FAQs

ACE fabricates, machines, and finishes stainless-steel components and assemblies for OEMs in food, pharmaceutical, packaging, and industrial markets. We specialize in sanitary stainless fabrication, precision machining, contract assembly, and value engineering from prototype to production.

ACE integrates fabrication, machining, finishing, and contract assembly under one coordinated workflow. ERP-driven scheduling, sanitary expertise, precision capability, and multi-discipline assembly deliver consistent quality and ready-to-run systems.

Our work supports systems that require sanitary washdown, cleanability, and tight tolerances.

• Food processing

• Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical

• Packaging and automation

• Environmental and industrial equipment

• Specialty stainless equipment

Yes. More than 50 percent of our current business is outside Illinois. We support customers throughout the Midwest and across the United States by applying our experience in complex stainless fabrication, machining, and assembly to deliver consistent quality and on-time performance.

We support multi-material integration through welding, forming, and assembly workflows.

• Stainless Steel

• Mild Steel

• Aluminum

Yes. ACE holds an ASME U Stamp Certificate of Authorization, allowing us to design and manufacture pressure vessels and custom systems in accordance with the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.

No. We support everything from single prototypes to thousands of parts with the same level of quality and consistency.

Lead times vary based on project complexity, material availability, and the mix of fabrication, machining, finishing, and assembly required. During quoting, we provide a project-specific lead-time estimate and maintain schedule visibility through our ERP-driven workflow.

Yes. For projects with aggressive timelines, we evaluate workflow sequencing, material availability, and department capacity to meet critical deadlines. When needed, we split shipments or stage delivery to keep projects moving while remaining aligned to schedule requirements.

Yes. We manufacture brackets, laser-cut components, rolled and formed parts, and complex weldments including frames, vessels, manifolds, and sanitary assemblies.

We find solutions for components near or beyond these ranges.

• Up to 40 plus feet long

• 10-ton crane capacity

• 8 ft by 30 ft door

• Large-bed machining support

• TIG welding

• MIG welding

• Pulsed TIG

• Pulsed MIG

• Laser welding

• Fronius CMT

• Orbital TIG for sanitary tubing

• Purge welding for hygienic applications

Yes. Using our tube laser, orbital TIG systems, purge welding processes, and sanitary polishing capabilities, we fabricate custom stainless-steel manifolds to customer designs and specifications.

• Controlled weld sequencing

• Heat management techniques

• Precision fixturing

• In-process inspection

Yes. Fabrication, machining, and finishing are integrated under one workflow for alignment and repeatability.

Yes. ACE provides precision forming using CNC press brakes with 3D controls, hydraulic clamping, and automatic crowning. Capabilities include:

• Long-length bends

• Tight tolerance forming

• Conical forms

• Complex profiles

• Sanitary transitions

• Equipment ranges from 48 to 320 tons.

Yes. ACE rolls stainless cylinders, cones, hoppers, transitions, and curved components. Rolling capability includes:

• Davi Max 3022 roll

• 16 gauge by 50 inches

• 1/4 inch by 2 feet

• Stainless panels

• Frames and structural components

• Cones and transitions

• Cylinders and rolled sections

• Housings

• Sanitary components

• Hoppers

• Small tanks

• CNC-controlled press brakes

• Automatic crowning

• 5-axis back gauges

• 3D controls

• Precision tooling

• Dynamic sheet supports

Yes. We support 3A Dairy, food-grade, and pharmaceutical requirements and integrate forming and rolling with sanitary welding and polishing.

Yes. We provide mechanical polishing, weld blending, tube and pipe polishing, cosmetic finishing, grain matching, and Ra verification.

• 2B

• Commercial #4

• 3A Dairy

• #4 Sanitary

• Bead-blast finishes

• Custom Ra finishes

• Multiple finishing stations

• 25 ft by 40 ft bead-blast room

• 53 inch wide-belt sanding

• Twin-belt systems

• Mechanical polishing

• Sanitary polishing

• Chemical cleaning

• Automated deburring

Yes. We routinely achieve 32 Ra or better, commercial finishes, mirror finishes, and custom Ra values. We verify Ra using profilometers.

