Oakfab Case Study

Precision and growth acceleration with fixture tables

CLIENT

Oakfab

Industry Type

High-end Architectural Metalwork

Location

Melbourne, Australia

WEBSITE

www.oakfab.com.au

Background

Based in Melbourne and expanding interstate, Oakfab specialises in premium architectural metalwork. Their portfolio includes everything from intricate sheet metal products and window shrouds to high-end installs using aluminium, stainless steel, mild steel, brass, and copper.

Known for their mantra, “Neat of the fit, neat of the finish“, Oakfab demands a level of precision that traditional steel-plate welding benches simply cannot provide at scale.

Challenge

Before partnering with Ozcut Abrasives, the owner, Callum, was operating as a solo fabricator. Like many in the industry, he was initially skeptical of the price-to-quality ratio of Ozcut’s tables.

“I saw how good the price was and I was a bit dubious”, Callum admits. “I was like, is this going to be any good?”

Beyond the initial skepticism, the business faced the common challenges of traditional fabrication:

  • The “Guess Factor”: Spending excessive time using packers and levels to ensure workpieces were square and twist-free.
  • Quality Control Bottlenecks: The need for constant checking by a workshop manager to ensure accuracy.
  • Scalability: The difficulty of maintaining high-end finishes while trying to increase output and bring on new staff.

“It’s actually exponentially helped our growth. It’s going to save you time. It’s going to save you defects. It’s going to save you money. It’s changed our business forever.”
– Callum, Owner of Oakfab

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St Leonards Front
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Ozcut Abrasives Solution

After visiting the Ozcut warehouse and seeing the quality firsthand, Callum invested in his first 1200 x 2400mm table. As the business expanded from a solo operation into a full team, Oakfab returned to Ozcut Abrasives to standardise their workshop.

To date, Oakfab has integrated five large-format welding fixture tables across two separate orders:

2x Pro Series Nitrided Cast Iron Tables (1200 x 2400mm)

Chosen for high-intensity work where spatter resistance is critical. The nitrided finish allows spatter to "shed away," keeping the surface pristine for high-end architectural finishes.

3x Essential Series Cast Iron Tables (1200 x 2400mm)

Providing the heavy-duty, flat, and square foundation required for large-scale sheet metal and window shroud production.

Fixture Sets & Mega Squares:

By using 600mm Mega Squares, Oakfab frequently extends their 2400mm tables to 3000mm, allowing them to handle oversized architectural pieces without sacrificing the ergonomic "reach" of a 1200mm wide bench.

“The nitride is considerably better for spatter… it just sheds away. We’re also flogging the crap out of the cast iron tables and they all still work as they should. They’re all holding up on accuracy.”
– Callum, Owner of Oakfab

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Results

Since integrating Ozcut Abrasives welding fixture tables into their daily workflow (frequently running them 40–50 hours a week), Oakfab has seen a dramatic shift in their production capabilities:
  1. Eliminating the Need for “Re-Checking”
    The accuracy of the tables means that if a piece is clamped to the square edge, it is correct. “You’re eliminating almost completely the need for a workshop manager… because you can’t stuff it up”, says Callum.
  2. Empowering Less Experienced Staff
    The fixture system simplifies complex tasks. Oakfab found that they could put less skilled operators on higher-skilled tasks and still achieve a “better result” because the table handles the geometry and alignment.
  3. High-End Finish through “Perfect Fit-Up”
    For architectural work where the finish is everything, the tables ensure that joints are perfectly flat and square before the first arc is struck. This reduces the need for heavy grinding and ensures a premium end product.
  4. Ergonomic Efficiency
    By choosing the 1200mm wide tables and extending them with Mega Squares only when necessary, Oakfab ensures their team can reach across the entire work surface without walking around the bench, saving seconds on every weld that add up to hours over the week.
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Looking Ahead

With plans to move into a larger factory and branch further into commercial building and sheet metal supply, Oakfab views Ozcut Abrasives as a permanent partner in their expansion.

For those still “on the fence” about upgrading from a standard steel plate, Callum’s advice is simple: “In no world in a professional setting would I say that a steel plate is worth putting up with. I should have done it sooner.”

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