Capability

Hardware fabrication — we build the thing the graphic lives on

A graphic is only half a display. The other half is the structure that holds it flat, keeps it upright, survives shipping and goes together without a crew of specialists. IAC's fabrication bay builds that half — CNC-routed rigid components, aluminum extrusion frames, tubular structures and one-off custom hardware.

  • Flatbed CNC routing of rigid substrates
  • Aluminum extrusion cutting, mitring and assembly
  • Swedged tubular frames with numbered push-lock poles
  • V-groove folding for ACM returns and clean corners
  • Structural drawings and renderings before production
  • Print and hardware produced in the same facility

CNC routing and digital cutting

Our flatbed CNC routers cut rigid substrates to shape with repeatable accuracy — through-cuts, pockets, mounting holes, standoff drilling and V-grooves that let aluminum composite fold into clean returns without a welded corner. Because artwork is printed on the flatbed and cut on the router against the same registration marks, contour-cut shapes hold their crop across a run rather than drifting piece to piece. Materials include ACM, expanded PVC, acrylic, polycarbonate, styrene, coroplast, MDF and foamboard, each with different tooling, feed rates and edge finishing requirements.

Aluminum extrusion and tubular systems

Extruded aluminum is the backbone of most display hardware — light, rigid, straight and available in profiles designed to receive silicone edge graphics. We cut, mitre, machine and assemble extrusion into wall-mounted frames, freestanding structures, hanging signs and lightbox housings, joined with internal corner keys so nothing shows on the graphic face. Tubular systems use swedged poles with push-lock connectors, every pole numbered to match its neighbour. They form curved and organic shapes an extrusion cannot, and they pack into a fraction of the volume.

Custom builds from a rendering

Plenty of projects arrive as a designer's rendering with no idea yet how it will actually stand up. We work backwards from the image — proposing structure, material, connection method and pack format, then producing structural drawings and renderings for approval before anything is cut. That step catches the expensive problems early: a cantilever that needs ballast, a span that will telegraph, a shape that cannot be broken down to fit a freight elevator. Once approved, the same building prints the graphics that go on it.

Examples

Related work

  • A row of large Care Bears character cardboard cutout standees lined up inside a warehouse fabrication facility.
    Feature Builds Care Bears character cardboard cutout standees in fabrication Large format print
  • A bright conference session room for DotDev2026 is set with wooden folding chairs, a stage, and geometric branded backdrop panels.
    Feature Builds DotDev2026 session room with geometric branded backdrop Large format print
  • A breakout session room features a red and green DotDev2026 branded backdrop, wooden chairs, and display screens.
    Feature Builds DotDev2026 breakout room with red and green backdrop Large format print
  • A conference breakout room with white tables and chairs is being arranged with screens and a DotDev2026 branded backdrop.
    Feature Builds DotDev2026 breakout room being set up with screens Large format print
  • A wide-angle view of a large venue shows multiple Shopify product area booths including Sidekick, Retail, and Dot Dev.
    Feature Builds Wide view of multiple Shopify product area booths Large format print
  • A finished feature wall shows raised wood-grain dimensional letters spelling THE HUB mounted on a dark textured fabric wallcovering.
    Feature Builds The Hub dimensional letters on dark textured wallcovering Large format print

FAQ

Hardware fabrication — we build the thing the graphic lives on — questions

Can you fabricate hardware for graphics printed elsewhere?

Usually yes, though we will want the graphic's exact finished dimensions and finishing method first. SEG panels in particular are unforgiving — the silicone bead has to be sized and positioned correctly relative to the frame channel, and a graphic sewn to another supplier's tolerance may not tension properly in our extrusion. Send a sample or the finishing spec and we will confirm compatibility before committing to a build.

What is a tubular display structure?

A frame built from swedged aluminum poles — one end narrowed so it slots into the next — connected with push-lock buttons and dressed with a printed fabric pillowcase graphic that slides over the assembled frame. Poles are numbered so assembly follows a sequence rather than a puzzle. Tubular systems make curves, arches and organic shapes straight extrusion cannot, and they collapse into a very small shipping footprint.

Do you produce drawings before building?

For anything custom, yes. We supply structural drawings and renderings so you can approve dimensions, materials, connection details and pack format on screen. It is far cheaper to move a support in a drawing than after the aluminum is cut, and for exhibit work the drawings are often needed anyway for venue approval and rigging sign-off. Revisions at the drawing stage cost time only, which is the cheapest currency in a build.

Keep looking

Other capabilities

Next step

Send us a rendering or a sketch and we will come back with a buildable structure.

Send drawings, a store list or a rough idea. We will come back with substrate options, hardware and a quote.

Request a quote→ 416.493.8888