In a world where over 220 million people shop online in the United States alone, having items shipped to your house that you’ve already bought is not unusual. But what if you open the box and find that the item you’ve been waiting for is damaged? What if the item you want to buy can’t even be shipped to you because it’s just too big or the shipping costs would be outrageous?
When it comes to metal roofing, both of those undesirable situations can sometimes occur. Luckily there is a way to avoid them.
Enter on-site roll forming. While you may not have heard of it before, it’s a process that brings the metal factory right to your home or commercial property.
At Western States Metal Roofing, we now offer our own on-site roll forming service to customers in the state of Arizona. However, there are many metal roofing companies and contractors that also offer on-site roll forming.
In this article, we are going to discuss how on-site roll forming can benefit you and when it should be used.
What Is On-Site Roll Forming?
On-site roll forming is when a portable roll forming machine is used to manufacture your metal roofing and siding panels right at your home or business.
The metal, that can start as a steel coil, is fed into the machine and goes through a series of rollers where it’s designed into your desired metal panel shape. From there, the contractors will handle them to either be stored or go directly up to the roof without ever touching the ground.
You’ll get the same quality metal panels as you would if they were made at the factory.
Learn More About On-Site Roll Forming
What Are The Benefits Of On-Site Roll Forming?
- Fewer seams means a more weather-tight roof
- Save on shipping and packaging costs
- Save time
- Can be used on residential or commercial projects
- Eco-friendly because it reduces waste
Fewer Seams Give You A More Weather-tight Roof
If you are choosing a standing seam roof, on-site roof forming is an excellent option to reduce the number of seams the roof will have. This is because when panels are rolled on-site, longer lengths are able to be made than if you ordered panels premade from the factory.
If your standing seam roof requires longer panels, you will have fewer seams on the roof if they are made on-site. Fewer seams create a more weather-tight fit for your roof since there are fewer penetrations for water to seep through. This drastically decreases the chances of leaks and water damage occurring.
Save On Shipping And Packaging Costs
A major benefit of on-site roll forming is that you eliminate shipping and packaging costs.
This is especially beneficial when a large number of panels need to be made as shipping costs increase with larger orders.
Another benefit associated with shipping is that on-site roll forming eliminates any chance that the panels will be damaged during transport since they are being made at the location where they are being installed.
Save Time
On-site roll forming can save time in multiple ways.
The first way is that you do not have to wait for shipments to arrive. As soon as your roll forming service provider can get to your location, the panels can be made.
Your panels can be made very fast. Depending on the machine being used, it can operate anywhere from 30 feet all the way up to 150 feet per minute. This is especially helpful if your project requires a large number of panels.
On-site roll forming also saves you the step of unpacking the panels first. As we mentioned earlier, panels can go from being made to being transported to the roof without either having to touch the ground.
Last-Minute Changes
An additional benefit of on-site roll forming that can certainly save time is that it can accommodate any last-minute changes to the project, including desired length.
If you order from the factory, you would have to wait several days for new panels to be made and shipped to you if something needs to be changed.
Residential And Commercial Use
Any project can have its metal panels made on-site whether it’s for a residential or commercial project that is either large or small.
What is important to consider is that wherever your location is, it's both accessible and has enough space for the machine and other necessary equipment.
Besides the roll forming machine itself, other equipment such as a forklift, crane, or ramp will be needed to get the panels up to the roof once they are made.
Discuss the required space with your contractor and metal roll forming company to make sure that your location has enough room for both the crew and tools needed for on-site roll forming.
Eco-friendly
Making your panels on-site is actually good for the environment as it reduces the amount of waste that is made.
Panels are made to the exact desired length so there isn’t any wasted material.
There also won’t be any packaging that will need to be thrown away.
When Should On-Site Roll Forming Be Used?
Long Panels
On-site roll forming is a great solution when very long panels are needed.
Generally, panels that are over 55’ in length are not able to be shipped because they are too long to fit on a truck or length is too long to handle at factory. Roll forming at your location eliminates this obstacle. Any panel length required can be made by a portable roll former.
Appropriate Weather Conditions
For everyone’s safety, on-site roll forming should not be done during inclement weather conditions such as rain or heavy winds. If the weather is not cooperating on the day of your roll forming, the service should be rescheduled for a later date when there is appropriate weather.
On-Site Roll Forming v. Factory-Made Panels
On-site roll forming has its benefits and is a great solution for certain projects.
To help decide if you should have your panels made at your location or have them shipped pre-made from the manufacturer, consider these factors:
- The panel length needed
- The timeframe you need your panels in
- The size and location of your residence or commercial building
