Bridge Steel Fabrication Industry in East Europe

Background del cliente

The customer is a bridge steel fabrication plant in East Europe. Their production requires both standard tube cutting and heavy structural section processing. As project-type orders increased, outsourcing became expensive and less predictable due to logistics and subcontractor scheduling. The customer wanted to bring cutting in-house with a solution that could handle a very wide size range while supporting bevel cutting for welding preparation.

Challenges & Goals

• High outsourcing cost: most structural profiles were processed by subcontractors.
• Wide size range: from 40×40 mm square tube to 640×640 mm square sections, up to Ø650 mm round tube; bar length up to 12,100 mm and weight up to 3,000 kg.
• Multiple processes required: straight cut-off, hole cutting, and bevel cutting for welding preparation.
• Target direction: replace outsourcing with in-house processing, validated by cutting tests based on the customer’s drawings.

SteviS Solution & Key Configuration

1) 670×670 mm heavy-duty precision 3-chuck clamping: selected to cover both small tubes (40×40 mm) and large structural sections with stable holding.

2) BOCHU bevel cutting control (per contract BOM): chosen to enable bevel tool paths and control logic for welding preparation; BOCHU provides reference solutions for heavy tube/structural cutting with 3-chuck delivery and bevel capability.

3) 12 kW Raycus (CE) fiber laser: provides power margin for carbon steel cutting in heavy-duty applications (exact model and nameplate as per contract).

4) 12 m semi-automatic loading & unloading: aligned with 12,100 mm profile length to simplify handling of long and heavy materials.

5) Process coverage: cut-off + holes + bevel cutting on one machine, reducing inter-process transport and waiting.

Delivery & Implementation Timeline

• Sep 2025 | PO placed: confirmed size range, maximum length/weight, and site layout constraints.
• Mid-Jan 2026 | FAT (planned): cutting verification using representative parts/drawings, focusing on 40×40 mm cutting stability, bevel geometry, hole accuracy, and long-bar cutting consistency.
• Early-Feb 2026 | Shipment (planned): rail transportation.
• Mar 2026 | Arrival (estimated): positioning, utilities hookup (power/air/exhaust).
• Commissioning | ~1 month: joint delivery by China-based engineers and local engineers in East Europe.
• Training: operation, daily maintenance, and practical tips (including key inspection points and consumables).
• Acceptance: cutting tests strictly based on the customer’s drawings.

Results & Benefits (Stage-Based; Before/After)

Note: This case is currently at the “PO placed, FAT/installation pending” stage. The following items define the target outcomes and acceptance logic; final results will be confirmed after FAT, on-site acceptance, and the first month of production.

• Make-or-buy shift: from outsourcing structural cutting to primarily in-house laser cutting, reducing dependency on subcontractor capacity.
• One-machine coverage: from separate solutions for tubes vs. structural sections to one integrated machine covering the required range.
• Process consolidation: from distributed operations to cut-off + holes + bevel on one platform.
• Lead-time control: from subcontractor scheduling risk to in-house planning control.

Before / After Table (Target Comparison)

Applicable Scenarios for Similar Factories

• Bridge steel / structural steel fabricators needing both tube and large profile cutting on one platform.
• Plants with high outsourcing costs and unpredictable subcontractor schedules.
• Projects requiring bevel preparation for welding and consistent cutting quality across long/heavy materials.

Next Step

Send us your material grade & thickness range, min/max section sizes, 3–5 representative drawings (PDF/DXF), target monthly output, and your available shop-floor length/handling method.SteviS will provide a selection proposal, clamping & loading concept, cycle-time estimate, quotation, and delivery plan.