If you are looking for professional sheet metal fabrication services, you need to know the difference between OEM sheet metal fabrication and ODM sheet metal fabrication. In this article we’ll explain the differences between OEM and ODM sheet metal fabrication to help you make a more informed decision for your next sheet metal fabrication project, and explain why an ODM expert will usually give you better results for your OEM projects as well.
What is OEM sheet metal fabrication?
Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is the term used to describe a business that creates their own designs for products. They may also manufacture the products themselves in their own sheet metal fabrication facility, or, commonly, give the designs and engineering specifications to a specialist manufacturer who makes the product exactly to match the OEM design. All IP is under the control of the business.
- New products take time to develop, design, prototype & test
- Most product development and manufacturing risks stay with the brand
- Good for standardized, well established products
- You retain total control over your IP
OEM sheet metal fabrication projects often involve making large volumes of sheet metal products that are based on your own design. Electrical junction boxes, basic sheet metal furniture, product and tool boxes are good examples. The sheet metal fabricator does not need to be highly skilled to manufacture a simple OEM sheet metal project, but are expected to be able to manufacture them with precision so they are faithful to your design.
How is ODM different from OEM?
ODM is different from OEM because an original design manufacturer (ODM) manufactures products from a catalog of their own existing designs. ODM sheet metal fabricators offer their existing designs to companies who are looking for sheet metal products but do not have their own in-house designers and engineers, or do not have existing plans for the product they wish to manufacture.
- ODM products can be rapidly brought to market
- Product development and manufacturing risks are managed by the fabricator
- Products are customized to reflect your brand styling (white / private label)
- IP is owned by the designer
The owner of the design in ODM sheet metal fabrication is the sheet metal fabrication company, who manufactures the product to their existing design, which you put on the market under your brand name. ODM sheet metal fabrication gives you finished, tested, products that you can use for your brand without the expense or technical knowledge required to do your own design engineering.
What is the difference between ODM & OEM sheet metal fabricators?
Some sheet metal fabricators only manufacture OEM products to your design. You take all the responsibility for making the design work and engineering it correctly so that it is fit for purpose. As long as the OEM sheet metal fabrication company manufactures the product exactly to the design specification you give them, that is the limit of their involvement and liability. Mistakes in OEM design and engineering can be very time consuming and costly.
- Errors in OEM design or engineering are your responsibility
- Problems in ODM design or engineering are the responsibility of the fabricator
- You use your own IP for your designs for OEM
- ODM product designs are owned by the fabricator and made for you under licence
- ODM products can be customized for your brand
- Some ODM sheet metal fabricators are more technically expert than OEM sheet metal fabricators
ODM sheet metal fabricators offer you a catalog of designs to use that may suit your requirements for a specific sheet metal product. They may have a standard set of enclosure types, for example, that are suited to circuit boards or electrical equipment, or a set of steel box designs that are sized to be appropriate for power tools or sets of hand tools. ODM sheet metal fabricators retain the rights to their designs, which they manufacture for you to sell under a licence.
Some ODM sheet metal fabricators have very active design and engineering departments and are very interested in developing a range of new products that they can manufacture for you. Taiwa has extensive experience in ODM, and has successful, tested designs for products ranging from culinary utensils to media stands and street furniture.
Taiwa offers both OEM & ODM sheet metal fabrication services
To be successful at ODM requires a sheet metal fabrication company to employ a team of highly qualified and experienced engineers and designers who are also very valuable in assessing OEM projects. ODM sheet metal fabricators like Taiwa usually offer both OEM and ODM sheet metal fabrication services. Our extensive ODM capabilities mean that when you work with us on an OEM project we can also provide you with expert review and support to ensure your project has excellent design for manufacturability (DFM) credentials, which reduces costs.
Our range of ODM products is highly varied, and we are happy to design and manufacture new ODM sheet metal products for customers who have identified a market demand. Our in-house design, engineering, sheet metal cutting, forming, bending, joining, assembly and finishing services enable us to customize any sheet metal product to match your brand and styling requirements. Contact us to find out more about our precision and quality OEM & ODM sheet metal fabrication services.
