The Sintel Advantage: Why Full Vertical Integration Makes Sintel the Ultimate Enclosure Partner
TLDR: Full vertical integration means Sintel welds the frame, forms the sheet metal, builds the support structures, powder coats, and assembles every enclosure under one roof in Spring Lake, Michigan. That single-facility model removes vendor handoffs, protects quality for large enclosures and frames, and supports a capacity of 4,000+ enclosures per year for mission-critical and electrification infrastructure.
You can source the engine. What is much harder is finding a partner with the quality and scale to build the chassis and the body around it. For OEMs and developers of mission-critical and electrification infrastructure, the enclosure is not an accessory. It is the structure that protects switchgear, gensets, cooling equipment, and power electronics, and it has to arrive on time, in volume, and built to the same standard on unit 1,000 as on unit 1.
This is where most enclosure programs struggle. The frame comes from one vendor, the sheet metal from another, and the paint from a third. Each handoff adds freight costs, waiting time, and the risk of damage or rework. At 100 units, that is a nuisance. At 1,000 units, it becomes a program risk, which is why most enclosure suppliers fail at 1,000+ units.
Sintel was organized to solve exactly this problem. This post explains how full vertical integration turns into a practical advantage for customers who need large metal enclosures and frames at high volume.
Key Takeaways
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What full vertical integration really means for enclosures
Vertical integration is often used as a loose marketing phrase. In enclosure manufacturing, it has a specific meaning: the same facility, under the same ownership and the same quality system, performs every step from raw tube to finished enclosure.
At Sintel, that chain includes:
Tube frame welding with cobots on rails for continuous frame welding
Sheet metal forming and fit-up on lasers, turrets, and press brakes
Controlled handling of oversized assemblies with cranes and specialized material handling
Assembly of support structures and hardware, including electromechanical assembly
In-house powder coat with large-format capability
Drive-thru loading, so finished large enclosures leave with minimal touches
The principle is simple: one facility, one owner, one enclosure. Less movement means less risk, and fewer outside dependencies mean better control of schedule and quality.
Built for large enclosures and frames
Many fabricators can build an enclosure. Fewer can build very large enclosures and frames, finish them properly, and ship them without damage. Large parts are expensive to truck over long distances (see our breakdown of freight costs for 15,000 lb structures), and they are easy to scratch, twist, or delay when they pass between plants. Sintel's facility was designed around that reality.
Capability | Sintel |
|---|---|
Annual enclosure capacity | 4,000+ enclosures per year |
Powder coat envelope | Up to 53’ x 14’ x 14’ |
Heavy weldments | 15,000+ lbs |
Facility size | 170,000 sq ft, Spring Lake, Michigan |
Large parts exceeding 15,000 pounds and 53 feet in length can be welded, powder coated on a large-format line, and loaded out in one flow. Specialized material handling, weld cobots,, and drive-thru loading and unloading maintain high throughput even when the part is oversized. For customers building hyperscale data center enclosures, power generation enclosures, or industrial equipment enclosures, this is the difference between a prototype partner and a production partner.
Scaling production: from custom to high volume
Scaling production is where vertical integration pays off most. A program that starts as a custom run of a few units has to ramp into hundreds or thousands without the supplier becoming the bottleneck. Sintel supports that ramp in several ways.
Automation where repeatability matters
Tube frames are the backbone of most large enclosures, and frame welding is where consistency is won or lost. Cobots on rails weld frames continuously, supported by automated part scanning for quality. The facility also runs robotic weld cells, manual weld cells for complex work, resistance welding, and a fleet of lasers, turrets, and press brakes with automated material handling. Automation handles high-volume, repeatable work, while skilled welders handle the work that requires judgment. Learn more about the advantages of automated welding.
Design for manufacturing before the first cut
A ten-person degreed engineering team works with customers on design for manufacturing, so enclosures are easier to weld, finish, assemble, and ship at scale. Optimizing a frame or panel layout early reduces prototype cycles and cost per unit later. This is how Sintel delivers price-performance packages at scale, whether the customer is refining an existing design or starting from scratch. Here is how DFM lowers cost per unit.
Captive capacity for your ramp
Capacity tends to disappear when demand peaks. Sintel offers customers the option to reserve enclosure capacity, backed by a strategic plan from the company's president to help hit production targets quickly. For programs with firm delivery windows, that predictability can matter as much as unit price.
Single-roof fabrication vs. a fragmented supply chain
The table below compares a multi-vendor enclosure program with Sintel’s single-facility model. For a deeper look, read about the value of a vertically integrated supplier.
