What size of heavy frames can the network handle?

Vetted partner shops handle single pieces from roughly 500 kg up to 25 tons, in envelopes to about 8 m × 3 m × 3 m. Beyond that the usual answer is a split-and-bolt design with machined mating faces and on-site final alignment, which the matched shop quotes as part of the job.

Can frames be CNC-machined after welding?

Yes. Some shops in the network have a large gantry mill in house; others subcontract the machining and quote it as one job. We tell you which is which before the RFQ goes out, so the quote you receive already covers flatness, mounting pads and bore alignment.

No. We are a matching service. We own no shop and take no commission, which is why we can put your drawing in front of the fabricators whose crane, oven and machining envelope actually fit it rather than forcing it through one set of equipment.

Why source heavy fabrication from Vietnam?

Plate cost is broadly comparable to the rest of the region, but skilled welding and machining labour runs well below coastal China, and the freight leg to US West Coast ports is shorter than from inland Chinese shops. For a category where most of the cost is hours under an arc, that gap is the whole argument.

How is quality controlled on a multi-ton weldment?

Welder certification is checked before a shop enters the network. The shop you order from runs the in-process dimensional checks, keeps the stress-relief logs and issues the dimensional FAI, with laser tracker or large-envelope CMM where the tolerance calls for it. NDT and third-party inspection are line items on the shop quote when you specify them.

What lead time should I plan for?

Eight to twelve weeks is typical for a single multi-ton frame including fabrication, stress relief, machining and pre-shipment QC. Repeat orders against approved drawings usually run six to eight weeks. Sea freight is on top of that.

Who quotes, and what does the quote include?

The matched shops quote you directly. We ask them to price material, fabrication, stress relief, machining, surface finish, QC documentation, packing and inland transport to the port of loading, with the Incoterm fixed at EXW or FOB Vietnam so quotes are comparable. CIF is available from shops that arrange the ocean leg.

What if my drawing is not finished?

Send what you have. A large share of the cost on a heavy weldment is decided by details that are cheap to change on paper: joint access, plate nesting, how many faces need machining. We would rather raise those before you freeze the design.

Heavy fabrication sourcing · Vietnam

Heavy steel frame fabrication, sourced from Vietnam.

Machine bases, equipment skids and structural weldments up to 25 tons. Send the drawing; we match it with up to three vetted fabricators and reply within 24 business hours. They quote you directly.

Get Matched With a Heavy Frame Supplier See the working envelope

25 t: Max single-piece weight
8 m: Max envelope length
8–12: Week typical lead time
24 h: Quote response

Why buyers send heavy frame work here

It comes down to the match: shops that fit your part, from the first quote.

Matched by specialisation

Your drawing goes to up to three shops that build heavy welded frames, picked for the weight, size, plate grade and machining of your piece. Not a general directory.

Professional suppliers

Shops in the network quote to your drawing, communicate clearly and keep you updated while your frame is made.

You deal with the shop

Quotes, terms and delivery are agreed between you and the shop. Free for buyers.

01 · The niche

What counts as a heavy frame

This is the awkward middle of the fabrication market: too big for a jobbing machine shop, too bespoke for a structural steel contractor. Plate, weld, stress-relieve, machine: there is no software trick that compresses those steps, so the question is only which shop owns the right equipment. These are the pieces we place.

Machine bases and beds

Welded bases for machine tools, test rigs and production equipment, stress-relieved and gantry-machined for flatness before they ship.

Equipment skids and package frames

Structural skids for pumps, compressors, dosing units and modular process packages, including drip trays, lifting lugs and bolt-down pads.

Press and column frames

Heavy plate weldments where the geometry has to hold under load: press uprights, column assemblies and load-bearing gantries.

Structural weldments

Conveyor frames, platforms, mezzanines, support steel and welded chassis for heavy equipment, in carbon or weathering steel.

Energy and marine subassemblies

Structural components for wind, solar and offshore work where weld procedure and traceability documentation matter as much as the steel.

Fixtures, rigs and inspection stands

One-off heavy fixtures and stands that are too big for a jobbing machine shop but too small for a structural steel contractor.

By industry:Mining equipment · Wind energy · Marine and offshore

02 · Spec guide

The working envelope

The figures below are the practical ceiling across the shops we work with, not a single factory’s brochure. Where a piece sits outside them, the usual answer is a split-and-bolt design with machined mating faces and alignment on site, often cheaper than the freight on one monolithic weldment anyway.

Three numbers decide almost every heavy frame job before anyone talks price: crane capacity, stress-relief oven length, and machining table size. Give us those constraints from your side (port, tolerance, finish) and the shortlist writes itself.

How each step is done, from cutting to large-bed machining, is on fabrication processes. Grades and plate thickness are on frame materials.

Not sure where your part lands? Send the drawing to and we will tell you plainly whether it fits.

