# FMA and the metal fabrication ecosystem: shops, standards and ERP realities > Source: https://netray.co/manufacturing/fma-fabricators-manufacturers-association-ecosystem > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Manufacturing Hubs ## Short answer The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International (FMA) is a Rockford, Illinois based association and publisher serving the metal fabrication and metal forming industry. It reaches fabricators, stampers, tube and pipe processors and welders through its events, publications and councils. This page covers that world and the quoting, ERP and data problems fabrication shops usually face. ## Kind association ## Country United States ## Area Metal fabrication, stamping, tube and pipe, welding ## Intro The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International (FMA) is a Rockford, Illinois based association and publisher serving the metal fabrication and metal forming industry. It reaches fabricators, stampers, tube and pipe processors and welders through its events, publications and councils. This page covers that world and the quoting, ERP and data problems fabrication shops usually face. ## Industries ### Sheet metal fabrication **Detail:** Laser cutting, punching, press brake forming, welding and finishing of sheet and plate for enclosures, equipment frames, brackets and architectural parts. ### Structural and plate fabrication **Detail:** Heavy weldments, frames and pressure-related assemblies for construction equipment, energy and industrial machinery, often with welding procedure and inspection requirements. ### Metal stamping **Detail:** Progressive and transfer die stamping of brackets, clips and housings in high volume, a segment also covered by FMA's stamping publications. ### Tube and pipe fabrication **Detail:** Tube bending, laser tube cutting, end forming and welded tube assemblies for furniture, automotive, HVAC and equipment makers. ### Contract fabrication and assembly **Detail:** Build-to-print work for OEMs that bundles cutting, forming, welding, powder coat or paint, hardware insertion and light assembly. ## Ecosystem ### Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International **Type:** association **Note:** A Rockford, Illinois based association for metal fabrication, forming and related manufacturers. ### The FABRICATOR and STAMPING Journal **Type:** trade publication **Note:** FMA's publications covering fabrication and stamping technology, operations and industry news. ### FABTECH **Type:** trade show **Note:** North America's large metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing show, co-owned by FMA, the American Welding Society, SME, the Precision Metalforming Association and the Chemical Coaters Association International. ### American Welding Society (AWS) **Type:** standard body **Note:** Publishes widely used welding codes such as AWS D1.1 for structural steel and certifies welding inspectors. ### Tube and Pipe Association, International **Type:** association **Note:** A tube and pipe focused association operated under the FMA umbrella. ### NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership **Type:** MEP center **Note:** State centers that help small fabricators with lean, quality systems and technology projects. ## Requirements - ISO 9001 as a general customer baseline - AWS D1.1 for structural steel welding and AWS D1.2 for aluminum - Welding procedure specifications, procedure qualification records and welder qualification records - AS9100 and NADCAP special process approvals for aerospace work - ISO 3834 where customers require welding quality management - ISO 9606 or ASME Section IX welder qualification where specified - ITAR and DFARS requirements on defense work ## Sections ### What fabrication shops make and for whom **Body:** A fabricator turns flat stock, tube and plate into parts and weldments for equipment builders, building products companies and industrial OEMs. A typical floor has laser or plasma cutting, press brakes, welding cells, finishing and assembly. Work ranges from one-off prototypes to repeat production with blanket orders. The challenge is flow: nesting, bending, welding and finishing queues compete for the same operators and machines, and a bottleneck at paint or powder coat can hold up a whole order. ### Quoting and estimating realities **Body:** Fabrication quotes combine material from nests, cut time, bend count, weld inches, finishing and hardware. Steel and aluminum prices move, so quote validity windows and material surcharges matter, and quoting from a 3D model or DXF is faster than reading drawings by hand. Quoting tools from nesting and CAD vendors generate part-level estimates, but they often sit apart from the ERP. The gap is learning from outcomes: which quote assumptions about weld time or rework were wrong compared with actual labor reported. **Bullets:** - Actual versus estimated weld and fit-up hours - Material yield from nests versus quoted yield - Outside services such as plating, powder coat and heat treat ### ERP and systems in fabrication shops **Body:** Fabricators run a wide spread of systems: job-shop ERP such as JobBOSS, E2 Shop System and Global Shop Solutions, mid-market products such as Epicor Kinetic, Infor SyteLine, DELMIAworks and NetSuite, and smaller shops on QuickBooks with spreadsheets. Nesting software and press brake programming usually sit outside ERP. Integration across CAD, nesting, ERP and the floor is where time is lost. Re-keying bills of materials and routings creates errors, and a revision change that never reaches the shop floor is a common cause of scrapped parts. ### Compliance and data handling **Body:** Welding quality depends on documentation: weld procedures, welder certifications and continuity records, material certifications and inspection reports. Customers in structural, pressure and defense work may audit these files. Export-controlled drawings and customer models need controlled access. Private models running on the shop's own servers can search these records without sending them out, while the shop remains responsible for meeting its obligations. ### Where private AI helps and where it does not **Body:** Helpful uses include finding the right weld procedure or certification for a job, answering questions about past orders and rework, comparing a new quote with similar past jobs, and summarizing customer requirements. These rely on read-only access to ERP and document stores. AI will not replace nesting or CAM software, and it should not change routings or prices without approval. If your ERP already reports actual versus estimated cost by job, start with those reports. ## Faq ### What is the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association? **Answer:** FMA is an international association based in Rockford, Illinois, that serves metal fabricating and forming companies. It publishes The FABRICATOR and STAMPING Journal, organizes events and councils, and is one of the organizations behind the FABTECH trade show. ### Who runs FABTECH? **Answer:** FABTECH is co-owned by the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, the American Welding Society, SME, the Precision Metalforming Association and the Chemical Coaters Association International. It covers metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing. ### What ERP do metal fabrication shops use? **Answer:** Options include JobBOSS, E2 Shop System, Global Shop Solutions, Epicor Kinetic, Infor SyteLine, DELMIAworks and NetSuite, with smaller shops on QuickBooks. Fit depends on routing complexity, nesting integration, quality documentation needs and the size of your team. ### Which welding standards do fabricators work to? **Answer:** It depends on the product. AWS D1.1 is common for structural steel, D1.2 for aluminum, and ASME Section IX applies to pressure work. Customers may also require ISO 3834 or AS9100. Always confirm the code named in the purchase order or drawing. ## Search terms fabricators and manufacturers association, fabricators and manufacturers association international, fma fabricators and manufacturers association, fma international, metal fabrication ERP, sheet metal fabrication quoting software, fabtech --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json