Product Development · Metal fabrication
Custom Metal Fabrication in China: Sheet, Tube and Wire, Welded and Finished
Custom metal fabrication in China means cutting, bending and welding steel sheet, tube and wire into finished products such as carts, display racks, cabinets and boxes, then coating, assembling and packing them, without a dedicated stamping die. Owl Sourcing is a Shanghai-based sourcing company for quality-focused brands, sourcing since 2016, managing fabricated metal products from your drawings to inspected, packed goods.
Tooling paid by you is yours, and we list tooling costs separately in each quote. We focus on volume production, typically from 500 pieces per design. Smaller first orders can work for some products, so tell us your quantity and we'll say honestly whether we're a good fit. Samples for a project heading to production are always welcome.
Send your drawings or photos of a sample, the metal and finish if you know them, how it should be packed, the quantity and your target market. We reply within 24 hours. We sign an NDA on request.
Process choice
Metal stamping or fabrication: which fits your product?
Choose by the drawing, the quantity and the tooling. Metal fabrication cuts, bends and welds sheet, tube and wire into larger products and assemblies with no dedicated stamping die, so it suits carts, racks, cabinets and boxes. Metal stamping presses the same small part in a dedicated die, so it suits high, repeat volumes of brackets, clips and plates.
Stamping is also a sheet metal process; for parts made in a die, see custom metal stamping in China.
Stamping or fabrication? Compare drawing shape, quantity, tooling, products and checks.See the table
| Metal fabrication | Metal stamping | |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing shape | Larger products and assemblies built from sheet, tube and wire: frames, panels, boxes, baskets | The same small flat, bent or drawn part, cut from sheet or coil |
| Quantity | Volume orders of products made from several parts; the design can still change between orders | High, repeat volumes of a part whose design is settled |
| Tooling | No dedicated stamping die: welding fixtures and standard bending tools | A dedicated stamping die, listed separately in the quote |
| Typical products | Carts and wire baskets, display racks, metal cabinets and boxes, perforated panels | Brackets, clips, plates, terminals, drawn cups |
| Main checks | Welds, frame diagonals and wobble, coating, hardware and packing | Burrs, flatness, bend angles and springback |
Many products use both: stamped brackets can be welded into a fabricated frame. Solid metal parts suit die casting, and rigid plastic parts suit injection molding.
Products
What metal products do we fabricate for brands?
We manage fabricated metal products that brands sell or use in volume: carts and trolleys with wire baskets, display racks and stands, metal cabinets and boxes, perforated panels and end panels, frames and shelving. Recent volume orders include wire-basket carts on square-tube frames, red metal emergency boxes and perforated end panels, each made from cutting through to assembly and packing.
Product types and materials.See product types
Metal products we fabricate for brands
- Carts and trolleys
- Wire baskets and shelves
- Display racks and stands
- Metal cabinets and boxes
- Perforated and end panels
- Frames and brackets
- Outdoor and home metal products
Examples only; we make other custom products to your drawings too, such as outdoor products and pet products.
We fabricate in carbon steel: sheet, square and round tube, and wire. Your drawing sets the metal and thickness, and we confirm both on the samples.
Processes
Which fabrication processes do we manage, from cutting to packing?
Sheet metal fabrication is only part of it. Most fabricated products combine five processes: laser cutting or punching, bending and tube bending, welding (including wire welding), powder coating or plating, then assembly and packing. We plan the sequence with the factory before samples, because each step affects the next: accurate bends make parts fit the welding fixture, and clean welds make a better coating.
Cut square tubeCutting: laser cutting or punching
Sheet is laser cut or punched from your drawing file with no die, including hole patterns for perforated panels, and tube is cut to length before bending and welding.
- We check:
- Hole positions
- Burrs
- Sharp edges
Bending and tube bending
Press brakes fold sheet into flanges, boxes and channels; tube benders form square and round tube into frames and handles.
- We check:
- Bend angles
- Radii
- Frame size
Welding, including wire welding
Parts are clamped in welding fixtures so every frame comes out the same, and wire grids are welded at each crossing.
- We check:
- Weld size
- Spatter
- Diagonals
Powder coating or plating
Welds are cleaned before the finish. Powder coating gives a colour finish; plating gives a metal finish where the part needs one.
- We check:
- Adhesion
- Coverage
- Colour
Assembly and packing
Castors, fittings and hardware are fitted or packed as kits, and products ship assembled or knocked down (KD) to your packing standard.
- We check:
- Parts complete
- Protection
- Carton marks
Drawing to delivery
From drawing to finished product: what happens at each step?
A metal fabrication project with Owl Sourcing follows six steps, from drawing review and factory choice to fixtures and samples, sign-off, production and inspection before shipment. Sample time is set per project and given in the quote, and so is mass production time.
