Factory Tour: How We Produce 5,000 Tons of Steel Structures Monthly

Welcome to Laotie Steel Structure's manufacturing facility in Shangqiu, Henan Province — one of China's key steel production hubs. With 5 production lines and 5,000 tons of monthly capacity, here's how we turn raw steel into finished structures.

Factory Overview

The 5-Step Production Process

Step 1: Cutting (下料)

Raw steel plates and sections enter the cutting bay.

Equipment Used:

• CNC plasma cutting machines
• Flame cutting machines for thick plates
• Band saws for sections and tubes
• Shearing machines for thin plates

Quality Control:

• Every cut piece is checked against shop drawings
• Dimensional tolerance: ±1mm for critical connections
• Material traceability: each piece marked with heat number

Step 2: Assembling (组立)

Cut pieces are assembled into structural components.

What Happens:

• H-beam web and flange plates are positioned on assembly machines
• Columns, rafters, and beams are tack-welded
• Connection plates, stiffeners, and base plates are positioned
• Assembly jigs ensure consistent geometry

Quality Control:

• Alignment checked with laser levels
• Gap inspection between web and flange
• Fit-up verified before full welding

Step 3: Welding (焊接)

This is the most critical stage — structural integrity depends on weld quality.

Welding Methods:

• Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) — For H-beam longitudinal seams
• CO₂ Gas Shielded Welding — For connections and stiffeners
• Manual Arc Welding — For complex joints

Quality Control:

• All welders are certified (AWS or equivalent)
• Ultrasonic Testing (UT) on 20% of critical welds
• Visual inspection on 100% of welds
• Weld size and profile verified against design

Step 4: Straightening (矫正)

Welding causes thermal distortion — components must be corrected.

Equipment:

• H-beam straightening machines
• Hydraulic presses for local corrections

Quality Control:

• Straightness: deviation < L/1000
• Twist: within specified tolerance
• Camber: as per design (for pre-cambered beams)

Step 5: Shot Blasting & Painting (抛丸喷漆)

Surface preparation and coating for corrosion protection.

Shot Blasting:

• Steel shot removes mill scale, rust, and welding slag
• Achieves Sa 2.5 surface preparation standard
• Creates optimal surface profile for paint adhesion

Painting Options:

• Standard: 2-coat alkyd paint (60-80μm DFT)
• Premium: 3-coat epoxy + polyurethane (150-200μm)
• Galvanized: Hot-dip galvanizing (for high-corrosion environments)

Quality Control:

• Surface cleanliness checked before painting
• Wet film thickness measured during application
• Dry film thickness verified after curing
• Adhesion tested on sample panels

Production Tracking

We track every order by tonnage through each production stage:

• Daily production reports — What was completed today?
• Stage completion percentages — Cutting 100%, Welding 60%, etc.
• Quality inspection records — Attached to each batch
• Photo documentation — Shared with clients upon request

Why Our Process Matters to You

1. Consistent quality — 5-step process with QC at every stage
2. On-time delivery — Tonnage-based tracking prevents delays
3. Full traceability — Material certs matched to your order
4. Flexible finishing — Choose the right coating for your environment
5. Transparent progress — Request photos and reports anytime

Book a Virtual Tour

Can't visit Shangqiu in person? We offer live video factory tours via WhatsApp — walk through our production lines with an English-speaking engineer and see your project being manufactured in real time.

Contact Laotie Steel Structure today to schedule your virtual factory tour.