NOX METALS vs Speedy Metals for Cut-to-Size Aluminum Plate
By Wedge Antilles
Buy from Speedy Metals if you need a mid-size cut in a common alloy at a good price with a solid published saw tolerance. Buy from NOX METALS if you need thick plate, aerospace alloys including 7050, certification that satisfies a DFARS flow-down, or a committed ship date for your specific line rather than a site-wide average. Speedy is genuinely one of the better operations in this space: they own their sawing and shearing equipment, publish a plus or minus 0.030 inch tolerance on production sawing orders, and post a lead time estimate right on the site. Most of their competitors do none of those things. The differences come down to alloy depth, thickness, documentation, and how precisely you need to know the date.
In Short
- →Speedy Metals is the best-run of the small-quantity aluminum webstores and we will not pretend otherwise. Cart pricing, cuts to any length, and a published plus or minus 0.030 inch production sawing tolerance.
- →They also publish a site-wide lead time estimate, roughly 2 to 3 business days with burn plate at 10 to 15 days, which is more than six of the eight suppliers we checked disclose.
- →Choose Speedy for mid-size cuts in general-purpose alloys like 6061, 6063, 5052, 2011, 2024, and 3003.
- →Choose NOX METALS for thick plate, 7050-T7451, DFARS melt-source documentation, a committed per-line ship date, and night or weekend delivery.
- →Geography is a real factor. Speedy will-call is limited to New Berlin and Appleton, Wisconsin. We ship from Detroit and deliver outside business hours.
- →Neither of us sells finished laser-cut parts.
Side by Side
Verified against public pages in August 2026. Where Speedy does not publish a figure we have marked it unpublished.
| NOX METALS | Speedy Metals | |
|---|---|---|
| Instant online pricing | Yes, under 60 seconds | Yes |
| Ship date before you order | Committed per line item | Site-wide estimate only |
| Published saw tolerance | Bandsaw, 0.08 inch kerf | Plus or minus 0.030 inch on production sawing |
| Cuts to any length | Any rectangle | Yes, any length |
| Aluminum plate thickness | 6061 to 10 inches, 7075 and 7050 to 6 inches | Unpublished, general range |
| 7075 | Yes | Yes |
| 7050-T7451 | Yes | Not stocked |
| Cast tool and jig plate | Yes | Yes |
| Certification by default | Mill certs, heat numbers, lot traceability every order | Unpublished |
| DFARS and domestic melt | Available | Not publicly marketed |
| Will-call locations | Detroit, MI | New Berlin and Appleton, WI |
| Night and weekend delivery | Yes | No |
Credit Where It Is Due: 0.030 Inch Is a Good Number
Speedy Metals states that they can saw parts to plus or minus 0.030 inch on production sawing orders. That is roughly four times tighter than the plus or minus 0.125 inch that OnlineMetals publishes, and it is tighter than most of this industry will commit to in writing. If you are comparing cut-to-size sellers on tolerance alone, Speedy has the best published figure of the webstores.
- A published tolerance is worth more than an unpublished one even if the unpublished one is better, because you can plan around a number and you cannot plan around silence.
- At 0.030 inch you still should not use the cut face as a finished surface, but you can plan facing stock tightly instead of guessing.
- Six of the eight suppliers we checked publish no saw tolerance at all. That is the actual state of this industry.
Where the Two Diverge: Alloy Depth and Thickness
Speedy carries a broad general-purpose aluminum lineup including 2011, 2024, 3003, 5052, 6061, 6063, and 7075, plus cast tool and jig and tread plate. That covers the large majority of general machine shop work. Where it stops is the aerospace end of the range, and that is where we start.
- 7050-T7451 to AMS 4050 is the clearest gap. It is the alloy of choice for thick-section aerospace structure because of its stress corrosion cracking resistance, and Speedy does not stock it.
- Thick sections. We hold 6061-T651 to 10 inches and 7075 and 7050 to 6 inches. Cutting a 6 inch plate is a different machine problem than cutting a 1 inch plate, and not every operation is set up for it.
- Certified defense material. DFARS-compliant and domestic-melt options across 6061, 7075, and 7050 are not part of Speedy's public offering.
- Drop inventory. Our certified remnants from previous cuts carry identical paperwork at roughly 20 to 40 percent below cut-to-size pricing.
Geography, and Why It Still Matters
Both companies ship nationally, so on paper location is irrelevant. In practice it is not, for two reasons that only show up when something goes wrong.
- Will-call. Speedy website orders can be picked up at their Wisconsin facilities in New Berlin and Appleton. If you are not in eastern Wisconsin, driving is not an option for you and freight time is your only lever.
- Hours. Aluminum distribution runs on business hours almost universally, which means a Friday afternoon shortage becomes a Monday or Tuesday fix. We deliver at night and on weekends out of Detroit specifically because shops run second shift and weekend overtime.
- For a Midwest shop, both are reasonable freight lanes. For a coastal shop, compare landed cost rather than material price.
Buy From Speedy Metals When
Plainly, the cases where they are the better call.
- You need a general-purpose alloy they stock and we do not emphasize, such as 6063, 2011, or 3003.
- You want a tread plate or a general fabrication product rather than certified structural plate.
- You are in eastern Wisconsin and can pick up the same day.
- You are comparing on published saw tolerance alone and want the tightest number stated publicly by a webstore.
Speedy Metals earns its reputation. They publish a real saw tolerance, they publish a lead time, and they cut to any length, which puts them ahead of most of this field on transparency. The reason to come to us instead is narrow and specific: thick plate, 7050, DFARS documentation, a committed date for your line rather than an average, and delivery outside business hours. If none of those five describe your job, buy from them with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Speedy Metals cut tolerance?
Speedy Metals states plus or minus 0.030 inch on production sawing orders. That is the tightest publicly published saw tolerance among the online aluminum sellers we checked in August 2026.
What is Speedy Metals lead time?
They post a site-wide estimate of roughly 2 to 3 business days, with burn plate material called out separately at 10 to 15 days. It is an average across the catalog rather than a date computed for your order, so a thick or unusual cut can run longer.
Does Speedy Metals sell 7050 aluminum plate?
Not as far as we can determine from their public catalog. They carry 7075 along with 2011, 2024, 3003, 5052, 6061 and 6063. For 7050-T7451 to AMS 4050 you need a supplier that stocks aerospace plate.
Can I pick up an order from Speedy Metals?
Yes, but only at their Wisconsin facilities in New Berlin and Appleton for website orders. Everything else ships freight.
Which is better for a defense contract?
If your purchase order carries a DFARS 252.225-7009 flow-down you need melt-source documentation, and that is not something Speedy publicly offers. We ship mill certs with heat numbers and lot traceability on every order and stock DFARS-compliant and domestic-melt material across 6061, 7075 and 7050.
Compare on your part
Price your exact cut, with a date.
Alloy, temper, thickness, dimensions. Certified plate with mill certs and a committed ship date in under a minute.