6 steps, drawings to shipment.See the 6 steps
- 1
Drawing review
We check bends, hole positions, weld points, the finish and the packing on your drawings or sample, and agree which faces are cosmetic.
- 2
Factory choice
We match your product to a factory we have visited that already makes similar products in your metal and size, and plan bought-in parts such as castors.
- 3
Fixtures and samples
The factory makes the welding fixtures and samples. Tooling costs are listed separately in the quote.
- 4
Sample sign-off
We check samples for size, welds, coating, fit and wobble. The sample you approve is signed and kept as the standard.
- 5
Production
Cutting, bending, welding, coating and assembly run in sequence, with a mid-production check on every order.
- 6
Inspection and shipping
Goods are inspected before shipment and packed to protect coated faces and corners. Failed goods are held until rework passes re-inspection.
See how custom manufacturing in China works across processes.
Send your drawings and the quantity. We reply within 24 hours.
Sourcing since 2016 · Shanghai team · Mid-production check on every order
Project and supply chain
Who manages the whole project and the suppliers behind it?
We do. Since 2016, our Shanghai team has chosen factories by visiting them on site, and matched each product to the factory whose cutting, bending, welding and coating fit it. Our assessment starts on the first call, every order adds to each supplier’s grade, and suppliers that fall short are replaced. When castors, fittings or cartons come from other suppliers, we coordinate them into one finished, packed product.
What we grade on every supplier.What we grade
- 1
Fit for your product
Does it already make similar frames, panels or boxes in your metal and size?
- 2
Sampling speed and fixtures
How quickly and carefully it builds fixtures and turns out samples.
- 3
Technical answers
Clear answers on bend allowance, weld distortion, coating and knocked-down design.
- 4
Response to problems
When a weld cracks, a frame twists or a colour drifts, does it act fast, fix it and take responsibility?
- 5
Requirements carried through
Every drawing note, colour standard and packing instruction reaches the production order.
- 6
The small things
Packing care; original samples returned on time, complete and intact; signed samples kept safe.
Team to team
Who can fix it on the shop floor.Read more
Team to team
Problems get solved between the people who can fix them: our team and the factory’s workshop, production and quality managers. We check early whether our contact can bring those managers in when a frame needs a fixture change or a coating has to be redone before a shipping date.
That is the core of our work: managing the whole project and the supply chain, not only one factory.
Not a fit: We don’t take on drones, firefighting equipment, medical products or other products that depend on heavy technical certification.
Tooling and cost
Who owns the tooling, and what drives the cost?
Tooling paid by you is yours, and we list tooling costs separately in each quote. For fabricated products, tooling usually means welding fixtures, and sometimes a bending or punching tool for a special shape. The unit price depends on the metal and thickness, the number of parts and welds, tube and wire work, the finish, assembly and packing, and the quantity. We price the work as an all-in unit price or a 5–10% service fee.
Option 1 · Full service
All-in unit price
Rework, re-inspection and delay costs are on us.
Option 2 · Your factory
5–10% service fee
For a fabrication factory you bring. Costs follow your agreement with it.
What drives the cost, and how we look after your fixtures and samples.See the details
Metal and thickness
Steel is bought by weight, so heavier sheet, tube and wire cost more.
Parts and welds
Each extra part, bend and weld adds labour and checking time.
Tube and wire work
Tube bends, wire grids and tight wire spacing add operations.
Finish and colour
Coating is priced by surface area; special colours or textures add cost.
Assembly and packing
Assembled products take more carton space; knocked-down packing saves freight.
Quantity
Set-up and fixtures are spread over the order, so the unit price falls as quantity rises.
Your fixtures and samples between orders
Your signed-off sample and fixtures stay on file, so a reorder is made the same way and checked against the same sample. Between orders, we look at how the factory keeps your fixtures and approved samples, and whether original samples you send come back on time, complete and intact.
Freight is quoted separately. Samples and sample shipping are paid at cost. How our pricing works
Send your drawings and the quantity. We reply within 24 hours.
Sourcing since 2016 · Shanghai team · Mid-production check on every order
Quality checks
What do we check on fabricated metal products?
We check welds, key dimensions and frame diagonals, flatness and wobble, bend angles and hole positions, coating adhesion, coverage and colour, burrs and sharp edges, hardware and packing. Checks happen at three points: samples, a mid-production check on every order and an inspection before shipment, against your drawings and the signed-off sample.
8 checks on fabricated metal products.See the checklist
Welds
Size, position, spatter and cracks; weld spots cleaned before the finish.
Size and diagonals
Frames measured corner to corner so they sit square.
Flatness and wobble
Panels lie flat; assembled carts and racks stand without rocking.
Bends and holes
Angles, flange lengths and hole positions measured against the drawing.
