Visiting a Steel Supplier in China for Advertising Signages

Maintaining a close relationship with our suppliers outside was very much needed for our success. ODM focuses on industrial visits to learn more about the production capacity, product quality, and types of operations carried out within the factory unit. We recently conducted a factory visit to a steel supplier in China, which focuses on manufacturing stainless steel products for the Zhuhai market. They are specialized in advertising signages and has worked on big projects for Malaysia and Singapore.

Alongside this visit, we conducted quality checks. This is to ensure that the factory can provide high-quality products as per customer requirements. To give a detailed account to our clients, we requested them to explain their manufacturing process. In this industrial blog, we will give you an overview of different types of signage boards and the manufacturing process.

Steel Supplier in China

Signage Boards and their importance

Signage boards are a great advertising solution to your business. Eye-catching signage boards easily attract audiences and customers. With real-time adoption of technological advances, steel suppliers in China are very efficient in making these signage boards. Signages are used to enhance the look of your business premises, boost brand recognition, and improve customer experiences. They vary in types accordingly to the area of usage. Here are some of them:

1) External & Internal Branding Signage

From the name itself, “external branding”- such as panel signage and banner signs- are used outside of your business establishments. They ensure that anyone seeking your store will easily find it.

On the other hand, “internal branding signages” are signages that are used to communicate brand values so that employees will be more motivated to live what your company stands for.

2) Illuminated Signage and Stand-Off Signage

With the added benefit of clear visibility from a distance, Illuminated signages are often seen on the front of a building. Various color combinations and LED lights can easily catch the attention of potential customers, making it a great advertising medium.

Have you ever seen solid-color signage that is attached to the walls? These are called stand-off signage and they are secured to walls using supports and fittings. They lend a sleek, high-end, and professional look to your premises.

3) Hoarding Signage

Providing a great impact on advertising, hoarding signages are the most cost-effective way to get maximum exposure over a vast amount of people. They are temporary decorations and can be removed or changed when needed. The main purpose is to show potential clients the existence of their brand/outlet. Hoarding signages can even help you with hiding the renovation works and noise reduction.

4) Retail POS Signage

An interactive pos display is very much needed in retail stores to promote their goods and service. These attract customers and tempt them to make respective purchases. Examples of a retail POS display signage would be promotional posters, shelf banners, frames, and LED shelf displays.

Steel Supplier in China

Manufacturing Process

Before manufacturing, the firm requires proper design and production planning unit. This is very much necessary to avoid disruptions and delays. We validated the steel supplier in China visually by its effective planning system.

1) Laser Cutting

For flawless cutting, laser machines are used. They are highly accurate in every aspect of mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum plate. With the help of laser cutting, it is possible to cut very small, complicated, and detailed shapes. Laser cutting is categorized into three major varieties: fusion cutting, flame-cutting, and remote cutting. The steel supplier in china uses both Co2 and fiber lasers for successful sheet metal cutting applications.

Steel Supplier in China

Working

Laser cutting machines are mainly a thermal process that directs the output of a high powered laser. These high-intensity light of single wavelength works on the material melting, burning, or blowing away material creating a high-quality finish.

Focusing the laser beam can be done with the help of special lenses and curved mirrors. On a laser cutting machine, the laser head is moved over a metal plate in the desired shape. Thus, results in cutting the part out of the plate. A capacitive height control system is used to maintain the distance between the nozzle end and the cutting plate. Considering all these parameters and proper control, steel supplier in china employs laser cutting operations which is stable, reliable, and accurate.

Steel Supplier in China

2) Laser Engraving

Laser etching or Laser engraving is a manufacturing technique, in which a laser beam is used to change the surface of an object. This process is mostly used to create permanent images, brand names or logos on the material. A laser is also used to mark the surface of an item.

It can be used on all kinds of metal, plastic, wood, leather, or glass surface. Though there is a smaller chance to damage or deform the material, the steel supplier in China uses laser engraving for many different applications.

Steel Supplier in China – Laser Engraving

Working

It is a simple and easy process. The high concentrated laser beam is targetted over the area of the material. Material is removed with each passage of the laser. The depth of engraving is equal to the number of times the laser beam is passed on the material.

Laser engraving machines are classified according to their movability of laser and workpiece. In the first type, the workpiece is fixed, only the laser is movable. The second type is used to engrave cylindrical workpieces. The last type is laser engraving machines where both laser and the workpiece are fixed and the galvo mirrors are used in moving the laser beam on the surface to engrave.

Steel Supplier in China

3) Bending Machine

A bending machine is a forming machine tool to assemble bends on the workpiece. Here, the pressure is exerted at a certain point or linear as an evenly distributed weight. The degree of deformation is determined by the applied force called the bending moment. Sheet metal bending can be done with the help of press brakes, roll bending machines, and embossing/coining machines.

Bending can be further classified into standard bending, U bending, offset bending, edge-wise bending, and torsion bending. Material type, Bending length, and angle determine the effectiveness of bend.

Steel Supplier in China

Working

Though each material has a different load capacity and reacts differently to the application of force, all metals have the common property to deform elastically and plastically. However, these phases occur at different stress levels depending on the material type and thickness. It can be easily determined by the stress-strain diagram.

To bend sheet metal permanently, force has to be applied over the yield point(elastic deformation). The sheet metal will just return to its original shape until elastic deformation point is not met. When the maximum point of elastic deformation has been exceeded, a shift in the crystalline structure of the metal takes place. The sheet metal is permanently bent from the time of load application and this plastic deformation cannot be reversed.

The steel supplier in china uses both folding and rolling processes for bending sheet metal. Their machines are computer-controlled and can easily be adapted to the materials to be bent.

Steel Supplier in China

Quality Check Area and Warehouse

Quality inspection is defined as measuring, examining, testing one or more characteristics of a product, and comparing the results with specified requirements. Steel suppliers in China carry all sorts of inspection to preserve the quality of goods. Warehouse and inventory are needed in storing the material as improper storage conditions can cause issues both during and after production. Warehouses were maintained periodically. Storage areas for raw materials and finished goods should be clean and hygienic. Proper actions were taken by the steel supplier in China as materials to prevent degradation.

The steel supplier in China assured their tools and machines are maintained properly. They invested more in maintenance and quality check as poor working conditions may lead to factory defects.

Steel Supplier in China

To Conclude…

Signage boards are needed to enhance business premises. It is a cost-effective way to expose your brand with maximum visibility. As such, it is important to ensure that your steel supplier in China complies with international standards.

After the evaluation of design control and production control in compliance with ISO standards, we conclude the quality management of steel supplier in China is effective.

At ODM, we not only specialize in brand packaging design and manufacturing of high-quality products, but we also help evaluate factories through factory visits and SEDEX audits. We also work closely with our suppliers and designers. Our professionals have vast knowledge in creative designs and offer reliable products at budget-friendly costs. This will help to boost your business to greater heights. We also have an in-house design team, Mindsparkz, that can help with innovative branded promotional products and promotional product designs for your business.