are certified in D1.1 and D1.6 welding.
What materials does A&P weld?
Mild steel, stainless steel, carbon and aluminum.
What kinds of projects does the welding team support?
Applications include emission control, heat recovery and collection equipment, general industrial work, machine shop and heavy fabrication, and food processing, pharmaceutical and packaging equipment.
Can welding be combined with fabrication and assembly?
Yes. Welding sits alongside cutting, rolling, forming, machining and assembly resources in the same facility, so complete projects stay under one roof.
How do I get a welding quote?
Share the material, drawings and project requirements through the quote request, or call 920-716-7531, and the team will determine which welding process fits the job.
Wear Parts
Replacement and wear part questions.
What replacement and wear parts can A&P make?
A&P can custom weld, bend or roll any wear or replacement part needed for any application — from one-off repairs to recurring spares.
My parts wear out too fast. What are my options?
A&P can hardface a worn edge by adding weld and bring it back to its original specs, and offers parts hardening to help components last longer.
Can A&P work from a worn part with no drawing?
Often, yes. Obsolete or worn parts can be reverse-engineered from the best available evidence — the worn component, its mating parts and the machine itself.
What materials does A&P work with?
Mild steel, stainless steel, carbon and aluminum.
Can machining be part of a replacement part job?
Yes. The on-site CNC machine shop supports short runs and extended contract runs, so machined replacement parts stay under one roof.
Does A&P handle one-off parts?
Yes — single replacement parts, modified components and repeat production are all supported.
Where is the work done?
At the A&P shop at 5007 Wren Drive in Appleton, Wisconsin, serving customers across the Midwest.
How do I get a quote for a replacement part?
Send the part details, drawings or photos through the quote request, or call 920-716-7531 to talk through what you need.
Heavy Fabrication
Heavy fabrication questions.
What is heavy fabrication at A&P?
Heavy-duty fabrication and welding for thicker plates and larger structures — the experience and equipment to take on any size project.
Is fabricated work under warranty?
Yes — A&P provides a 1-year warranty on all fabricated parts.
Are the welders certified for structural work?
Welders are certified in D1.1 and D1.6 welding.
How is quality verified?
All structural material and welds are quality tested using industry-leading applications to make sure the project is built to last.
What materials are used in heavy fabrication?
Mild steel alloys, stainless steel and structural material.
How does the shop move heavy work?
Overhead lifting includes a 7-ton bridge crane with 17 feet under the hook, plus jib systems in the sub-assembly area.
Can A&P assemble and install heavy fabrications?
Yes — in-house assembly in the 24,000 sq. ft. facility, with installation capabilities for structural materials and processing equipment.
How do I get a heavy fabrication quote?
Send the drawings, material and scope through the quote request, or call 920-716-7531.
Cost & Planning
Cost, scheduling and planning questions.
How much does custom metal fabrication cost in Wisconsin?
Cost is driven by the full production path—material, cutting and forming time, welding requirements, tolerances, finish, and inspection—not weight alone. Our post on fabrication cost and lead time breaks down each driver, and a complete drawing package gets you an accurate number fast.
How long does metal fabrication take from quote to delivery?
Lead time depends on material availability, shop backlog, and the scope of the work—simple parts move in days, complex weldments and machined assemblies take longer. Sending complete drawings, quantities, and the real need date lets us quote a schedule we can actually hit.
What should I include in a fabrication RFQ package?
Drawings or a dimensioned sketch, material and grade, quantity, tolerances that matter, finish, inspection requirements, and the delivery date. Our RFQ guide walks through the full checklist—the more complete the package, the faster and more accurate the quote.
Do fabrication projects come with a warranty?
Yes—A&P backs its work with a one-year workmanship warranty. Ask for it in writing with any quote you compare, from any shop.
Is it cheaper to order multiple parts at once?
Usually. Programming, fixturing, and setup happen once per run, so small batches spread that cost across every part. For wear parts on a replacement cycle, ordering spares with the original run is the lowest-cost time to buy them.
Can you handle rush jobs or plant-outage deadlines?
Tell us the real deadline and we will tell you honestly what is possible. For planned outages, sending drawings early lets fabrication happen before your window opens—the single biggest lever on outage schedules.
Do you serve manufacturers outside the Fox Valley?
Yes. From our 24,000-square-foot Appleton, Wisconsin shop we serve the Fox Valley—Appleton, Green Bay, Oshkosh—and ship fabrications across Wisconsin and the Midwest, with freight planned per job.
Can A&P supplement our in-house maintenance or weld shop?
That is one of the most common ways plants use us—overflow work, certified structural welds, stainless and sanitary jobs, and heavy sections your bay is not equipped for. See our post on outsourcing vs. in-house fabrication.