One-stop OEM partner for metal welding: MetlTek runs precision sheet metal, mechanical assembly and complete unit delivery from a single plant in Kunshan, China. Founded in 2001, the factory runs three laser cutting machines (a Trumpf 3030 plus two Hongshan machines, the largest 6000 x 2540 mm), a 6.5 m CNC gantry machining center, a Salvagnini P2Lean bending center, Panasonic and Fronius welding robots and an 8 m rail-mounted welding cell. Finished goods ship to industrial customers across Europe and North America.
Every order starts from your drawings. We quote from STEP, DWG or DXF files, build a first-article sample, then run series production on the same line. Typical sheet thickness runs from 0.5 mm to 12 mm in cold-rolled steel, galvanised steel, stainless steel 304/316 and aluminium.
What you get when you order
Three commitments we are judged on by every customer, on every order.
Round-the-clock response
Send drawings at any hour — an engineer replies within one working day, not an automated ticket.
Factory-direct pricing
No trading layer in between. You buy from the plant in Kunshan that actually cuts, bends and welds the parts.
Delivery you can plan around
Committed lead times, serialised inspection records and export packing that survives ocean freight.
Typical specifications
| Material | Cold-rolled steel DC01, galvanised steel, stainless steel 304 / 316, aluminium |
|---|---|
| Sheet thickness | 0.8 – 6.0 mm |
| Tolerance | ± 0.05 mm (laser cut, all machines), ± 0.25° (Salvagnini / TRUMPF bending), ± 0.3 – 0.5° (conventional brakes) |
| Surface finish | Powder coating to RAL (2 automatic lines), zinc plating, brushed or polished |
| Minimum order | 1 piece for prototypes, series from 50 pieces |
| Lead time | Sample 7–10 working days · series 3–5 weeks |
Production Equipment
Welding (manual + robotic + 20 m line)
| Array | ||
|---|---|---|
| WSM-250C manual TIG stations (China) | 22 | 450 A power source · non-standard parts |
| Panasonic TM-1800III robot welding cells (Japan) | 4 | MIG / TIG · 10 m/s · weld strength ≥ 90% of base metal |
| 20 m gantry automated welding line (custom, China) | 1 | 20 m effective stroke · gantry travel axis + flexible positioners · +300% vs manual |
| Weld seam cleaner (custom, China) | 1 | seam surface finishing |
All parameters match the factory nameplates and can be verified during customer audits.
Welding, sorted into three families
Welding joins two parts by putting enough energy into the interface that atoms from one side bond with atoms from the other. There are more than forty recognised processes, but they all fall into three families. Fusion welding melts the parent metal — TIG, MIG/MAG, laser and stud welding all sit here. Pressure welding brings the surfaces together under force, with or without heat, the way spot and seam welding do. Brazing and soldering melt a filler that wets the joint without melting the parent metal, which is how dissimilar metals get joined without the distortion that comes with fusion. Which family applies is a function of the material, the thickness, the joint design and what the finished part has to do. A sealed IP66 enclosure, a load-bearing frame and a cosmetic stainless panel are three different answers to the same drawing.
Processes we run, and where each is used
| TIG (GTAW) | tungsten electrode, argon shield, filler added by hand. The reference process for stainless and aluminium where the weld is visible or has to be leak-tight — 22 manual stations |
|---|---|
| MIG / MAG (GMAW) | continuous wire feed and a higher deposition rate. Four robotic cells run MIG and TIG, and weld strength is verified at no less than 90% of the parent metal |
| Gantry welding line | 20 m of effective travel with a gantry axis and flexible positioners, cutting manual weld time on long fabrications |
| Spot and projection welding | resistance welding for overlapping sheet — fast, low heat input, no filler. The standard way to tack a fabrication before finish welding, and for thin-gauge closures |
| Laser welding | a focused beam for narrow, low-distortion seams, used where heat input has to be minimal and the joint is visible |
| Seam and roller welding | continuous wheel-electrode welding for leak-tight longitudinal seams on tank-like parts |
| Materials welded | stainless sheet and tube, mild steel, galvanised, brass and copper — each with its own procedure and its own consumable |
Weld defects: cause and countermeasure
Almost every weld defect traces back to a parameter, a surface condition or a sequence. These are the six we watch for and the control we put on each.
Porosity — gas trapped in the bead
Damp filler, oil or zinc on the surface, or shield-gas flow set too high so it draws air in. We degrease and clean before welding, store filler dry, and set flow at the nozzle rather than at the regulator.
Undercut along the toe
Excess current or too long an arc washes the parent metal away at the edge of the bead. On load-bearing joints the toe is inspected and anything that reduces throat thickness is re-worked rather than dressed over.
Lack of fusion
Travel speed too high, or a gap the arc cannot bridge. Welding procedure specifications are written per material and thickness, and the welder works to the procedure rather than to what looks right.
Distortion after welding
Heat shrinks as it cools, and it shrinks unevenly. We tack on a jig instead of on the bench, sequence welds to balance heat input around the part, and where flatness is critical correct after cooling rather than while the part is still hot.
Spatter on visible surfaces
Prevented with parameters and anti-spatter rather than finished out afterwards. On cosmetic parts we mask the visible face and grind back to a matched grain if anything lands on it.
Heat tint on stainless
Oxidation that changes the corrosion behaviour of the weld and the metal beside it. Controlled with gas coverage, back-purge on tube and pipe, and post-weld pickling or passivation where the specification calls for it.
Welded fabrications we build
- Sealed cabinets and enclosures that must hold an IP rating
- Load-bearing frames, gantry bases and machine beds
- Stainless fabrication for hygienic, medical and food-adjacent equipment
- Tank-like and ducting assemblies with continuous leak-tight seams
- Cosmetic welded shells where the joint is ground flush and finished
Built for buyers who audit their supply chain
Four things that decide whether a metal enclosure project lands on time and on budget.
Tolerances we can hold
±0.1 mm on laser-cut features and ±0.3 mm on formed parts, verified before dispatch.
Quality you can audit
ISO 9001 processes, first-article inspection and a measurement report with every series batch.
One supplier, five processes
Cutting, bending, welding, coating and mechanical assembly under one roof — no hand-offs between vendors.
Built for export
Export-grade packing, customs documentation and container loading planned for Europe and North America.
From your drawing to a delivered container
A four-step process, with a defined deliverable and a defined owner at each step.
Send drawings
STEP, DWG, DXF or PDF — tell us material, surface finish and quantity.
Engineering review
We flag manufacturability issues and return a quotation with lead time and tooling cost.
Sample and approval
A first-article sample in 7–10 working days for dimensional and finish sign-off.
Series production and shipping
Batch production with inspection records, then export packing and container loading.
Product lines
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order quantity?
There is no fixed MOQ. Prototypes and small batches from one piece are accepted, and unit prices fall as volume grows. One-off tooling cost is quoted separately.
Can you work from our drawings and keep them confidential?
Yes. We regularly work under NDA and produce strictly to customer drawings. Files stay on an internal server and are never shared with third parties.
How long does production take after the sample is approved?
A first-article sample is typically ready in 7–10 working days, and series production runs in 3–5 weeks depending on quantity and surface finish.
Send your drawings and quantity — an engineer, not a sales script, comes back with a quotation covering material, tooling, surface finish and lead time.
Send your drawings and quantity — you will get a quotation with lead time, not a sales script.