Fabrication and welding equipment appraisals.
A fabrication appraisal from Lukes & Lukes is an independent, USPAP-compliant opinion of value for the forming, cutting and joining floor: press brakes, shears, plasma and laser cutting, plate rolls, ironworkers, welders and robotic welding cells. Tonnage and bed length lead on forming, laser source and power lead on cutting, and control generation moves the number on both. This is the fabrication side of the shop, distinct from CNC machining, and it is built to withstand lender, SBA, IRS, audit and legal review.
What we appraise
The fabrication floor, machine by machine.
We value the forming, cutting and joining fleet, from a single press brake to a full fab shop, on its own active dealer and auction market. Most machines are standalone, so comparable evidence is strong.
- Forming: press brakes, stamping presses, plate and angle rolls, tube benders.
- Shearing and punching: shears, turret punches and ironworkers.
- Cutting: fiber and CO2 lasers, plasma tables and waterjet.
- Welding: MIG, TIG and submerged-arc welders and robotic welding cells.
- Support: positioners, manipulators, fume extraction and material handling.
What drives the number
Capacity, controls, and the fiber shift.
On forming, tonnage and bed length set the class and control generation sets the rest: a current CNC control and modern backgauge add value, an obsolete one subtracts it. On cutting, fiber lasers have largely displaced CO2, so a fiber machine of a given power holds value while older CO2 units fall, and laser source hours and resonator condition matter. Welders trade on a deep market and hold value reasonably well. Integrated or automated cells are productive in place but harder to relocate, so their liquidation value can sit below their in-place contribution.
Read the full breakdown: what fabrication equipment is worth →
Which value applies
The right premise for the situation.
The same shop carries different numbers depending on why you need the appraisal. We determine and defend the premise your situation requires.
Common questions
Answers, up front.
What drives the value of a press brake or shear?
Tonnage and bed length set the class, then control generation and backgauge: a current CNC control and modern backgauge add value, while an obsolete or unsupported control subtracts it. Condition, tooling and brand round it out, against an active dealer and auction market.
Is a fiber laser worth more than a CO2 laser?
Generally yes, at comparable power. Fiber lasers have largely displaced CO2 for sheet cutting, so fiber machines hold value while older CO2 units decline. Laser source hours, power and resonator condition are real value drivers.
How is this different from a CNC machining appraisal?
This covers forming, cutting and joining; CNC machining covers chip-making metalcutting such as mills, lathes and machining centers. Many shops have both, and we value each on its own market.
Are these appraisals accepted by lenders, the SBA and the courts?
Yes. Reports are USPAP-compliant, prepared by a NEBB-certified Machinery & Equipment Appraiser (CMEA), and built to withstand lender, SBA, IRS, audit and legal review.