Working envelope across vetted partner shops
Max single-piece weight	25 t (split-and-bolt designs available beyond)
Max envelope (L × W × H)	8 m × 3 m × 3 m
Plate thickness range	6 mm to 100 mm
Welding standards	AWS D1.1 or ISO 9606, certified welders, documented WPS/PQR
Stress relief	Heat-treat ovens up to 12 m; vibratory stress relief where the oven is the constraint
Post-weld machining	Gantry mills to roughly 6 m × 2 m table
Flatness (machined)	0.05 mm/m typical, 0.02 mm/m on the tighter shops
Surface finish	Blast and primer, 2K industrial paint, or hot-dip galvanize
Material grades	S235JR, S355, A36, ASTM A572; stainless and weathering steel on request
QC documentation	Mill certs, weld map, NDT report, dimensional FAI

03 · How it works

Three steps from drawing to quotes

Send the drawing

STEP, DWG, DXF or a dimensioned PDF is enough. If you only have a sketch and a load case, say so. We tell you what is missing before any shop quotes.

We match, the shops quote

Within 24 business hours we tell you which shops clear the crane, oven and machining envelope your piece needs. Up to three of them receive the RFQ and quote you directly, each with the Incoterm fixed so the numbers are comparable.

You choose, they build

You place the order with the shop you pick, on their quote and their terms. NDA before any drawing moves if you ask for one. We take no commission on the order and stay reachable if the match needs adjusting.

04 · Request a quote

Get matched with a heavy frame supplier

Tell us what needs building. We reply within 24 business hours with which shops clear the envelope, and up to three of them quote you directly.

FAQ

Questions buyers ask first

What size of heavy frames can the network handle?: Vetted partner shops handle single pieces from roughly 500 kg up to 25 tons, in envelopes to about 8 m × 3 m × 3 m. Beyond that the usual answer is a split-and-bolt design with machined mating faces and on-site final alignment, which the matched shop quotes as part of the job.
Can frames be CNC-machined after welding?: Yes. Some shops in the network have a large gantry mill in house; others subcontract the machining and quote it as one job. We tell you which is which before the RFQ goes out, so the quote you receive already covers flatness, mounting pads and bore alignment.
Are you a factory?: No. We are a matching service. We own no shop and take no commission, which is why we can put your drawing in front of the fabricators whose crane, oven and machining envelope actually fit it rather than forcing it through one set of equipment.
Why source heavy fabrication from Vietnam?: Plate cost is broadly comparable to the rest of the region, but skilled welding and machining labour runs well below coastal China, and the freight leg to US West Coast ports is shorter than from inland Chinese shops. For a category where most of the cost is hours under an arc, that gap is the whole argument.
How is quality controlled on a multi-ton weldment?: Welder certification is checked before a shop enters the network. The shop you order from runs the in-process dimensional checks, keeps the stress-relief logs and issues the dimensional FAI, with laser tracker or large-envelope CMM where the tolerance calls for it. NDT and third-party inspection are line items on the shop quote when you specify them.
What lead time should I plan for?: Eight to twelve weeks is typical for a single multi-ton frame including fabrication, stress relief, machining and pre-shipment QC. Repeat orders against approved drawings usually run six to eight weeks. Sea freight is on top of that.
Who quotes, and what does the quote include?: The matched shops quote you directly. We ask them to price material, fabrication, stress relief, machining, surface finish, QC documentation, packing and inland transport to the port of loading, with the Incoterm fixed at EXW or FOB Vietnam so quotes are comparable. CIF is available from shops that arrange the ocean leg.
What if my drawing is not finished?: Send what you have. A large share of the cost on a heavy weldment is decided by details that are cheap to change on paper: joint access, plate nesting, how many faces need machining. We would rather raise those before you freeze the design.

Field notes

Buyer guides for heavy fabrication

Heavy Steel Frame Fabrication: A Guide for Industrial Equipment Buyers

What actually drives a heavy steel frame job, crane capacity, stress relief, machining envelope and weld standard, and how to specify one so the quotes you get back are comparable.

Z25 and Z35 Through-Thickness Steel: Preventing Lamellar Tearing

What lamellar tearing is, which welded joints put plate at risk, what the Z15, Z25 and Z35 grades of EN 10164 guarantee, and how joint design, welding sequence and testing reduce the risk on thick frames.

Weathering Steel (A588, Corten) for Outdoor Equipment Frames

Where weathering steel works for outdoor frames and skids, where it fails, how welding, bolting and drainage details change and what to ask for on the order and the mill certificate.

All articles

Become a Partner

Join the supplier network

We are a matching service, not a factory. Every RFQ we pass on goes to a Vietnamese shop we have vetted and visited, and the shop quotes the buyer directly. We are continuously adding capacity for heavy frames, skids and machine bases. If that is your work, we would like to hear from you.

What we look for

Five or more years in heavy welded fabrication or large-envelope machining
Overhead crane capacity of 20 t or more, with the floor space to match
Certified welders to AWS D1.1 or ISO 9606, with current papers
Export experience, or a genuine willingness to work to export documentation

What you get

Pre-screened RFQs from international buyers, with drawings attached
Scope written in English before it reaches you, so you quote, not translate
Pay per RFQ you choose to take. No listing fee, no subscription, no commission on the order