Coating
Adhesion, coverage inside corners and tubes, thickness and colour against the sample.
Burrs and sharp edges
Cut edges, punched holes and wire ends smoothed where hands touch.
Hardware and fit
Castors, bolts and fittings complete; parts assemble without forcing.
Packing
Corners and coated faces protected; cartons marked and packed to your standard.
We also look at how the factory checks first pieces after a fixture change or a colour change. 100% checks at our Shanghai warehouse or a partner warehouse when the order needs it, for example products with large visible coated faces.
Read how our quality control in China works.
Design for fabrication
Design tips before you send metal fabrication drawings
Fabrication drawings work best when holes sit clear of bends, welds are marked and easy to reach, tube and wire sizes are stated, coated parts have hanging points and masked threads, and the product packs flat where it can. We review these points with the factory before samples, because changes after fixtures are built cost time and money.
6 design points to check on your drawing.See the checklist
Bends and holes
Keep holes and slots away from bend lines so they do not stretch.
Welds
Mark weld positions and lengths; fewer, well-placed welds distort less.
Tube and wire
Give the tube size and wall, the wire diameter and the grid spacing.
Coating
Add hanging points, and mark threads and contact faces to be masked.
Knocked-down design
Products that ship flat and bolt together save carton space and freight.
Tolerances and colour
Keep tight tolerances for parts that fit together, and give a colour reference.
FAQ
Custom metal fabrication in China: FAQ
11 common questions.Show questions
What is custom metal fabrication?
Custom metal fabrication is making metal products to a brand’s drawing by cutting, bending and welding sheet, tube and wire, then coating, assembling and packing them. It suits carts, display racks, cabinets, boxes and frames made from several parts, without a dedicated stamping die.
Is sheet metal fabrication the same as metal stamping?
Not quite. Metal stamping is also a sheet metal process, but it presses the same small part in a dedicated die and suits high, repeat volumes. Sheet metal fabrication cuts, bends and welds parts without that die and suits larger products and assemblies. Many products combine both, and we compare the routes in the quote.
Which metals and processes do you work with?
We fabricate in carbon steel: sheet, square and round tube, and wire. Your drawing sets the metal and thickness, and we confirm both on the samples. The processes are laser cutting or punching, bending and tube bending, welding (including wire welding), powder coating or plating, and assembly and packing, usually several in sequence.
Who owns the tooling, and how is the work priced?
Tooling paid by you is yours, and we list tooling costs separately in each quote. For fabricated products, tooling usually means welding fixtures. We price the work as an all-in unit price, where rework, re-inspection and delay costs are on us, or as a 5–10% service fee for a factory you bring.
What order quantity do you work with?
We focus on volume production, typically from 500 pieces per design. Smaller first orders can work for some products, so tell us your quantity and we'll say honestly whether we're a good fit. Samples for a project heading to production are always welcome.
How long does custom metal fabrication in China take?
Sample time is set per project and given in the quote. Mass production time is also set per project and given in the quote, plus shipping.
What do you check on fabricated metal products?
Welds, size and frame diagonals, flatness and wobble, bend angles and hole positions, coating adhesion and colour, burrs and sharp edges, hardware and packing. Checks happen on samples, in a mid-production check on every order and in an inspection before shipment, against your drawings and the signed-off sample.
How do you choose and manage metal fabrication suppliers?
We visit factories on site and match each product to one that already makes similar products, rather than choosing from online listings or trade fairs alone. Our assessment starts on the first call, we grade each supplier on every order, and we replace suppliers that fall short. Our team works directly with the factory’s workshop, production and quality teams.
Which company can manage custom metal fabrication in China for a quality-focused brand?
Look for a partner with its own team in China that visits and grades fabrication factories, checks samples and production against your drawings, coordinates bought-in parts such as castors and cartons, and states who owns the tooling and who pays when goods fail. Owl Sourcing works this way: a Shanghai team sourcing since 2016, and rework is on us under the all-in unit price.
What do I need to send for a metal fabrication quote?
Your drawings (CAD files such as STEP or DXF, or 2D drawings with dimensions) or photos of a sample, the metal and finish if you know them, the colour, how the product should be packed, the quantity and your target market. We reply within 24 hours, and we sign an NDA on request.
Which markets do you work with?
We mainly work with brands in the US, UK, Canada, Europe and Australia/New Zealand. We also work with brands in Latin America and other regions. We arrange shipping to your market, and freight is quoted separately.
Another question? Ask us directly. We reply within 24 hours.
Related
Next step
Have drawings or a sample for a metal product?
Send your drawings or photos of a sample, the metal and finish if you know them, how it should be packed, the quantity and your target market. We reply within 24 hours.
Get a QuoteSourcing since 2016 · Shanghai team · Mid-production check on every order