Yes. Our bead room provides consistent cosmetic and sanitary bead-blast finishes with controlled media selection and pressure.

• Standardized procedures

• Controlled tooling and media

• In-process Ra checks

• Repeatable workflows across finishing stations

ACE provides flat laser cutting, tube and structural laser cutting, and waterjet cutting. These processes support stainless fabrication, structural assemblies, sanitary systems, and thick-plate applications up to 8 inches.

Yes. ACE uses a Mitsubishi 6kW fiber laser with a 60 inch by 120 inch bed and automated material tower. Capacity includes:

• Mild steel up to 1 inch

• Stainless steel up to 5/8 inch with nitrogen clean cut

• Aluminum up to 1/2 inch

• CAD/CAM nesting ensures material optimization and precision.

Yes. Our Mazak FabriGear 220 Fiber tube laser processes:

• Round tube up to 8⅝ inches

• Square tube up to 6 inches

• Lengths up to 26 feet

• Tube

• Pipe

• Angle

• Channel

• I-beam

Capabilities include bevel cutting, weld prep, slots, tabs, holes, notches, and tapping up to 1/2 inch or M12. Automatic load and unload support consistent accuracy.

Yes. ACE uses an OMAX 80X waterjet with a 72 inch by 144 inch bed and a 60,000 PSI pump. We cut materials up to 8 inches thick. Cold cutting eliminates heat distortion and is ideal for thick plate and specialty alloys.

• CNC turning

• CNC milling

• Dual-spindle machines

• Live tooling

• Robotic loading

• Vertical and horizontal milling

• 3 plus 1 axis machining

• High-pressure coolant

• In-process probing

• 300 Series stainless steel

• 400 Series stainless steel

• 17-4 PH

• Aluminum 6061

• Carbon steel

• Titanium

• Aluminum bronze

• Engineering plastics

• Other materials as required

Turning:

• Up to 16 inches diameter

• Up to 57 inches length

Milling:

• Up to 84 inches length

• 84 by 40 inch bed

• 600 pound max part weight

• Mastercam

• High-pressure coolant

• In-process probing

• Robotic loading

• Bar-feed systems

• DMG Mori equipment

• Okuma equipment

• Mazak equipment

• Haas equipment

• ±0.0005 inch

• Flatness greater than 0.005 inch

• Parallelism greater than 0.005 inch

• Perpendicularity greater than 0.002 inch

• TIR greater than 0.003 inch

• Concentricity to 0.0003 inch

• Straightness greater than 0.003 inch

• 16 Ra

• Mirror finishes

• Custom surface finishes

• Prototype machining

• Short-run machining

• Annual quantities from 5 to 1000 units

• Blanket-order machining programs

• Polishing

• Welding

• Assembly

• Plating

• Design-for-manufacturability

• Prototype development

A build-to-print service integrating fabrication, machining, finishing, and assembly to deliver ready-to-run systems with predictable schedules and fewer handoffs.

• Sub-assemblies

• Mechanical assemblies

• Electro-mechanical systems

• Stainless process equipment

• Modular systems

• Skid-based systems

• Build-to-print assemblies

Yes. We assemble modular kits, grouped components, and organized part sets to streamline installation.

Yes. We build enclosures, frames, skids, and structures using stainless steel and compatible materials.

Yes. We assemble conveyors, wiring, pneumatics, sensors, scales, motors, and safety components.

• Functional testing

• FAT testing

• Pre-ship inspection

• Dry fitting

• Traceability

• Documentation

We use an ERP-driven system that synchronizes fabrication, machining, finishing, and assembly.

• Reduced purchase orders

• Reduced receiving labor

• Simplified accounting

• Lower inventory handling

• Dedicated assembly bays

• Validation stations

• High-bay cranes

• Lift tables

• Ergonomic stations

• Controlled staging

• Custom crating

Yes. We support JIT programs and simplified ordering for repeat builds.

Yes. ACE fabricates and machines stainless-steel frame weldments up to 40 plus feet long and up to 6 inch diameter or square tube. We meet sanitary washdown requirements through controlled welding, machining alignment, and surface finishing processes tailored to food, pharmaceutical, and cleanable environments.