The company’s second manufacturing facility is intended to improve speed to market.
ALLEN, Texas—Precision machining and custom metals fabrication company All Metals Fabricating (AMF) announced in August that it will be adding a second manufacturing facility, scheduled to open in December 2026, that will be optimized specifically for the needs of the data center industry.
As the number of data centers across the country surges, more companies in the industry are turning to All Metals Fabricating for sheet metal fabrication and precision machining, according to a blog post on the company’s website by All Metals Fabricating CEO Lance Thrailkill.
“To meet that demand, we’re excited to announce the addition of a second facility, with an initial footprint of 40,000 square feet and significant room for expansion,” Thrailkill said in the post. “We expect the new operation to be running by early December 2026.”
Although the facility is specifically optimized for the needs of the data center industry, its advanced manufacturing capabilities—including for low- and medium-voltage switchgear and UL 891 switchboards—will be available to serve AMF’s customers in every industry. Every aspect of the operation—from the equipment to the way the production floor is organized—is designed around speed and efficiency to help customers move their products to market as quickly as possible, according to AMF.
“Our initial footprint will occupy 40,000 square feet within a larger 500,000-square-foot facility, and we have already reserved another 100,000 square feet for future expansion,” Thrailkill said in the post.
The facility is being developed as a part of a manufacturing and services agreement with Moonshot, a company that provides data center design, construction, and construction management. “Their expertise in the data center market helps us understand changing requirements and make the best possible decisions about our capabilities and equipment,” Thrailkill said.
Helping with speed to market is top priority
Above all, the facility is being built to help customers improve speed to market. For this moment in the data center industry, speed is critical, and All Metals Fabricating is determined to never let fabrication become a bottleneck for its customers.
That priority has influenced every aspect of the new facility. Everything from equipment selection to floor layout is intended to help AMF offer excellent lead times. “Our goal is to support design, produce a prototype as soon as the design is finalized, and move into production within a week or less,” Thrailkill said.
Phase 1: Integrated fabrication and finishing
All Metals Fabricating intends to have three phases in the facility’s growth. The first phase is due to be completed when the facility opens later this year. Approximately $7 million in equipment will be added in this phase, including:
- A Salvagnini S4+P4 integrated punching, shearing, and panel-bending line
- A Salvagnini 8KW Fiber laser with automated load/unload
- A standalone press brake for parts that cannot be formed on the panel bender
- Two hardware insertion machines
- Two powder coating booths and two powder coating ovens
- Automated busbar fabrication equipment, including punching and bending systems
- Automated material storage towers
The Salvagnini S4+P4 automated line will serve as the centerpiece of Phase 1. The system integrates processes that normally require multiple machines and a great deal of material handling. Instead, the Salvagnini will more efficiently move parts from flat sheet to completed panel, the company said.
“Its speed is especially notable,” Thrailkill said. “We’ve seen the P4 complete six bends on a large panel in 15 seconds; All Metals typically estimates one bend per 15 seconds when quoting our current press-brake work.
The automated line has numerous other features that also add to efficiency. For instance, it separates parts without leaving tabs that must later be removed and deburred, which reduces handling and processing time.
Phase 2: Additional capacity and automation
Planned for the first quarter of 2027, Phase 2 will begin with approximately $2.5 – $3.5 million in additional equipment. Current plans are reported to include an automated bend cell and an automated powder coating line.
Together, these investments will expand capacity while keeping more processes under one roof. That combination helps keep lead times short by minimizing the need for transportation or outside processing, according to AMF.
Phase 3 and beyond: large data center weldments
Phase 1 and 2 will take place in the 40,000 square feet of space that AMF already occupies in the new facility. But the company has also reserved 100,000 additional square feet for another major move in Phase 3.
“We’ll use that new space to handle another growing need: manufacturing large prefabricated modular assemblies for data centers, including skid-mounted and containerized systems,” Thrailkill said. “These assemblies often involve thick materials and large weldments, and that requires significant floor space and cranes for safe material handling, as well as a great deal of capacity for precision welding services.”
The timing of this expansion is still being finalized, according to Thrailkill, and may proceed at the same time as Phase 2. The reserved space gives AMF room to develop the infrastructure required for this work without disrupting its current production, he said.