Factor | Fragmented vendors | Sintel vertical integration |
|---|---|---|
Accountability | Split across the frame, sheet metal, and paint suppliers | One facility and one owner for the whole enclosure |
Handling and freight | Multiple shipments of large parts between plants | Parts move inside one facility with drive-thru load-out |
Finish quality | Paint matched after the fact by a third party | Matched in-house powder coat system sized for large parts |
Schedule control | Dependent on three or more outside calendars | Single schedule with digital work instructions tied to ERP |
Speed to scale | Capacity can vanish at the worst moment | Reservable capacity and a dedicated enclosure and frame line |
Finishing is part of the structure, not an afterthought
Powder coating is where many enclosure programs lose time. When finishing is outsourced, large enclosures wait for a coating slot, are trucked, and return with transit damage. Sintel runs an automated powder coating line, a large-format batch powder coating line, and a liquid paint system in-house, so finish quality is controlled by the same team that built the frame. (Not sure which finish fits your enclosure? Compare powder coating vs. liquid paint.)
That matters for enclosures that live outdoors, where coating performance protects the structure for years. Our guide to outdoor vs. indoor enclosure design explains how environment shapes those requirements.
Enclosures built for mission-critical and electrification infrastructure
Sintel’s enclosure and frame fabrication supports applications where uptime, safety, and repeatable quality are non-negotiable:
Hyperscale data center enclosures and containment frames
Power generation enclosures for diesel and natural gas gensets
Modular builds add another layer of complexity because frames and enclosures must hold tolerance across repeated units
Quality systems that support scale
Volume only helps if quality holds. Sintel's quality management system is certified to ISO 9001:2015 by Intertek, and the facility includes a fully equipped quality lab, a Creaform MetraScan with PolyWorks, and traditional probe CMMs.
The company is also a certified Minority Business Enterprise, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, and ITAR-compliant and registered, which can matter for customers with supplier diversity or defense-related requirements. With more than 40 years of experience and a workforce of 150, Sintel combines the discipline of an established fabricator with the capacity of a modern enclosure line. Explore our full manufacturing capabilities
Ready to Scale Your Enclosure Program?
Planning a ramp from 100 to 1,000+ enclosures? Sintel can review your design for manufacturability and help you reserve capacity before demand peaks. Talk to Sintel about reserving enclosure capacity.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is vertical integration in metal enclosure manufacturing?
Vertical integration in metal enclosure manufacturing means one manufacturer performs every major step in-house: tube frame welding, sheet metal forming, assembly of support structures, powder coating, and shipping. Sintel Inc. builds large enclosures and frames this way in Spring Lake, Michigan, so customers deal with a single facility and a single accountable owner instead of coordinating separate frame, sheet metal, and paint vendors.
2. How many enclosures can Sintel produce per year?
Sintel can produce 4,000+ enclosures per year at a dedicated enclosure and frame facility. The line combines cobots on rails for tube frame welding, automated material handling, in-house powder coating, and drive-thru loading, supporting high-volume production of large enclosures. Customers can reserve enclosure capacity in advance.
3. What size enclosures and frames can Sintel build and powder coat?
Sintel fabricates large, heavy weldments exceeding 15,000 pounds and can powder coat parts up to 53 feet by 14 feet by 14 feet. Cranes, specialized material handling equipment, and drive-thru loading and unloading allow oversized enclosures and frames to move through the facility with minimal handling.
4. Why does one-roof fabrication reduce enclosure lead times and risk?
One-roof fabrication removes the shipping, scheduling, and quality handoffs between separate frame, sheet metal, and paint vendors. Parts move straight from welding to forming to powder coat to assembly, with digital work instructions tied to ERP. Fewer transfers mean fewer damage points, fewer schedule gaps, and faster speed to scale.
5. Which industries does Sintel build large enclosures for?
Sintel builds large enclosures for mission-critical and electrification infrastructure, including hyperscale data center enclosures and containment frames, power generation enclosures for diesel and natural gas gensets, switchgear and electrical enclosures, industrial equipment and machine enclosures, and industrial HVAC and locomotive enclosures.
6. How should I choose a large enclosure manufacturer for high-volume production?
Choose a large enclosure manufacturer that controls frames, sheet metal, powder coating, and assembly in one facility, has proven high-volume throughput, and offers design for manufacturing support early. Also check quality certifications such as ISO 9001:2015, the maximum part size the supplier can weld and coat, and whether you can reserve capacity for your production ramp.
7. Is Sintel ISO certified?
Yes. Sintel’s quality management system is certified to ISO 9001:2015 by Intertek. The facility includes a quality lab with a Creaform MetraScan, PolyWorks software, and probe CMMs.
