Sheet metal fabrication job shops typically handle enclosures, cabinets, equipment covers, brackets, door panels, and various customized components simultaneously. While individual order quantities may not be large, frequent variations in material type, plate thickness, hole patterns, and bending geometry often cause plants to fall into severe predicaments—such as excessive line changeovers, lengthy programming setup times, and capacity imbalances across processing stations. When laser cutting operates faster than bending operations, work-in-progress (WIP) accumulates rapidly; conversely, if press brakes wait for materials, equipment sits idle. Inserting emergency rush orders further disrupts original schedules, making it difficult to balance lead times with quality delivery.

Tailift strategically allocates workload based on part characteristics: complex contours and low-volume custom parts are directed to fiber laser cutting machines, while high-volume regular hole patterns, louvers, knockouts, countersinks, and tapping operations are assigned to CNC turret punch presses. Precision forming is then completed by multi-axis CNC press brakes. Combined with automated sheet storage systems and automatic loading/unloading for both laser and punch machinery, the system automatically feeds materials according to work orders—dramatically reducing wait times, material searching, and crane handling.